Army does not want Coltishall
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Sorry,
Wattisham was the place in question, runway maintained, just needs the crash cat upgraded for Air Transport. It has been used for outloading assets although the RAF generally prefer stuff to go 3-4 hours down the road to South Cerney, how logical is that!!!!!
HEDP
Wattisham was the place in question, runway maintained, just needs the crash cat upgraded for Air Transport. It has been used for outloading assets although the RAF generally prefer stuff to go 3-4 hours down the road to South Cerney, how logical is that!!!!!
HEDP
Wattisham is Cx Cat MOD 3A, but they have 2 MFVs and an RIV there permanently, so it's just a matter of bringing in a couple of extra firemen and you've got MOD 4A. It's good to see Hercs coming in regularly these days for PJEs over STANTA. 4 Sqn deployed their Harriers there last year and C-17's come in occasionally as well.
Like HEDP says, it's madness to cram the Paras in the back of a four tonner for a 5 hour drive down to Lyneham or Cerney when there's 7,500 ft of runway and full ATC available at Wattisham. Glad that common sense is being used at last!
LXGB
Like HEDP says, it's madness to cram the Paras in the back of a four tonner for a 5 hour drive down to Lyneham or Cerney when there's 7,500 ft of runway and full ATC available at Wattisham. Glad that common sense is being used at last!
LXGB
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Thought it lost that category a long time ago by all accounts! If it is a Strike asset then perhaps they ought to contribute to the upkeep. As it is, there is talk of some alteration to the north side to accomodate C17's,sounds promising to me! Ownership not withstanding though; it's a cracking asset and positioned perfectly for the AABde IMHO,
HEDP
HEDP
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The rush to close airfields in the south-east (and especially Coltishall and Wattisham) has left the RAF (and HM Government) in something of a pickle. The 9/11 attacks resulted in the RAF having to APPEAR to demonstrate the ability to quickly intercept (and deter if needbe) any threat to high value targets in London. But the only airfield suitable is Coningsby. Not only are we paying a mind-boggling fortune to air-taxi the crews in each day from their northern UK base, but the reaction time means that by the time some baddie is detected, an F3 can never get there in time to save Big Ben (or whatever target you like to choose). They should be based much closer - eg: Wattisham.
Then we'd be able to demonstrate the sort of capability the USAF and the French have - anything airborne that shows even a HINT of anything unusual has an F15 / F16 / Mirage alongside it in very short order.
Then we'd be able to demonstrate the sort of capability the USAF and the French have - anything airborne that shows even a HINT of anything unusual has an F15 / F16 / Mirage alongside it in very short order.
Está servira para distraerle.
Just a small request for any information or ideas as to what might happen to RAF Coltishall once the RAF have pulled out.
Locally the rumours encompass anything from tank depository to helicopter base to refugee camp.
Thank you. cc
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Last I heard its going to go along similar lines as RAF Horsham St Faiths. Any real estate of worth that can be re sold or converted (Officers Mess - flats, some of the OMQs - family homes), the rest will be pulled down/converted to a business park/David Wilson-style housing estate. This is only rumour but a crying shame if it actually happens. Its another case where the decent base closes and the ones no-one likes remain open (Kinloss closing, Lossie staying open for example). It makes you wander how long Wittering and Cottesmore can survive.
Está servira para distraerle.
Seems logically illogical enough. Initially, any closure will impact badly on Coltishall small business and, I suspect taxi company and Recruiting Seargant.
Thanks for the information though. We shall miss the Jaguars and the occasional visits by Red Arrows, foreign air forces and other strange flying machines. A great shame. Perhaps the base commander might be persuaded to throw an orgy for locals just prior to closure?
Regards.cc
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There are rumours going back years that there are mint condition, boxed up, inhibited Merlin engines buried somewhere under the taxi way/airfield/runway. Apparently, they were buried during the war - not quite sure why, OC Eng's inspection maybe (its difficult getting an engine in the bottom draw of a filing cabinet or the boot of your car along with all the other spares 
). Anyway, if the Stn is dug up it'll be interesting to see whether anything is found...
). Anyway, if the Stn is dug up it'll be interesting to see whether anything is found...
