Military basing announcement: implications for GA in eastern Scotland
I think it's come as a surprise to most that the basing plans announced by Liam Fox this afternoon include turning Kirknewton into one of the Army's five Multi-Role Brigade Headquarters - similar to Catterick and Aldershot.
We don't have the details yet but since these MRBs number around 6500 personnel and include tanks, heavy artillery, reconnaissance and all the support functions, as well as infantry, it's inevitable that this will have serious consequences for the Air Cadet gliders and light civil aircraft currently operating at Kirknewton.
In addition to that, the closure of Leuchars will mean East Of Scotland Universities Air Squadron will be looking for a home.
This is on top of the closure of Latch Farm after the hangar collapse in December and the interminable delays in getting a planning decision on the future Dirleton airstrip.
With all these light aviation units looking for a home, is there now a critical mass for a one-stop shop for light civil and military aviation in east central Scotland?
The UAS could move to Dundee and the Kirknewton gliders to Arbroath (if its runways aren't obliterated by the new Army base), but that would put them a long way away from most of their customers.
Anyone got 800m of flat grass in south Fife?
NS