Remind me again? Why is Lyneham closing??
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Lyneham to Benson is 55 miles by road. There is no need to even consider moving the SIMs. Even if Benson was to close outright, MSHAFT could remain operating within the inevitable industrial estate as the civilian company that it is. Once upon a time the Sim was in Stavanger ....Argh ...memory lane.
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Have you driven from Lyneham to Benson? It takes longer than the quoted '55 miles'...
And yes, there is a plan on the table to move the sims to the 'Super' SH base. Just as the Herc sims are being moved to Brize.
All it takes is a lot of money.
And yes, there is a plan on the table to move the sims to the 'Super' SH base. Just as the Herc sims are being moved to Brize.
All it takes is a lot of money.
The '55 mile' route requires use of the M4 and A34. 2 of the most congested and dangerous roads around.
If you go via Wroughton and then take a cross country route to avoid Swindon and Didcot, it's about 50 miles but takes 90 minutes on a good day....
Utter madness to move the C-130s from Lyneham and squeeze them into Brize. Where will everyone live? They're just starting to knock down the hideous crack houses after being shamed into it on TV, but there won't be enough space to build much in the way of new housing as a result.
As for finding somewhere to park on base....
The Ops Wg car park has been handed over to hire car companies and everywhere else is already filled to bursting.
The place has been in disarray for about 14 years now as various career-obsessed opportunists have meddled, fiddled and destroyed everything instead of standing up for their folk and saying NO MORE!!
If you go via Wroughton and then take a cross country route to avoid Swindon and Didcot, it's about 50 miles but takes 90 minutes on a good day....
Utter madness to move the C-130s from Lyneham and squeeze them into Brize. Where will everyone live? They're just starting to knock down the hideous crack houses after being shamed into it on TV, but there won't be enough space to build much in the way of new housing as a result.
As for finding somewhere to park on base....
The Ops Wg car park has been handed over to hire car companies and everywhere else is already filled to bursting. The place has been in disarray for about 14 years now as various career-obsessed opportunists have meddled, fiddled and destroyed everything instead of standing up for their folk and saying NO MORE!!
Join Date: Mar 2004
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We could always be based from Akronelli like the old days with 70 Sqn.
Would save loads of flying hours as we only seem to go East nowadays.
Could continue the K's till 2025 whilst waiting for BZN and A400M to be ready.
There are definately a couple of USAFE ATC'ers at Fairford - nice guys too! Had heard that the LYE to BZN move was in the dwang with money issues and that an SH move to LYE was in similar dire straights because of the amount of infra-structure investment that would be required. In terms of the sims, I'm led to believe that a move was written into the contract.... Heaven help us if that is true, it would mean that someone on our side with a bit of common sense was involved
Join Date: Feb 2003
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LYE Closure
As DoorSlider says;
Appears no-one has done the "Green Thinking" on Lyneham closing...!!!
When Gutersloh shut down to the RAF World the AAC crowd moved in...
However the AT flying prog was along the lines of
Mon - Wed - Fri LTN-GUT-LTN Trooping flights
Wed Op Banner
Fri SAFAIR Charter
plus any other ad hoc AT fleet moves and during the silly season
School kids flights.
Once the AAC gang got there the increase in overall aircraft movements increased considerably....!!
Coupled to the fact Herr Bertelsmann made Gutersloh "his" own operating base for his own fleet of biz jets i believe.
The locals sure had room to complain of increased activity...
Bradenstoke may suffer the same fate if the "Rotary Club" move there.
There was all sorts of "plans" drawn up years ago.
Move the C130 fleet to RAF Bentwaters or any other shut down RAF/USAF base...along with UKMAMS / Tac Med / TSW / Mob Cat Sqn / TCW....
again all the Tac element eggs in 1 basket... !!!
Inherent problem being all USAF base ran on 110 volts....so it was a case of major redevelopment being the order of the day..
Keep the TAC and Strat guys seperate....
Runway state Black at BZZ would stuff the whole shooting match....
Anyone remember the Tristar that "bounced" and dumped fuel over Witney ??
What if it didn't bounce ???
Scores of pax and crews let alone frames diverted all over blighty....!!!
Appears no-one has done the "Green Thinking" on Lyneham closing...!!!
When Gutersloh shut down to the RAF World the AAC crowd moved in...
However the AT flying prog was along the lines of
Mon - Wed - Fri LTN-GUT-LTN Trooping flights
Wed Op Banner
Fri SAFAIR Charter
plus any other ad hoc AT fleet moves and during the silly season
School kids flights.
Once the AAC gang got there the increase in overall aircraft movements increased considerably....!!
Coupled to the fact Herr Bertelsmann made Gutersloh "his" own operating base for his own fleet of biz jets i believe.
The locals sure had room to complain of increased activity...
Bradenstoke may suffer the same fate if the "Rotary Club" move there.
There was all sorts of "plans" drawn up years ago.
Move the C130 fleet to RAF Bentwaters or any other shut down RAF/USAF base...along with UKMAMS / Tac Med / TSW / Mob Cat Sqn / TCW....
again all the Tac element eggs in 1 basket... !!!
Inherent problem being all USAF base ran on 110 volts....so it was a case of major redevelopment being the order of the day..
Keep the TAC and Strat guys seperate....
Runway state Black at BZZ would stuff the whole shooting match....
Anyone remember the Tristar that "bounced" and dumped fuel over Witney ??
What if it didn't bounce ???
Scores of pax and crews let alone frames diverted all over blighty....!!!
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We all know it's a sound idea to move the Herc fleets to Brize. I mean getting all those in quarters at Lye commuting to Brize due to housing shortages and getting all those from Benson to commute to Lye for the same surely is the best joke anyone's come up with for ages!! Why not get all those people at Brize to go full circle and commute to Benson just for sh*ts and giggles
But I did hear a rumour (and it was strictly a rumour) that the powers that be have realised there is simply not enough cash for us to move and the whole plan is in major doubt. Anyone elaborate on this?
But I did hear a rumour (and it was strictly a rumour) that the powers that be have realised there is simply not enough cash for us to move and the whole plan is in major doubt. Anyone elaborate on this?
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It has two runways for those nasty crosswinds or when the main runway might get flooded or be closed by peace protestors.
It also has enough parking for 100% of it's aircraft all year round with sufficient spare capacity to handle all the air charter and diverted aircraft that a nearby airbase can't cope with.
It has enough hangar space to enable the engineers to rectify the airframes.
It doesn't need to refurbish all its MQ estate, has enough local amenities, including schools, to cater for the service and civilian workforce.
It's close to major road links, SPTA and Wales, closely located to all major user units.
It has enough movers to handle more than 1 inbound AT aircraft every 4 hours whilst still supplying manpower to deploy and assist a nearby airbase because they are short-staffed.
It also has enough parking for 100% of it's aircraft all year round with sufficient spare capacity to handle all the air charter and diverted aircraft that a nearby airbase can't cope with.
It has enough hangar space to enable the engineers to rectify the airframes.
It doesn't need to refurbish all its MQ estate, has enough local amenities, including schools, to cater for the service and civilian workforce.
It's close to major road links, SPTA and Wales, closely located to all major user units.
It has enough movers to handle more than 1 inbound AT aircraft every 4 hours whilst still supplying manpower to deploy and assist a nearby airbase because they are short-staffed.
Join Date: Mar 2008
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With all the angst and breast beating please remember that this exercise in futility was probably started by some gp capt of the 'master race' that was really, really quite anxious to get his 1 star and leapt on the opportunity provided by a passing comment from some bean counter from the Treasury at some meeting or other.
The gp capt then gave the staff work to an aircrew sqn ldr to work out the details - and he was really anxious to get the 'scores in the doors' to make wg cdr.
At some point - if you are keen enough, or unfortunate enough, to cop a posting to a HQ or MOD then you might well be one of these nameless wonders that cops a beating on this forum. And of course you'll keep your head down and let the flak head the way of the politicians or the blunties - won't you??
The gp capt then gave the staff work to an aircrew sqn ldr to work out the details - and he was really anxious to get the 'scores in the doors' to make wg cdr.
At some point - if you are keen enough, or unfortunate enough, to cop a posting to a HQ or MOD then you might well be one of these nameless wonders that cops a beating on this forum. And of course you'll keep your head down and let the flak head the way of the politicians or the blunties - won't you??
Sims
Of course, the idea of driving many miles for your simulator currency trips is simply absurd isn't it?!
Far too dangerous, costly and time consuming.
It could never happen, could it?!
55 miles is c0ck all. Try 90-odd each way, then you'll know the meaning of the term 'ball-ache'! The A17 isn't exactly the safest road in Britain either!
Sorry, a little bit of feeling sorry for myself there. Won't happen again!
BV
Far too dangerous, costly and time consuming.
It could never happen, could it?!
55 miles is c0ck all. Try 90-odd each way, then you'll know the meaning of the term 'ball-ache'! The A17 isn't exactly the safest road in Britain either!
Sorry, a little bit of feeling sorry for myself there. Won't happen again!
BV
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Well, it's not far by Heli/Taxi, is it? Why not use the newly established taxi-rank at Lyneham, and ferry all the Sim Jockeys back and forth by SH, give them something to do!
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Siseman,
You are just re-stating the "perpetuating wally theory"
Why does everyone find our situation such a surprise?
It will continue ad inf until bigger gonads are supplied to the "elite" seat polishers.
You are just re-stating the "perpetuating wally theory"
Why does everyone find our situation such a surprise?
It will continue ad inf until bigger gonads are supplied to the "elite" seat polishers.
ferry all the Sim Jockeys back and forth by SH, give them something to do!
The SH Force has plenty of things to do. Ask Ross Kemp or Prince William.
Join Date: Dec 2003
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nice to see the MOd is the same as the NHS move things round for theoretical savings/Promotions/Kudos etc and waste a vast ammount of money on infrastructure moves/changes only for the staff on the coalface to say it won't work for reasons X,Y,Z. And for the same descision makers to eventually reverse their descisions and waste another shed full of money to recreate what they changed at the start!!!!!!
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I cannot understand why everyone is so surprised.
It's fairly obvious, that some Air Commodore has (over coffee) asked some Groupie,
AC: "Are the men happy?"
GC: "Oh yes sir, very much so sir!"
AC: "Well go and f*ck them about a bit, they're not being paid to be happy"
Stands to reason.
Stew
It's fairly obvious, that some Air Commodore has (over coffee) asked some Groupie,
AC: "Are the men happy?"
GC: "Oh yes sir, very much so sir!"
AC: "Well go and f*ck them about a bit, they're not being paid to be happy"
Stands to reason.
Stew
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Skaterboi,
It has already been done. Back in nineteen canteen, when the Brits moved to wonderful BZN. We used to commute from Bradenstoke cum Clack (called Lyneham to save envelope space). A great time had by all, trying to find the shortest/quickest route. And then done in the reverse direction as a lot of us had moved but, the a/c hadn't.
So it is already a proven commute.
It has already been done. Back in nineteen canteen, when the Brits moved to wonderful BZN. We used to commute from Bradenstoke cum Clack (called Lyneham to save envelope space). A great time had by all, trying to find the shortest/quickest route. And then done in the reverse direction as a lot of us had moved but, the a/c hadn't.
So it is already a proven commute.