RAF St Mawgan

[AonP]

Does anyone know what the latest info on the closure of RAF St Mawgan is? I believe the airfield goes civvie next year, but what about the SAR OEU, Joint Maritme Facility and Survival School?

Not much on the staion website:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafstmawgan/aboutus/

[Sven Sixtoo]

AFAIK the SAR OEU is safe at Benson for a few years yet.:)
The SAR OCU, now that's a different story ...:eek:
Sven

[pendrifter]

St. Mawgan will close as military base next year (sorry, can't remember the exact date). Announced this week that cash is available from regional, UK and European funds, which will allow Cornwall CC, to install required equipment and services and run it as a civilian airport.
Hope this does happen, as the nearest airports are Plymouth (which is restricted by runway length) and Exeter. If you live far west or mid Cornwall both of these are at least one-and-half hours plus away.
With the growth of no-frills flights the tourist industry has benefited considerably. Ryan Air (good or bad?) are running quite a number of flights each week; as are BA and Flybe, I believed, but not so many.
It still doesn't keep the nutter tourist, who can't reverse, travels too fast on the country lanes, and endevours to avoid the tail backs blocking every village while they're reading the map in the middle of the road. The sat navs a waste of time, as it give the route but doesn't take into account there may be a hair pin bend or 5 ft wide bridge on route.
Sorry ranted off subject!±:ugh:

[Lazer-Hound]

Presumably JMF is staying open, what with it being a USN facility and all?

[Chough]

Military flying is due to finish in August 08.

Cornwall County Council are in line to spend , I think, £40 million on the civilian airfield side of things.

Ryanair aren't especially active at the airfield, just the solitary flight in from Stansted each day.

[harrogate]

Ryanair announced a large programme from St Mawgan last year, but then pulled out because the local council slapped a 'ridiculous and un-justifiable' £5 'tourist tax' on all inbound passengers.

A ridiculous charge? Probably, but isn't that a bit rich coming from Ryanair, who lead the way in ridculous extra charges?

Don't expect much more action from Ryanair until it's sorted. It's true that the local authority in Newquay are moronic when it comes to most things, though.

[Razor61]

I thought most of the 500 staff at the JMF have 'gone' already. I think it has been moved elsewhere?

Will St Mawgan still be utilised as a divert base for RAF deployments across the pond?
Also what about the many exercises that go on at the airfield, will these still use the southern dispersal or move elsewhere too?

The RAF although moving out of the place should have kept the southern dispersal area...

[jonnyloove]

Just a quick question in regards to St Magwan Is it still going to be the home off SAR Medical courses for SAR aircrews or is that moved already?

Jon

[No Vote Joe]

The SAR HQ (including Med School) and the SK OCU will move to Valley during the first half of 2008.

[leader12uk]

I read on another forum that Culdrose will take on hosting the exercies as well as providing QRA in the time of emergancies when St Mawgan closes

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Culdrose will take on hosting the exercies (sic) as well as providing QRA in the time of emergancies (sic)

Quite apart from the weather factor (one of the worst in the UK, surely?), I think Culdrose would struggle somewhat to host major exercises for two reasons: the much shorter runway than St Mawgan, and the lack of free dispersal areas - unlike the enormous areas at St M, which have had to cope with all of 3 helicopters in residence for the last 15 years, Culdrose is more or less full with a great many FAA units, both FW and RW.

[leader12uk]

Just seen this

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1792468.0.air_base_in_front_line_fullyarmed.php

[harrogate]

The runway's not a problem for a fully-laden 'phoon, but the F3's would be scraping the tree tops.

As for the choppers and the space problems posed by so many of them... they'll all be off base anyway (overstretch and deep maintenance).