NI no more.....

[hungryhorse]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7365355.stm

[Seldomfitforpurpose]

Not before time :ok:

[More lookout]

Great times, challenging flying and bloody good people. Memories.....:)

[TheWizard]

unless you are one of this lot of course
Aldergrove will remain a military flying station for the Army Air Corps for the foreseeable future."
He said the RAF would continue to use Northern Ireland airspace for training and a limited number of RAF personnel would remain in joint or specialist appointments in units in Northern Ireland.


Some good memories and some bad but glad it is scaling down.

Not sure where 500+ people are going to go at Benson though. The place is bursting at the seams as it is!!:\

[MATZ]

Keevil?
;)

[chinnyrationcarrier]

Is it just me or does this sound like the most insane idea in the world. Co-locating the Sqns is a good idea; however, I'm more concerned about the complete lack of infrastructure at Benson to actually deal with it. There isn't enough room for current numbers of personnel, let alone another 600 + dependents. I can only imagine that claims for home to duty on JPA are going to skyrocket, assuming you can afford a house in the area in the first place. It's either that or quite possibly all the hotels, B & Bs, Travel Lodges, Guest Houses, Pubs and Youth Hostels in the area are going to get very busy for the forseeable future.
:\

[Mr C Hinecap]

chinny - a sqn doesn't equal 600 so don't get too worried. Most of those Aldergrove posts will probably go elsewhere to fill some of the gaps on other stns. Fitting a sqn's worth into extant support facilities will be a lot less people than were needed in Aldergrove.

[airborne_artist]

Secret Wiltshire Airbase
Keevil?
;)


No, much more secret than Keevil

[rab-k]

They'll be hard pushed to get a bacon'n'egg soda at Benson as good as those from the browse'n'bite. :E

Had many hours as a trainee controller getting tied in knots by Tigers :ugh:. Thanks for your patience when it mattered chaps - enjoy your change of scenery. :ok:

[gusspa44]

surprisingly one of my better tours . Everywhere ive been posted to seems to close !! pity was i believe one of , if not the oldest RAF stations left

[StopStart]

Yes indeed, a terribly secret Wiltshire airbase. Excitingly those of us moving out are to be caught up in in one of the most poorly thought out, ill conceived plans ever hatched. Everyone involved except those at the very top can see what an utter utter disaster this is going to be.... Can't wait!

If you chaps do decide to move in may I recommend that once you formulate a plan for the move you then put it to a class of 5 year olds for scrutiny? This was a step we sadly missed out - such sharp scrutineers would've seen the plan for the nonsense it is and may have put a stop to it.

Ho hum.

[eastern wiseguy]

So the officers mess CAN be demolished then?:E

[Lurking123]

So will there be a permanent * aircraft det at Aldergrove?

[Dunhovrin]

Now that 230 Squadron have single-handedly brought peace to the war-torn province will they be celebrating their success with a farewell hoolie? And can I come? I promise I won't break anything this time.

[Low Ball]

Dunhovrin,

What about the part played by every other SH Sqn in the RAF - Wessex, Puma and Chinook and the FAA Junglies SK4 and some Navy Lynx IIRC and Royal Marines (3 Cdo BAS) and just about every AAC Sqn known to man Sioux, Scout, Gazelle, Lynx, Beaver and Islander.

So 230 played A part in bringing peace to NI, proportionally somewhat less than 10% and the batteries in my calculater are new Duracells!

Low Ball

[talk_shy_tall_knight]

Wooooooooooosssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh

[Doors Off]

They were great days. Good and bad to see it go - maybe Paddy can now learn to surf!

[Stupidbutsaveable]

Dunhovrin

Far too easy old chap; but just remind me, 'Where's the Puma gone?'

Low Ball

Oh dear. You were not a Lnyx 5 commander were you?

Stupid:rolleyes:

[Dunhovrin]

You were not a Lynx 5 commander were you?

Smile when you say that, boy...

...AJ loooked down and saw th'TANS had doomped.

But he was D Flight not 230 at the time...

TSTK: thanks mate - I thought my Merlot-induced irony might have missed the mark.

C'mon chaps there must be a piss-up I can gatecrash and bore the youngsters with "When I was on the ground at NTH..."

"Yeah, shut up grandad, any idea where Basra is?"

Ok - this is sad but...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSwxY1-IX1c

and one more to come soon - mostly shot from the back of Chas C's Lynx 5.

[Irish Tempest]

A RN Lynx from 815 OCU... oh the shame...:D

IT

[8-15fromOdium]

Dunhovrin, don't apologise for that!

I agree with you there should be a proper closing 'ceremony', having spent at least a month out there every year between 1989 & 2001 on 72'D' and 230 I would appreciate a last night in the Swift/Lair (is it still there?).

[Dunhovrin]

I'll go up to H VCP and ask. I'll let you know.

Here's McSweat working hard on Puma 1...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CnAlfoicXo

[eastern wiseguy]

Very good......now spell after me ARMAGH .....:ok:

[engoal]

I spent 2 very interesting years in the Province, on the Swift side of the fence, and tried really hard to understand what it was all about. A decade later, I finally found out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndwsailhuv0.;)

[Globemeister]

Wot no Wessex vids? Mad Andy B made a great video to 'I'm a Cowboy'. Hey Dunhovrin, I think I was out there with you on the 'Swift' side of the fence - 90-93 then sporadically between 98 and 2000.

[Dunhovrin]

You mean the Bon Jovi one? It was Trash Megawart who made it I thought? Where's the vid? Where's Jaffa's vid and where's Trash?

Dobbo

[Globemeister]

Found it today (the video mentioned above - by messers B'stard and Megawart), will attempt to put it ono DVD from VHS and then upload to youtube, provided nobody minds. Any ideas how?:}:confused: