RAF Machrihanish to close

[AonP]

Another airfield is to be sold off. Yesterday, uncertainty over RAF Machrihanish's future was finally removed when new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Veterans Kevan Jones announced that the Kintyre base was "surplus to defence requirements and will be disposed of.

Mothballed Kintyre Air Base To Be Be Disposed Of By MoD (from The Herald ) (http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/other/display.var.2457944.0.Mothballed_Kintyre_air_base_to_be_be_d isposed_of_by_MoD.php)

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Jobs to go with sale of airbase (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7656482.stm)

[spheroid]

The end of the Cold War led to a military rundown and the RAF announced in 1996 that it was to abandon Machrihanish.
Since then, 20 people have worked there for the MoD on a care and maintenance

Average wage of a maintenance fella.... £12,000 PA....

* 20 = £240,000 ..........for the last 12 years is £2.8 million......

And the crabs shutdown Heron flight to save money...... Right !

[NutLoose]

Take it the seals err left

[harrogate]

Where will top secret stealth planes land now? They haven't thought about this, have they? Or maybe they didn't even know.

The plot thickens.

I think it's a diversion.

The truth is out there.

Believe!

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

Where will top secret stealth planes land now?




Anywhere they like. No one can see them.

[sanddancer]

What do you reckon they got for it then? - if you go on location/location/location it's only worth about £45:}

[Atlantic Cowboy]

This will be a snip for Ryanair!

[cazatou]

In the early '70s, when I was instructing at Manby, we used to do a 2 day round UK low level trip for those returning to fast jet flying which involved stopping overnight at Macrihanish. On one of these trips my Wg Cdr "student" and I left our accomodation to go to the Mess hut and the Wg Cdr, looking back to our accomodation, saw that the word "SHELTER" was written on the side of the building.

"Tell me Caz" he said "is that the Building's secondary function - or the name of the Organisation that own's it?"

[matkat]

A month or 2 ago I did a feasability audit to see if it was plausible to set up a EASA 145 MRO and a part 147 training establishment there and TBH the site would be great for it with everything(and more) already in place my only real problem would be to get engineers to go there it is indeed a desolate place but no doubt if manpower could be enticed there it would work.

[Yellow Sun]

A friend of mine did a tour there as SATCO. I never did find out what he'd done wrong, but it must have been serious.

YS;)

[Shack37]

Some wonderful "dances" there in the 60's. Long trip from BK though!

[Wader2]

Did a long bolthole there in '76. Best bit was the Cloggie Atl det who, being Navy, brought a 16mm projector and a raft of dubious films with a film show every night.

Same det, worst bit, were the food waggons. Daily delivery of sausages and baked beans,

When the Cloggies left food reverted to its previous high standard.

[4PON4PIN]

Hey cazatou
Fond memories of MacDrop and a few libations in Campbelltoon:ok:

[tonyosborne]

This will be a snip for Ryanair!

Glasgow (Not Prestwick) West

[Monty77]

Edinburgh (West) for the Ryanair Atlantic Run to er, to New York (North) Newfoundland.

Just get a f*cking taxi.

This is tongue in cheek.

Despite everything, low cost has provided employment and travel that previous generations did not have available.

Let's not forget how it was 20 years ago.

Blackpool anyone?

[AonP]

RAF Machrihanish

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Kevan Jones): The former RAF Machrihanish, near Campbeltown in the west of Scotland, is surplus to defence requirements and will be disposed of.

In considering the way forward in regard to this large but relatively remote site, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been very aware of the sensitivities that attach to it, not least the impact of change on the local community and the presence of transport links provided by Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL), which currently leases areas of the site for use as Campeltown airport. To that end, before making the announcement, we have engaged closely with the Scottish Executive (SE), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Argyll and Bute council as well as with other stakeholders.

Having publicly announced our intention to dispose of the site, we will now take the disposal forward in partnership with other Government stakeholders via a joint steering/focus group. We will engage and consult with the local community, businesses and other stakeholders to help determine the best way to dispose of the site balancing departmental, Scottish and local interests (including both the requirement to achieve best value for the public purse and maximising the long-term development potential of this site).

It is also our intention, with the full understanding of the SE, to discuss the way forward with HIAL to ensure that its future is both secure and sustainable under new ownership and to ensure that the transport link will continue.

The relatively remote location of Machrihanish means that the impact of a change of use could be greater than elsewhere.

Twenty people currently work for MOD at Machrihanish including facilities management staff and security guards. It is our intention that the termination of employment and maintenance contracts will be handled sensitively. The other MOD establishment in the travel to work area, the oil fuel depot (OFD) at Campbeltown, will remain open.

MOD will also do all it can to ensure that the interests of tenants other than HIAL, are also protected in the sale process.

On water and waste water services supplied by MOD to its tenants, former MOD housing and local farmers, the Department will do everything possible to ensure that a responsible purchaser will discharge those responsibilities for the future.

This announcement brings to an end a long period of speculation about the future of the former RAF Machrihanish. It is hoped that the disposal will end uncertainty and allow a new era of development and long term prosperity to begin that will benefit both the site and the local community.

House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 06 Oct 2008 (pt 0001) (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081006/wmstext/81006m0001.htm#0810068000007)

[Saintsman]

I hope its not one of those airfields that have to be returned to its original condition once it ceases to be used for aviation. Think how much that'll cost.

[exscribbler]

One thing we all seem to have missed is that even if the Jocks take it over we'll (meaning the poor unfortunates living South of the Border) continue paying for it so it could have been kept on as the RAF's Gulag. :E

[rab-k]

exscribbler: dry up mate. WE PAY TAXES here too you know, in case it had escaped your notice.

If we're that much of a drain on your coffers, then do yourselves a favour and cut us loose, don't wait for us to do it for you.

Personally, I can't wait!!!

[PICKS135]

Rab-K forgot to mention. WE pay extra taxes up here to fund those f*rkin idiots in Holyrood.

[exscribbler]

Rab-k: if we cut you lot adrift you'd remove Wee Alex and his cronies PDQ when they whack up the taxes to pay for what you've come to rely on. At the moment the level of financial support from Westminster means that of the 5 million Scots only 163,000 are net taxpayers.

So Jockistan costs England money - rather more than it will cost us for this New Liarbour Jock government of no talents to bail out the Jock banks whose greed has caused them to go bust.

OK? :ok:

[BarbiesBoyfriend]

What I'd loke to know is, what were the underground storage areas used for?

And were they as big as hangars or just big enough for nuke depth charges etc?

Anyone been in for a look?

[glad rag]

Interesting, at what point does banter become racist?

[exscribbler]

I thought it was merely banter and if anyone thinks anything I wrote is racist I withdraw it unreservedly.

[4mastacker]

exscribbler,

IMH and un-PC opinion your banter was just that - banter. It's a skill that has been sacrificed to the gods of diversity and equality. Nothing racist about it at all and nothing that hasn't been previously encountered in crew-rooms and tea-bars across the Service. I've been called a Welsh sheep-sh****r before. Fair enough, but I'm from the tribe who are supposed to have had cranium re-assignment by our neighbours from across the Tweed.

[Monty77]

Interesting point.

I bet you your last quid that a lawyer will argue (for money, obviously) that Lowlanders and Highlanders can be regarded as a different 'race' based on their own perceptions of the other.

It's not the colour of your skin, as any white-skinned Barbadian will tell you.

Are you doing this cos I is from Surrey?

[Diedtrying]

What I'd loke to know is, what were the underground storage areas used for?

And were they as big as hangars or just big enough for nuke depth charges etc?

Anyone been in for a look?


Bugger me, I spent 2 years there and there were rumors of the Aurora, so I suppose these areas could of been attached to the Auroras' super secret underground facility, that supposedly had a hypersonic maglev tram that ran in a tunnel all the the way to Patrick AFB in Florida, whilst guarded at each end by the Nephilim. :}

[BarbiesBoyfriend]

Diedtrying

When you say 'bugger me', is that some sort of instruction?

A mate of mine who is a lawyer acted for a third party who had the rights for the minerals (stuff under the surface) at MAC. He never did find out the extent to which his client had been taken a loan of- perhaps not at all eh?

Must have been a dreary couple years. I used to operate in their myself.:ok:

[Diedtrying]

Haha, no, it's definitely not an instruction or request. My 2 years there went fairly quickly in a drunken haze............... ah the good ol days. :E

[Robby NL]

I've got to say that the two years I spent at MAC were fantastic, great friendships were made despite the isolation and perceived adversity, more like a good Det rather than a posting - some great memories - I wonder if Mr Branson would be interested - just for old time sake after MAC was instrumental in his rescue in 1987?

I recall the great winter storm of 1987 being reported from an emergency BBC studio in London, reporting various wind speeds - which were regular events at MAC! (hence no trees!) Watching skips move across the Supply yard on pure wind power was a common scene - followed quickly by the debate on who forgot to lash it down and who was going out now to lash it down!

Another event was a 9 Sqn Tornado which had blown at least two tyres, 3 or 4 minutes after ATC got to the aircraft the Fire Section arrived in the trusty old MK7 fire engine arrived! It was a very long runway for a 40 odd year old fire engine some would say! All it normally did was follow Logan Air in to the terminal - to pick up the papers for the NAAFI!

Oh those innocent times, as I recall when it closed as an operational Unit the volunteer waiting list for some trades was nudging 10 years!! I wonder what Campbeltown will do now, it never had a lot going for it except the base and the dairy - it must be a very quiet place now!

[Brewster Buffalo]

What goes on at RAF Machrihanish, Scotland?
- question from name withheld Although this base has often been associated with mysterious top-secret aircraft and UFO sightings, there is little solid evidence to suggest that this base is or ever was the "Area 51 of Britain." The history of the Machrihanish base goes back to the early 1900s when the Royal Navy established a facility there to operate maritime patrol aircraft (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/maritime/) and airships. Following World War II, Machrihanish became a Royal Air Force base being jointly operated with British European Airways and later Loganair, a commuter operator. The local Air Ambulance Service was also operated from the base.

With the growing Soviet threat of the 1950s, the facility was expanded and the main runway extended to a massive 3.2 miles in length both to serve British Vulcan (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/bomber/vulcan/) bombers and for use as an emergency landing strip for NATO P-3 Orion (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/maritime/p3/) and other patrol aircraft. While such a long runway is somewhat unusual and has often been cited as a reason top-secret aircraft like the Aurora (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/recon/aurora/) would be operating from Machrihanish, the layout and location of the base argue against this. First, the base is surrounded by the community of Cambeltown making it difficult to conceal the activities of noisy jet aircraft. In addition, the base is located next to the Machrihanish golf course, one of the most popular golf courses in Scotland. Finally, the base never had the infrastructure of hangars, fueling facilities, and control facilities to operate any significant number of aircraft. However, this is not to say that no secret or mysterious activities were known to occur at Machrihanish. In fact, the United States maintained a Navy SEAL commando unit at the base and their equipment was stored in some of the hangars. In addition, British SAS commandos occassionally used the facility for training exercises. With the end of the Cold War and cuts in defense spending throughout NATO, the base at Machrihanish was closed in 1995.

courtesy of -

Aerospaceweb.org | Ask Us - Machrihanish Air Base (http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0014a.shtml)

[Diedtrying]

Ah the United States Navy SEAL commando unit, what's not publicised is the fact that they finished their training at MAC, yup, they would send them to us (a new batch every 6 months)and we would teach them how to drink like real men.:} My favorite was to take them down into town (Campbeltown) on their first night and introduce them to the joys of Newcastle Brown.:ok:

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

I rarely come into these forums, but : I want to pick up on the above comment that the Machrihanish runway is 3.2 miles long. I am sure that is incorrect but would prefer one of you fine military men to put it right. What I can find is that the runway is about 3000 to 3050 metres long, depending on source, or about 10,000 feet, ie. less than 2 miles. I am 99.99% sure that the UK's longest runway is LHR's 27R/09L, which is 3902 metres.

[Bladecrack]

Campbeltown runway is 3049 meters.

BC

[Diedtrying]

Yup 3049m, where they may be mistaken is it is in fact 3 miles from Campbeltown (or 3.2 if you want to be pernickitty) :eek:

[johnny99]

"At the moment the level of financial support from Westminster means that of the 5 million Scots only 163,000 are net taxpayers."

And very grateful we are - keep it coming exscribbler, it really is much appreciated. Oh and thanks for bailing out our banks too, damm decent of you lot.


As for Machrihanish, another one gone, soon be down to single figures, how sad.