RAF Mildenhall - ready to go?
 

The possible withdrawal of the USAF from RAF Mildenhall in a few years must open up the use of this ready-to-go major airbase as a new regional airport serving London and the east. With its 9k' runway, excellent position and infrastructure it is surely not going to be just turned over to housing or light industry. The closeness of the RAF regiment at Honington, and Marham, not to mention the USAF at Lakenheath would be very useful from the security point of view. Planning consents would also be easier to organise. Road and rail access would have to be improved but I cannot see too many problems. I will be interested to read the views of more knowledgable pruners on this.

All be it with a smaller runway...nearby Cambridge has been unable to support any passenger services to a financially acceptable level. Do we really think there is the demand to keep this operational as another 'regional apirort' when so many at this time seem to be failing?

What makes you think London needs a new "regional airport" ?

The market is already over fragmented between competing airports ripping each other throats out, there is no call for yet another IMHO.

Not another regional airport :ugh:

Population density around there is pretty low.


Any airport development within a hundred miles of there needs to be Heathrow.
Or massively expand Stansted. There's not much in the way of development around there, build another 2 runways and improve the motorway and rail links, lots of car parks and you solve part of the London Airports capacity issue.

:roll eyes: If only it were that easy.

Really? Just when they've sorted out the nightmare roundabout your propose a new regional airport for London. :ugh:

As for the infrastructure, forget it, it would all need to be leveled.

If ever there was a lost opportunity with a USAF base closure it was Upper Heyford (on the M40 and mainline rail) or Alconbury (on the A1 and ECML).

EGUN catchment area is far too limited for significant pax ops surely too far from London to draw in traffic that would use STN anyway

Only reasonable suggestion might be turn CBG over to housing and relocate the maintenance/painting business and occasional bizjet traffic to Mildenhall.

Now that does make sense.:ok:

My apologies to all the Mildenhall residents whose rest and well being I disturbed while making all those godawful water injection takeoffs.

I sure do miss Mildenhall. Especially Mrs Greenacre, The Bell, and the fish and chips take away restaurant.

Thanks to you all for being such gracious hosts!!

Add Greenham Common to this list! (very near to Great Western mainline, A34, not too far from M4).

Here we go again ...

It will be used to house units returning from Germany due to the major draw down in troops stationed there now. Seeing as the MOD is struggling for space this will be the likely outcome imho.

Just as likely they'll be shipped off to new bases in Poland, if the Polish government were to get it's way - and it would give the army a whole new area to exercise, replacing the German plains, and Salisbury Plain.

Agreed - just what the UK needs; another airport. On the contrary we need a contraction in the number of regional commercial airports! Coventry, Doncaster, Teesside, Prestwick, Manston, Cambridge....the list goes on and on.

How on earth could Mildenhall be used to service London? You could just as well rebrand Bristol as London Bristol. I would agree that Greenham Common was the ideal answer, but there ya go.

And I would not expect to see any use of the base by the MoD following the US withdrawal; it has been mentioned before that due to the electrical wiring system being set up for the American voltage system on USAF bases that the cost of rewiring them for British use has always been seen as a major factor in not moving into them on a wholesale basis.

Not absolutely sure, but won’t all the ‘lecky be 110V? :ooh:

Wasn’t that a major reason that the Bentwaters/Woodbridge/Alconbury weren’t re-absorbed into the RAF fold? Perhaps Wannabee777 could clarify, as he was clearly based there at some point.

(Durr - sorry. Drafted post - got distracted - hit send after M the M's post.....)

I was on temporary duty at RAF Mildenhall on two or three occasions back in the '70's.

To be honest, I don't recall what type of electrical system they were using.

I'm pretty sure the BOQ was wired for 220v.

I'd imagine that CBG could be sold for a very handsome profit, Cambridge does after all have some of the most expensive residential property values in the UK after London. Marshalls would gain more space/less congested airspace for their successful business and the regional aspect of the airport could perhaps mildly expand, though it would cannibalise the other airports and their business models. Luton's non-scheduled ramps could do with a decluttering for example, though they'd be unwilling to let that sector go. For the operators, more space, lower fees etc might prove tempting. Heli-transfer times to London would only be 10-15mins longer.

There's even something for Michael O'Leary at Mildenhall, the several barns of the 9th SRW would be up his street to act as low-cost terminals ;)


SHJ

As of yesterday, Mildenhall's fate was sealed by the Ministry of Defence. As soon as the Americans pull out, the airfield will be developed for housing. Because of the timescale involved they hope to get all the development plans in place before pullout. It is considered the perfect place for housing due to the city of Cambridge expanding. Other airfields and MOD sites in the UK have been identified for closure in order to keep the MOD's costs down.

Mildenhall - Cambridge is 25 miles.

The A14 would be mayhem!

The A14 is already mayhem!