Their Airships have not got a grip of this one. Cranwell currently struggles to mix Grob Tutor and MEPT King Air circuit traffic. The grass is often used to get circuits in. When all EFT moves to Barkston + Cranwell, at the point when CF and Wyton inevitably close, and when Linton has shut, the RAF will be left with one main airfield too few.
Up until the mid-late 1990s, MOD/RAF had the scientific expertise to actually calculate the degree of circuit congestion that would exist, should either the task change, or an airfield shut. Since then, the year on year ditching of manpower/experience/capability/funding now means that they haven't a clue. I presume that MOD/RAF haven't the funds to have the analysis done properly. Yes it will end in tears, even with the latest projected cuts to training numbers, mixing 4 training tasks (EFT, MEPT, BFT, FJ AFT) at only 2 locations, and with only a mimimal number of RLGs is not a robust plan.
Has not Cranwell already been highlighted as a flight safety hazard due to mixed-circuit congestion?? Should not MFTS be addressing this? or is it not Ascent's job?
Someone needs to stand-up, be counted, and stop the stupidity before it leads to an accident. The RAF cannot afford to shut a main base (presumably Linton) until a full, proper, scientific analysis has been conducted, by people qualified to do the job, not some poor desk officer who has been given some fag packets to scribble on.
Nuff said for the moment.