View Full Version : Boeing and Qinetiq Fall Out at Boscombe
Just read the Boeing Defence have decided to leave (been asked to leave) Boscombe and are devolving to various sites including Middle Wallop and Lossie to name but 2. Seems there has been a major falling out.
VX275
10th Jan 2022, 21:25
Well since QinetiQ priced themselves out of flight trials, maybe now is the time to move ETPS to Brize (I'm sure there's room to squeeze another unit in) and satisfy the tree huggers, who don't want a Stonehenge tunnel, by reverting to the suggestion of re-routing the A303 down Boscombe's main runway.
chopper2004
10th Jan 2022, 21:38
Just read the Boeing Defence have decided to leave (been asked to leave) Boscombe and are devolving to various sites including Middle Wallop and Lossie to name but 2. Seems there has been a major falling out.
Have you got the link to said article? Damn thats going to be a financial and tech loss for QinetiQ both in the short and long term, I imagine. ...
Cheers
chopper2004
10th Jan 2022, 21:41
Well since QinetiQ priced themselves out of flight trials, maybe now is the time to move ETPS to Brize (I'm sure there's room to squeeze another unit in) and satisfy the tree huggers, who don't want a Stonehenge tunnel, by reverting to the suggestion of re-routing the A303 down Boscombe's main runway.
Or relocate it back to Farnborough lol :) Am sure the bizjet community would not mind :P and plenty of preview types available fom both RW and FW.
Or get Whitehall to take back Machrihanish ...long enough runway and have ETPS go up there, have Boeing part finance it seeming as also oop there, Lossie be there new playground.
Cheers
Cheers
chevvron
11th Jan 2022, 01:02
Nice long runways at Llanbedr, Cottesmore and Brawdy plus Leeming seems to be under utilised at the moment.
There were plans to build a maintenance area on the south side at Farnborough (where 'T' area used to be) however with the 'new' area established on East Apron (previously known as 'A' Shed), this may be available again but I think you'll find Farnborough is a bit too busy to accomodate ETPS nowadays.
Asturias56
11th Jan 2022, 08:14
Prestwick of course................ nothing else happening there
Bob Viking
11th Jan 2022, 09:11
I think our opinions differ somewhat on what constitutes a long runway.
Cottesmore may be considered as a reasonable length (9000’) but the other two (7500’) would not be classified as long. Maybe I am just biased though since I currently work somewhere where a 10000’ runway is much smaller than the average!
All of this is largely moot though since nobody in their right mind would relocate Qinetiq’s activities to such quiet backwaters.
BV
BEagle
11th Jan 2022, 09:53
Unfortunately Cottesmore has been squaddified for a number of years now - perhaps RAF Wittering might be preferable?
ZH875
11th Jan 2022, 10:16
Scampton could be suitable as the airspace will still be used for the Reds so the runway will have to be maintained.
Bob Viking
11th Jan 2022, 10:45
Why do threads like this always turn into a game of ‘who can name a long and/or obscure runway’?
Why not just relocate to Istres?!
BV
sandiego89
11th Jan 2022, 12:31
Why do threads like this always turn into a game of ‘who can name a long and/or obscure runway’?
BV
Since you enjoy them Bob, I nominate, ex-Glasgow AFB, Glasgow, Montana! 13,000 x 300 feet and very obscure/sleepy!! Even has some Boeing ties and I am sure they would love some activity.
NutLoose
11th Jan 2022, 12:46
Re-open Bedford ;)
Martin the Martian
11th Jan 2022, 12:54
The civilian airport formerly known as RAF St. Mawgan has capacity.
Why do threads like this always turn into a game of ‘who can name a long and/or obscure runway’?
Why not just relocate to Istres?!
BV
As is often the case, a voice of reason. There's no suggestion that Boscombe is closing and there was an instant, bizarre link between Boeing leaving and a forced relocation of ETPS. No wonder I don't look at Pprune nearly as frequently as I once did.
Less Hair
11th Jan 2022, 13:06
Why not just move flight test to the US? Palmdale and similar.
unmanned_droid
11th Jan 2022, 14:15
RAF Fairford?
potter_bb
11th Jan 2022, 14:36
I nominate re-opening RAE Bedford....
chevvron
11th Jan 2022, 14:55
I nominate re-opening RAE Bedford....
Have you thought how many cars need to be driven away to clear the runway?
At least they keep the runway at Upper Heyford clear of vehicles (but not necessarily the taxiways) because so it is rumoured, it could be re-opened in 4 days in needed.
Probably the same for Woodbribge although Bentwaters has had some work done on it.
Course there used to be the A&AEE nearby, where was it, Martlesham Heath?
GeeRam
11th Jan 2022, 17:56
Clearing the cars from the runway at old RAE Bedford would be the least of the problems turning that into an active airfield again, given all of the area north of the north edge of the runway, has been remodeled into the Bedford Autodrome race circuit.
ShyTorque
11th Jan 2022, 20:26
Re-open Elvington. After the MOD's usual long drawn out procurement procedure the aircraft are often obsolescent and if not wanted they could be quietly pushed across to the Yorkshire Air Museum. :E
dervish
12th Jan 2022, 05:33
As is often the case, a voice of reason. There's no suggestion that Boscombe is closing and there was an instant, bizarre link between Boeing leaving and a forced relocation of ETPS. No wonder I don't look at Pprune nearly as frequently as I once did.
Spot on. Can someone explain the background to the original post?