G'day mate.

I forgot we had an Aussie who plays here !

That went quickly dinnit ! Woodstock it is. :ok:

OH has been called.

Crikey mate. That was quick. Was going for the Birdie with Morawa - glad I didn't.

In the words of the lovely Lorraine Chase - "Good 'ere innit".

Where's this?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c727a314ea.jpg

"Luton Airport - Ooh - Eeh - Ohhh"


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....87b2200e4.jpeg

That's Canada. Mountains. Mist. And RWY heading North West.

Looks humid and tropical. Far east ?

Can't be dook - there's no oxen on the Runway or chaps trying to sell you combs and sun-glasses.

…...or trying to sell their sister cheap cheap.

Auxtank, 3 out of 4. Not bad, except you got the first answer wrong!

dook is much warmer as is this aerodrome - tropical Far East.

Right. Pacific.

I've just Goggled "Vietnam xxxxx xxxxx" and up it comes.

I shall now shut up.

Are we in Palm Oil Central?

Oh, dook - have you got it?

Yes but I shall keep quiet - I've had one up already.

Yes, Vietnam. Not far from my old stomping grounds.

PS Auxtank, looking at other photos, I think that is smoke, not mist.

Is that the beginning of the dreaded "Hump" in the distance there?

Is it still in use?

Noi Bhai near Hanoi has runways in the correct direction but doesn't look at all like the OP picture

I guess India42 moves in the Canada-Vietnam-New Zealand realm in from his/her posts so he/she may be in Canada right now...............

"Not far from my old stomping grounds."

are you in the military? If so we're doomed - there are hundreds of old strips around Vietnam... but if civvie... somewhere close to Hanoi or Ho CHi Minh I'd guess.............

Ah - "Vietnam RAAF bases" brings up Nui Dat NE of Bah Ria near the coast SE of Saigon

No longer visible on GE

Yes, it's Luscombe Field - the runway within the Australian base at Nui Dat.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....919e0ebb81.jpg


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4e78128984.jpg
Interesting details of its history here:

Luscombe Field | 1 Field Squadron RAE

The famous battle of Long Tan was fought just east of Nui Dat - 108 Australians encountered 2500 VC and NVA troops:

https://battleoflongtan.com

Asturias56 has control.

Phew ! Would never have got it without that clue ........................

Here's one suggested by a colleague...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a404659537.jpg

Asturias, it's just visible on GE if you know where to look:


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c210418da3.png

Núi means hill or mountain and Đất means land or soil, so Núi Đất loosely translates as Dirt Hill. It was known to the Aussies as Sapper Hill.

I felt I needed to post that clue to put dook out of his misery! ;) What did you Google, dook?

I Googled "vietnam war airfields" and your challenge picture came up halfway down the page.

I often start with that search and it's come up trumps a couple of times.

The challenge....Westland Wapitis. Searching...………...

Not a difficult search - came up quickly. Usworth Tyne and Wear.

"westland wapitis on airfield aerial"

Why was it called Sapper Hill?
Was it where the boys with the bridges and surfaces and stopwatches and mines went in?

well stuff me!

It has at least 4 names and I was looking forward to a long weekend

Dook it is - but NEXT TIME ↨ -it's a small airfield in the central USA.............................. and esoteric clues.....................

Auxtank,
I had to look it up and discovered that I had had a senior moment. It was actually called SAS Hill, presumably because the Aussie SAS were based there. At least I got the first two letters right!

You sound upset Asturias.

This image is orientated east at top.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....53e469ac80.jpg

"Upset" - if you mean I'm at Bologna Airport with my horsewhip packed so I can ambush you on the steps of your mansion in Mayfair and give you a good thrashing - no ;)

"Upset" - as in you think you've backed a winning horse and it doesn't even get out of the gate and all you can do is dance on the torn shards of your betting slip - YES I'm upset

I know I should learn but just when I think I've got one that will run and run - BANG - down in flames (again) . It astonishes me at the geographical and historical knowledge on here - and people have minds like cork screws - look at the last half dozen challenges - UK, Vietnam, Maryland.... and 2 of those places no longer exist - and lasted a max of 24 hours....................

So, as V I Lenin asked - What IS To Be Done?" - work harder Asturias, give up your childish ways and put some back into .it..........

The challenge is a rather neat spot - those woods are carefully arranged an d trimmed - not sure that's a very "English" landscape. And the Airfield - very neat, very small ramp but two very smart turn round areas at each end of the runway

Switzerland perhaps..... (I can't see any litter either...) but very N-S which is often characteristic of the USA

Aircraft ID is sometimes very useful as well.

I'm afraid it's a no to Switzerland and the USA.

OK some of those fields look a bit strip-like - so France?

Now you are in the right country. :)

Is it still there dook?

Yes, and clearly visible on GE.

There goes the afternoon.................

Suggest pour a large whisky then.....

just to be sure - this is Metropolitan France not France overseas... eg Corsica etc etc?

N-S runway isn't very common in France proper - so I'd guess somewhere away from the Atlantic/Channel costs

Doesn't seem to have extensive facilities so not a major destination for scheduled services. No major road up to the airfield so probably away from a major town. No visible car parking, no aircraft parked up. Those turning circles look big to me - bigger than you'd need for a King Air or similar - looks like it might handle the odd ATR or business jets

But still looks a bit smart to me... is it used by one large business or Govt organisation for example?