View Full Version : St Mawgan Rip
imerys2003
23rd Nov 2008, 13:00
NEXTmonday RAF ST MAWGAN is handed over to cornwall county council and i guess becomes NEWQUAY CORNWALL AIRPORT WHAT A SAD DAY.
I have just been looking through the loads of pictures i have taken there over
the last 30 years i should be thankfull to have seen it all i suppose. ALL we have left now is a high fence right around, and the parking spots filled with earth to stop parking. i felt i had to make some comment.
IMERYS2003
Skipness One Echo
23rd Nov 2008, 14:18
Yes Newquay is a God awful place for viewing alas.
captain_flynn
23rd Nov 2008, 14:24
I moved out of Cornwall last year so not sure how St Mawgan looks now with all the changes.
I believe they had a Shackleton as gate guard. Is that still there?
PingDit
23rd Nov 2008, 14:27
It certainly is, and here to stay!
captain_flynn
23rd Nov 2008, 14:29
Great stuff. I remember seeing it in 2004 when me and my flying school (when i was at perranporth at the time) made a visit to meet the air traffic controllers there.
Seems weird that there wont be anymore military traffic there.
parabellum
23rd Nov 2008, 23:19
My first ever flight was in a Shackleton when at a cadet camp at a place called Penhale, not far from Perranporth, but we flew out of an airfield called RAF St Eval, if my memory serves me correctly, it would have been around 1954/5 and I'm sure the Shack had a tail wheel, is that possible?
clicker
24th Nov 2008, 02:29
Yes, Shackletons had both tail and nose wheels in its life time.
scudpilot
24th Nov 2008, 06:42
Penhale.... what a blast from the past... was an Army Cadet in late 70's and had an annual camp there... many happy memories!
Raven30
24th Nov 2008, 14:47
Yes, Shackletons had both tail and nose wheels in its life time........but not at the same time :}
There will still be military aircraft coming into Newquay (Mawgan - old habits die hard!) but they will be parked at the Terminal and handled by airport staff. And they'll have to pay! The airport will not turn away customers - they'll be looking to swell the coffers any way they can.
I agree though, its not the same as the "good old days".
captain_flynn
25th Nov 2008, 12:00
I think Penhale is still used. Im sure when I was in college 7yrs ago they sent my class there for a day.
Pie Man
26th Nov 2008, 08:55
It would appear St Mawgan will live on a little longer:
BBC NEWS | England | Cornwall | Airport transfer date is deferred (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7749028.stm)
PM
dollydaydream
26th Nov 2008, 09:12
I believe, in the early 70's there was a US marine base at St Mawgan - anyone recall that?
KeMac
26th Nov 2008, 12:27
QUOTE
I believe, in the early 70's there was a US marine base at St Mawgan - anyone recall that?
UNQUOTE
A friend of mine who was based there at that time mentioned to me he used to see US Marines there regularly doing physical exercises. I think they were to do with guarding some facility - maybe weapons. -Perhaps someone could shed more light on it.
Skipness One Echo
26th Nov 2008, 13:16
Is it possible to see or photograph the Shackleton?
If you look on Google Earth you will see the Shackleton is well beyond the main gate and I doubt it would be visible from the road.
There were certainly Americans at St Mawgan, there was a US Naval Aviation Weapons Facility there, the guarding of which was supplemented by RAF personnel in the event of fog, which was quite common. Later the US took entire responsibility for guarding the facility, hence the Marines.
The weapons facility had a sister establishment at RAF Machrihanish. A spot of Googling should reveal more.