Disused Airfields with Hangers suitable for a Music festival

[cgbutton]

I was wondering whether anybody knew of a disused Airfield with Hangars suitable for running a 2-day Music festival in July 2006?

Any suggestions greatfully appreciated

[barit1]

Reminds me of a sorry tale:

KCVG (Greater Cincinnati/N. Kentucky aprt) was preparing for its 50th anniversary a few years back, and planned to hold the event in Delta's 767-sized hangar. The building was scrubbed down for the banquet & dancing, but of course after the orchestra had delivered their instruments and the caterers had set up, someone tripped the fire extinguishing system & flooded the place with foam.

Over $100K damage to contents. Event cancelled. :ouch:

[diginagain]

Indeed, one must be very careful to check the status of any fire-detection and automated fire suppression systems, lest you soak the hangar's contents; Lynx or Apache airframes, for example.
:ok:

[brabazon]

Not sure you'd find many disused airfields with intact hangers - what sort of music are you talking about? Twinwoods have a Glenn Miller bash every year....

[Conan the Librarian]

I think Fairford is about to get very quiet, though it might frighten the natives if it ain't Country and Western...


Conan

[Saab Dastard]

Manston??? :uhoh:

Sheffield??? :uhoh:

Dunsfold - isn't that where Top Gear is recorded?

Bruntingthorpe?

Woodbridge?

Thorney Island - not many neighbours to annoy :ok:

The last 2 are still MOD, but not RAF - dunno if the army has kept the hangars.

[chevvron]

Suggest this thread is referred to the police; it sounds like someone planning an illegal 'acid house' rave.

[ORAC]

Bentwaters? (http://www.bentwatersparks.com/thesite2.htm)

[Load Toad]

It's 2006 chevvron mate. I doubt an illegal 'acid house rave' would pull them in these days.

It seems a fair enough request - before tyou ask permission to use something you have to know what it is and where it is don't yers?:uhoh:

[cgbutton]

Thanks for all this. Your help is very much appreciated.

Bentwaters are interested. This one is feasible.

Can anybody give me a phone number/email address for who to contact for Thorney Island?

[chevvron]

The police would be interested; I read about one in Norfolk a few days ago.

[cgbutton]

Chevvron,

Once we have a date and venue things like arranging:

Entertainment license
Contacting Police and firebrigade
Security arrangements
First aid
Catering
Ticketing
rubbish clearance
Toilets and showers

follow afterwards.

For sure we will be contacting the police ourselves, because they would want to have the option to be at such an event in anycase. But as mentioned previously until we have agreed a site and a date there is not much point.

The main issue as to whether I even run such an event relates to costs, dates and locations and not legality at this stage.

Please be assured that it is not my intention to run an illegal event and I am sorry if this thread creates that impression.

[chevvron]

Fine. I was concerned because such things DO still happen; they often don't get reported in the papers/on TV unless there's some sort of tragedy (eg a fire with locked fire exits). The one I read of recently was in a warehouse on an industrial estate, near to a residential area.
Don't forget whatever airfield (in use or disused) you go to will have its NIMBY's who'll object to ANYTHING if it gets their name in the papers. But then if you've had prior experience, you'll know that already.
You may of course, also need planning permission for temporary 'change of use', but it depends on the local authority.

[cgbutton]

Chevronn

Your points are well taken amd i totally agree with your concerns.

The Glen Miller festival people although logistically are great are too expensive for a startup festival. They are too big and well established for us. Bentwaters are ok but we are seeking something aesthetically beautiful and remote so as to avoid noise pollution issues to locals.

Thorney Island is the one I am most interested in but i am not sure of the setup there, so if anybody can advise on this one with a contact within the MOD then that would be great.

Please also bare in mind that this is still in its feasibility stage, in which disused airfields is one of many options, and for sure if there is any sign of objection we would seek alternatives in order to avoid offence.

[grow45]

How about West Freugh - certainly aesthetically pleasing and remote but perhaps too remote. That said "T in the Park" at Balado is almost as remote for people coming up from down south.

g45

[MEON VALLEY FLYER]

Forget Thorney. It's run by the army, signals unit, last time I was there.

Besides it's on a island with a small access road, below the heavily populated area of Emsworth. and all the large ish hangars are on the north side.

Plenty of other places I know will rent you a hangar, even with B1,2,8 consent. But that won't cover a concert and most will baulk at the mention of it.

[Jackonicko]

Bicester? Heyford? Little Rissington?

Coltishall, by then!

[Volume]

Former UK military airfield Weeze/Laarbruch, which was used for civil operation in the last few years is shut down after a court decission :

"Brits hunting bargain flights to Germany may soon see their options narrow after a German court ruled civilian aircraft should not be using Düsseldorf Weeze airport.
The news could come as a blow to no-frills airline Ryanair, which has been using the airport as a cheap alternative to Düsseldorf International Airport since 2003.
The airline could now be forced to find another location after a court in Muenster waived permission for civilian use, Luchtzak Aviation reports.
The court said that the current permission did not contain sufficient noise protection considerations."

Well, no
Might be no good idea to use it for a Music Festival, as it was shut down due to not containing sufficient noise protection considerations :}

[bolmas]

what about binbrook?

[ORAC]

I believe the hangars at Binbrook are owned by a company selling heavy equipment and used for storage.

It might be worth investigating who owns all the old hangars etc at Henlow, and I think there are a couple of old hangars near the Greenham Park industrial estate at Greenham Common. The problem with such places is they tend not to meet the H&S requirements.

[ImageGear]

Once, many years ago, White Waltham allowed hosting of an Acid House special in a hangar, the locals have been trying to close the Airfield ever since.

Imagegear

[Bahn-Jeaux]

Binbrook has a lot of different companies operating from it and the old quarters are now a town called Brookenby.
Dont know if you would get local concensus there anymore.

[chevvron]

Bovingdon likewise. Rebuild all 4 T2 hangars, then close the airfield shortly after.

[BEagle]

Machrihanish perhaps?