Originally Posted by
Pegasus107
Arclite01 - not factually accurate as Kinloss is available for AT a/c, Watton was used up to recently for VGS work, Bassingbourn has just degraded due to cost of keeping to flying status not necessarily due to Army involvement.
The big problem is the cost to keep runways up to a certain standard. Who pays? DIO, who look after the real estate, don't have the money as they can't keep what they do have up to a decent standard, let alone a strip of tarmac that the RAF might use.
For example, a strip of tarmac not a million miles from a big lake in Rutlandshire, hasn't been used in 6 years but its still in good state, good enough for anything that the RAF could throw at it. Just needs a sweep and spray the weeds.
But who pays........ Army? No, they don't have the need of a runway. RAF? No, its not part of their empire anymore. DIO? No, they can't afford it. But if the work was done, it would be the taxpayer who picks up the tab at the end of the day.
Pegasus 107, or anyone else.
Do you know why the VGS (611?) moved out of Watton? Is the airfield now derelict/beyond use?