Cold War airfields C.1970
Gnome de PPRuNe
Originally Posted by Jackonicko
If South Cerney counted you'd have to add Bicester, Weston on the Green, Swanton Morley, and Middle Wallop, Upavon and Netheravon.
Cunning Artificer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The spiritual home of DeHavilland
Age: 75
Posts: 3,127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Halton has PSP and Somerfield tracking but I wouldn't call it a 'hard' runway...
Last edited by Blacksheep; 3rd Apr 2020 at 12:15.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 79
Posts: 16,777
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Originally Posted by Yellow Sun
Barkston Heath
Waterbeach
Fulbeck (May have closed prior to 1970)
Stornoway had a signals unit
Catterick
YS
Waterbeach
Fulbeck (May have closed prior to 1970)
Stornoway had a signals unit
Catterick
YS
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Somewhere South
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What about RAF Valley. I flew Gnats there in the mid 70s and it had been open since the 40s. A few years later when I was on Lightnings at Binbrook, when we recovered on ridiculously low fuel levels, we had two Decision Heights. The first one was at 30,000ft before the final descent where we used what remaining fuel that we had. If Binbrook was Amber 2 weather code or below and both Conningsby and Waddington were not Green or better we had a standard diversion to Valley where the weather was always better!
Last edited by PaulH1; 3rd Apr 2020 at 17:32.
Sleap was used as a satellite to Shawbury in the early-mid '60s; I recollect that it was some kind of approach training, and club flying was stopped during it. Was it with Piston Provosts? Jet Provosts?
When I joined UBAS at Shawbury in 1967, there were GCA Radars at Sleap and Shawbury. Marshall’s operated Vampire T11s and Piston Provosts for trainee controller practice. The pilots were civilians, mostly ex-service but some of the Piston Provost pilots had never served. One of them also flew the Vampire on a PPL, which was unique in the UK at that time.
They became so good at flying GCAs that they had to deliberately fly up and down, left and right, to give the controllers a chance to learn how to give corrections.
Sleap was so busy during the week, that I remember an article with a title along the lines of “Don’t go to sleep when you go to Sleap.”
In 1968 or 1969, the GCA at Shawbury was replaced with a PAR. I don’t remember if they did the same thing at Sleap.
JPs replaces the PPs and T11s sometime in the 70s.
Thought police antagonist
Originally Posted by PaulH1
What about RAF Valley. I flew Gnats there in the mid 70s and it had been open since the 40s.
