Woodbridge, Alconbury & Bentwaters - Status?

[1970s Spotter]

Can anybody let me know the current owners of these for USAF (RAF) airfields: Woodbridge, Alconbury & Bentwaters? What are plans for their development or their return to nature? Will aircaft ever use them again or will they become parking lots?
Just wondered as I used to spot USAF a/c round these fields years ago, many fond memories of being ankle deep in mud, freezing my nuts off trying to read off a USAF 'toom...

[niknak]

Bentwaterswas bought very shortly after it closed by a local farming family. They were earning **** all from farming and to their credit, borrowed to the hilt to buy the base.
It now hosts a large industrial retail park, hosts conferences and large scale dinner/dances functions, in the last few weeks they announced another venture there which eacapes me but the details were in http://www.edp24.co.uk you'll have to search for it, but to their credit, the owners now employ or provide employment for a lot of local people there.

Alconbury is now a vast industrial estate and never will revert to aviation status.

Woodbridge , much the same as Bentwaters I believe.

[Throat]

Alconbury is not a vast industrial estate, and is mainly intact. USAFE are still there in a non flying role.

... and never will revert to aviation ... we will see...

[Bagso]

Alconbury is not an industrial area at all....

infact it is pretty much as was....and still has a significant USAFE presence !

Marshalls at Cambridge are currently evaluating a move there as they would make millions off the sale of the current base for housing !

[forget]

Alconbury will fly again - no doubt about it. Right next to the A1 four lane motorway and the East Coast main rail line. Just need to get rid of a half dozen NIMBIES.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/ALC.jpg

[sidtheesexist]

I used to live just up the road from Alconbury and there was much speculation about the airfield being used for freight because of it's excellent location and transport links. There was a vocal and active campaign by local residents opposing such a notion. Can anyone shed any further info on the fate of these proposals........?

[niknak]

It would be great to see Alconbury reactivated as an air base, but it will never hapen with Marshalls.
My "inside source" tells me that if Marshalls ever move, (which is very unlikely), it will be to Mildenhall and then only if they are subsidised for full removal costs once the USAF vacate that area.

I'm not sure what you've been drinking, but Alconbury airfield has nevr been used for aviation since it closed, it will never be used as such again and is destined to be built upon as Industrial use or housing.

Dream on Guys and Girls....:rolleyes:

[forget]

but Alconbury airfield has nevr been used for aviation since it closed,

Ba Boom! Can't argue with that :eek:

it will never be used as such again

Assuming you've applied your innate logic here - small wager?

[airgage]

Woodbridge - half "MOD" with large Army presence, don't ask which dept.
Runway used for car track days etc. Original ww2 runway overgrown
Bentwaters - New cold war museum open now. No other aviation apart from stored ex RAF a/c , private concern. Rest of buildings diversified back mainly to food production
While Bentwaters should have become the new Ipswich Airport - the next option which the "local farmer " who rescued the failed religious enterprise on the airfield, has developed should be congratulated. Another example of private enterprise succeeding in spite of local planners shortsightedness.
Alconbury should obviously be developed as a regional airport but will have a fight with the nimbys who never thrilled to the sound of a twin F4 t/off or the hovering Husky rescue helicopter :)

[Bigt]

I did some training on the runway at Alconbury in late 2005. One end of the runway has a mock motorway painted on it. We were given a brief re should a large RAF helicopter been seen in the distance - clear the runway/`motorway` as it may wish to land. If the occupants approach you - feel free to make conversation. No photos and dont mention Hereford.

The runway appeared to be in good condition - a transport company had nearly 1000 shipping containers on the airfield - some of which were stacked on the runway. We were told that the airfield was at 24 hours notice to become operational should the need arise

[Evalu8ter]

"We were given a brief re should a large RAF helicopter been seen in the distance - clear the runway". I did some enthusiastic "re-positioning turns" over Alconbury last year in a "large RAF Helicopter". At least this explains why everybody fecked off the runway sharpish!!

Don't forget that other place, Upper Heyford. Much the same as Alconbury, though it seems that private enterprise has struck up quite well on the northern HAS site. Again, lots of happy people waving!

Quite strange really. I recall going to open houses at UH/Alc/Greenham when I was a kid. A strange feeling to fly over them now...

[BEagle]

Alconbury's runway closed on 31 Mar 1995. I think I might have been their last movement; we flew an approach in VC10K3 ZA147 that day after first flying an approach at Wyton; it too was closing - although that decision was later reversed.

Fond memories of Alconbury - including a memorable time in Mar/Apr 1982 playing with the Aggressor F5Es of the 527th when I was flying F4s with 56(F).

[old,not bold]

The planning decision which killed off any chance of Bentwaters returning to limited civil use was a classic example of how the UK is really governed.

The decision was forced by relatively few wealthy and well-connected incomers, either second-homers or commuting to London, exploiting their influence over politicians.

They presented arguments to support the case for permanent closure that were absurd, eg "there is no unemployment in the area" when at the time it ran at 15%, and "Music will die at Snape" when it had lived successfully for 50 years with Bentwaters operating as a 24/7 USAF base.

The case for re-opening on a very reduced scale was good, well presented and popular, except among the rich incomers who wanted the area preserved as a twee rural retreat of the 19th Century, where local yokels - "my little man who does the plumbing, darling, " - would work for cash at half the minimum wage while drawing benefits.

But the case was lost, and so was another tiny piece of democracy. John Prescott was the responsible politician, and he couldn't get his nose far enough up his wealthy friends' bottoms, sniffing out money for the Party.

But the runway is still there, as far as I know. And the local farmer who acquired the site is a very shrewd businessman indeed, who created a nationwide storage and haulage business based on another airfield in Suffolk, long before he got Bentwaters.

Watch this space, is my view. The great London Airports capacity increase plan is coming apart at the seams, has done so in fact, as it was bound to do. A 3Km runway could be very useful.

[BeefyBoy]

Seem to recall during my time at HQSTC 88 - 91 there was discussion regarding the assets at Wittering and Coltishall relocating to Woodbridge and Bentwaters when the USAF moved out - better facilities etc!

Plan was rejected following a survey of both sites due to different voltage used in electrical systems on both bases (allegedly). The unofficial reason that was doing the rounds following the survey was that there was no defined messing set-up.

Obviously, like most things that bounced around during "Options for Change" someone may be able to clarify the story - it was a major talking point in our building.

[airgage]

Plan was rejected following a survey of both sites due to different voltage used in electrical systems on both bases (allegedly).

Which is why all the current business are using the electrical systems with no problems. ;)

Seriously all the buildings are dual wired afaik

[Gonzo]

There's an interesting looking museum at Bentwaters, I'm hoping to make it there at some point this year.

http://www.bcwm.org.uk (http://www.bcwm.org.uk/)