No Charter A/C available then.....

[Bob Stinger]

Blackpool . the RAF are in and out all the time, several aircraft a week.

[Razor61]

Exeter used to be quite busy with ins and outs....not so much nowadays though.

[Taffer]

Originally Posted by kitwe

Glasgow Airport has RAF aircraft based there (UAS) and has done for many years.

I think VT Aerospace might get upset if you call their civvy-registered Grobs RAF aircraft - they're only leased to the Crabs.

When I was working at GLA though, I saw RAF and RN Sea Kings, Army Lynx and Gazelles, USN C-130s and a lot more.

Not uncommon to see mil. aircraft at GLA at all, though the only time most people are at the airport is when they're off to Shagaluf or wherever it is the plebs holiday these days. You're unlikely to spot a mil. aircraft when you're sitting in the departure lounge after consuming a keg of Stella.

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Roghead

PN, I think you'll find that Prestwick qualifies as a civilian runway.

OK, Prestwick. But I did say I had never seen one land there. Back of a Vulcan or Nimrod you do not see one landing.

BTW, I remember when we sent a Shackleton to Glasgow; it parked next to a Loftleider on the ramp to allow a crewman to be flown to Iceland.

We also took a Shackleton into Aberdeen one dark and snowy night; now that was a right royal brain box CU. AOC asked the next day what we were doing there; why hadn't we gone to Wattisham or somewhere sensible.

[charliegolf]

But if you're one of the 45 million odd sods who don't think aeroplanes are the most important thing in life; and only go to two airports a year, you're not gonna see many of any kind of aeroplane land. I suppose?

CG

[Roadster280]

Originally Posted by BANANASBANANAS

Does Shiny Ten Sqn count? Four landings a week into Washington Dulles when I was on the Sqn in the 1980's.

IAD is a Luftwaffe station. I kid you not! Often see Erich Airbus there, and they have an office/warehouse complex, c/w German flag and diagonally striped sentry box of WW2 fame.

Odd RAF Albert there too.

[Hard Port]

Herc Glasgow to Cardiff

As one of the air ambulance pilots based in GLA, I would like to set the record straight and correct a few pieces of wrong reporting. The baby's condition was very poor and needed urgent treatment. The Glasgow based King Air became unserviceable just after loading the incubator and medical team - yes we can carry the incubator and 4 medical staff, although there is a fuel penalty.
As the second King Air was already tasked and unavailable, the MOD was asked to help. Thus, due to the weather mostly, a Herc was assigned as it was available earlier than the second King Air.
The team were recovered later using the air ambulance King Air. Glad our unsereviceability provided much needed PR for the RAF. HP

[4fitter]

HP - thank you for setting the record straight.

Lets see, C130 into Glasgow, Teeside, Newcastle, Leeds-Bradford, E Midlands.
HS125 into Southampton
Tri * into LHR
All landings and not T&Gs.

Regards 4f

[Colonal Mustard]

Originally Posted by Blodwyn Pig

i'm just wondering why they didn't land at swansea airport, singleton hospital is that side of town, so it would have been a 4 or 5 mile ambulance journey instead of a 60 mile journey.

Maybe they needed Fuel, whenever i needed to fly into swansea i generally found they didnt have any.. this must have changed since then though.

[vecvechookattack]

Surely this sortie would have been approved as a "Medevac" and therefore the MOD wouldn't have paid for it. I suppose at the end of the day the Government pays for it and which department gets the bill is an elephant but regardless, job well done boys

[Nige321]

Bump...
Update here...
Well done everyone!
N

[hobie]

An RAF spokesman said it had been an unusual mission.

"It went without hitch and we are absolutely delighted that we were able to help save the little baby," he added.

and so say all of us .....