Classic thread hijack at work here (Manston to Cape Canaveral in less than one page!).
Back on track to update a couple of posts;
LANDROGER - Manston may have had the longest hard runway in the country when it was constructed in 1944 but it has been overtaken a few times now. It had certainly the
widest runway at 750 feet, designed to accept three returning and damaged bombers side by side towards the far end and then stack them up. In late 1944, 744 aircraft made emergency landings at RAF Manston - in
one month.
There are at least ten UK runways in active use longer than the current 9016ft/2748m of Manston - Heathrow, Gatwick, RAF Brize Norton, Boscombe Down, RAF Fairford, RAF Marham, Stansted, East Midlands, Manchester to name a few.
AIRPIG - You should fly in when it's dry, calm and in daylight! I can't figure out what your point was - surely many airfields could be like that, not just Manston!
Fox3WheresMyBanana - We used to find when we military controllers had charge of the airfield that some civilian pilots didn't understand what we meant by our terminology - it wouldn't surprise me that they might misunderstand "Initials", or be taken by surprise with a little speed!
Anyway, it's good to see that the subject has stirred some memories. Now, if you feel that Manston
should have a future, there's an on-line petition you could add to in order to show support if you wish;
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petition...anston-airport
I have very fond memories of Manston in its later RAF days that could give current military conrtrollers a few headaches, such as operating three simultaneous visual circuits (Rwy 28/10 - 1500ft jets - 1000ft light a/c, Rwy 06/24 - 800ft light a/c and a gliding circuit to the North side). If 202 Sqn were training with their Sea Kings, it was possible to have four visual circuits on the go! Good times.