As Cottesmore is south of 53 deg N, the RAFAT Restricted Area would no longer be 'R313' if a decision was made to base the team at Wittering, with a nearby RA.
For various reasons, Leeming seems the obvious choice. Particularly since it has very little other traffic these days.
When I joined the RAF 50 years ago, there were 50 more UK aerodromes available to the RAF (yes, really). Most have now either been squaddified, turned into housing or left to rot. Which means that only Leeming, Waddington or Wittering are the available options...
I looked at Wittering on Google Maps today, using the 'satellite' option. What a shame to see that the only aircraft sitting on the ASP were the UAS/AEFs' plastic pigs......
