Originally Posted by
Al R
Sorry Founder, I should have made that clearer. Thanks Whirls.
Whirly, I think the runway at Greenham was the longest in mainland UK, and was deignated a stand by landing site for the Shuttle at one point.
Absolute rubbish.
Greenham, along with many other SAC airfields, was the standard 10,000ft (as was also originally planned for the US Navy at Blackbushe) and far shorter than even Heathrow or Gatwick. SAC wanted them to be extended to 12,000ft but the UK said no.
Shuttle standby landing sites were initially at Banjul (The Gambia) and later Torrejon (Spain). Shuttle launch trajectories would have come nowhere near the UK.