Originally Posted by
4mastacker
the RAF had learned to its cost, the dangers of giving up runways and the airfield side would remain. .
The retention of a 'longish' runway so close to Waddington and Cranwell could well be advantageous in some circumstances.
Note that MOD have sold off the domestic site at Little Rissington with the 4 'C' type hangars being demolished but are retaining the airfield with its 6,000ft runway with no ATC or fire service (no control tower now either!) and have asked for the establishment of a 2nm radius ATZ.
For a short time it was retained for use by USAF in case an aircraft out of Upper Heyford had a problem on departure, the US D of D re-surfacing the main runway and providing H24 fire cover too.