RAF Machrihanish
 

I read somwhere that back in 2005, RAF Machrihanish is going to be activated again, Has anyone else here heard about this?.

Doubt it...

I was there in 2005 (maybe earlier) for a visit and all they were planning was more wind farms! Saying that though, there were GR7s mucking around the area...

Macrihanish is maintained on a 'Care & Maintenance' basis and is available 'as required' to units. Also it's available for emergencies. I don't remember much there in the way of accommodation, although there are a hangars and a tower still (and a high fence)

In the past it's been used by U2 operations and there have also been rumours about it's use by the Aurora project (don't know if it's true).

I think that permanent re-activation is pretty unlikely

Arc

It certainly was the @rsehole of the universe as a station but a few good nights were had in the local hostelries of Campbelltoon.

Seems little point in opening it up as they send all their kippers direct to Glasgow now.

Never saw a loadie as scared as when the live lobsters from Macrihanish got loose in the back of the Wessex ....

..... and I wouldn't let him dump them overboard 'cos they were paid for!

Had the pleasure once during an exercise. Kloggy Navy brought a film projector and abundant supply of adult films. Baked bean tanker arrived every day.:\

Have had the pleasure of operating there with the UAS. Nice long runway so us students can land the aircraft!!!

It's in regular use mon - fri 0915 - 1730 local as Campbelltown Airport. ATS is AFIS frequency 125.9 hence no published iap's, but VOR/DME and an NDB are available.
When under MOD control, it was funded by NATO not MOD(Air).

Chevron - you are not correct. It was funded by the RAF in the 18Group budget. Some of the infrastructure build cost would originally be partly NATO funded but the day to day running and manpower costs were paid by the RAF. Personnel serving there were in the 18Gp reporting chain.

It was closed as an RAF Station in the late 90s as part of the Strike Command Small Stations closures programme but like many of the Stations identified in that programme, the closure dragged on for years due to local politics.

I believe that for the last 2 summers, the Air Training Corps in Scotland have run their summer camps there with AEF flying as well.

VMD +12

I bow to your superior knowledge, but my info came from an article in Air Clues many years ago where I'm sure it stated it was unique among british military airfields as it was a NATO station run by the RAF

Teeteringhead

I had the same experience of lobsters escaping down the back. But at that time I seem to recall that we collected them from Rathlin Island.

chevvron,

You are kind of correct, NATO (or the US Navy I should say) were in charge of the base until the early 90s, I think it was 93/94 they handed it back to MOD.

Since then, ATC, TA, UAS mainly use it, it's got a private security firm guarding it now and most of the buildings are falling apart, there was one block of accomedation which wasn't bad actullay...

I've heard its to be the new home for RAFAT who want their own dedicated airfield in a remote part of the country so they can practise without having to worry about other traffic. Lincolnshire just isn't remote enough any more.:E

Her Majesty's Open Prison RAF Machrihanish
 

Please, Dear God, never let it open again! :eek:
Everyone who has posted here was never posted (as opposed to detached for short stint) there! Soul destroying place; 18 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 8 hrs and 23 minutes of my life wasted at that @rsehole of a place. And 'Mull of Kintyre' was No 1 for most of that time too!!! I nearly lost my sanity (and my liver) there. :ugh:

Two VFR movements a day - the Yogi Bear Trilander in the morning and the same in the afternoon. The kicker being the afternoon flight was invariably late so we had to keep the wretched place open late nearly every weekday. The only good time to be had was when the Buccs were working up for the first Red Flag and used it as a tech stop refulling base for 2 x QTRs a day from Laarbruch.

RAFAT to Machrihanish - no chance! My money is on the status quo, the Reds remaining at Scampton. Final decision at the start of the next FY.

I did a number of interesting dets there. Anyone remember the 'original' one armed bandit in the Officers' Mess bar? You used to have to ask the barman (the same RAF lad who served you b'fast, lunch and dinner) to give you a few old one penny pieces.

That said, I think a whole tour would have been mind-numbing.

Strewth - Sounds like the Scottish equivalent of Valley.............

Oh gawd yes. And I remember said barman serving 'soup of the day' which changed colour, if not in taste, according to what was leftover from the day before :ooh:

That aside, twas a great few weeks there as a carefree stude in the summer sun. Brings back some great memories :)

Was any other unit daft enough to challenge the resident SEALs to a game of softball (which afterall is just rounders for girlies, isn't it)? With us fielding: "Back a bit Sirs. No, back a bit more .. a bit more .. err a bit more .. oh sod it, if you're not going to listen to me then I'm just going to wang it waaaaayyy over your heads and you can run miles to fetch it :O

Can someone tell us what military activity (beyond air cadets) goes on there nowadays? I thought the RAF/USN left in 93/4 but I flew in in a light aircraft in 2002 and saw there were plenty of mil landrovers etc around. I hear that the USAF have occasional dets to there, also there was a large chunk of temporary restricted airspace covering the airfield and out to the west a few years ago...