Call me a bluff old traditional airman but I think there are lots and lots of reasons why the Linton BFJT task can't be moved to Valley----I know, I know, good reasons never stood in the way of attempting to save money but here are some of them anyway:-
1. Insufficient runways in the Valley/Mona area to handle both the BFJT and AFT requirements safely.
2. Insufficient hangarage and repair shops at Valley.
3. Operating Area for Tucano? Not cleared for goon suit so for many months of the year limited to operating over land; this would put a lot of aircraft in a very small area of North Wales with the attendant dangers for ab-initio aircrew.
4. Large increase in the number of quarters and Mess rooms needed.
5. Should think the current civvy groundcrew at Linton will no want to move to Anglesey (ditto QFIs).
6. How does this fit in with MFTS? Presumably, the chosen bidder is assuming Linton will be the BFJT base (or have they been given the wink?).
7. Linton runway resurfaced and new single airmans block completed this year.
Possibly, the Sunday Times (who opened this particular can of worms) simply heard a training base is up for closure, put 2 & 2 together and made 5. A reasonable guess might be that one of C-Fenton, Topcliffe, Dishforth (runway only) or Syerston could be up for the chop.