Cat Funt
I sincerely disagree that NONE of the sites I mentioned are suitable for winch launching (and I have visited over 50% of these in the last 12 months):
RAF Honington - there is nothing to stop a safe winch launched operation there. The airfield is infrequently used and most of the airfield furniture was either removed or is no longer required.
Dalton Barracks (former RAF Abingdon) - the Army are quite precious about the grass that they use for running around on. However, there is no reason not to use at the weekends. Indeed the Army have embryonic plans to use it for parachuting.
RAF Halton - an extant winch launching site up to 2,000ft AGL.
RAF Henlow - plenty of room from 3 grass runways. There is no reason not to winch off of it.
RAF Odiham - the RAFGSA's Kestrel Gliding Club manages to winch launch quite nicely at this site. The gliding site notifies winch launches to 2,600ft AGL.
RMB Chivenor - no other users now that SAR has gone, plenty of room. There is no requirement for any of the airfield furniture to remain.
RAF Cosford - the RAFGSA's Wrekin Gliding Club manages quite nicely at this site, although it does have a UAS/AEF operating at the same time but Rekin are able to operate concurrently (although seperated). The winch launch site is notified to 3,000ft AGL.
MOD St Athan - plenty of room if using the grass and leaving the tarmac for UAS/AEF. This might be the first 'show stopper' due to the airfield furniture, but if they manage at Odiham and Cosford then why not here?
RAF Topcliffe - plenty of real estate for gliding. No requirement for any airfield furniture.
RAF Linton-on-Ouse - plenty of room on the grass, so same argument as St Athan.
RMB Arbroath - they have been comventionally gliding there for years!!!
Kinloss Barracks (former RAF Kinloss) - there is even a main runway and a parallel taxyway runway to choose from and plenty of grass. The RAFGSA used to winch launch there as the Fulmar Gliding Club.
We could start gliding ops on any of these in days few. Certainly the 5 extra VGS IF we had placed orders for K-21s in late 2014 when the situation was known how much work the Viggis needed. I suspect that the 2012 report had its own agenda and reported sites as unsuitable - non-independent internal reviews do that often. I do have some glider time (more solo than dual - all in K-21s) and so I hope I do know about 'gliding more than the rest of the RAF' (if we want to be that sweeping).
LJ