RAF St Athan
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Wales
Age: 63
Posts: 729
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RAF St Athan
I thought some of you might be interested in reading the following article.
BBC News - St Athan defence base reveals its fighting nature
BBC News - St Athan defence base reveals its fighting nature
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Portsmouth, UK
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It will be a shame if all aircraft maintenance at St. Athan were to come to an end.
I spent a very hard working but happy couple of years there as a contractor, doing majors and upgrade modifications (Jag 97, NVG, Adour 106) on the Jaguar during the DARA years. The overall skill and dedication of the JMF workforce was really something quite remarkable. Many of these guys were ex-RAF with years of Jaguar squadron experience. Others were local lads who had been 'converted' to aircraft from other engineering disciplines. A lot of these were damn good as well.
A few months after I finished there, I was again contracting for DARA. This time at Fleetlands near Gosport on Lynx helicopters. It couldn't have been more different! A bit of a shambles really, in comparison to St. Athan!
I spent a very hard working but happy couple of years there as a contractor, doing majors and upgrade modifications (Jag 97, NVG, Adour 106) on the Jaguar during the DARA years. The overall skill and dedication of the JMF workforce was really something quite remarkable. Many of these guys were ex-RAF with years of Jaguar squadron experience. Others were local lads who had been 'converted' to aircraft from other engineering disciplines. A lot of these were damn good as well.
A few months after I finished there, I was again contracting for DARA. This time at Fleetlands near Gosport on Lynx helicopters. It couldn't have been more different! A bit of a shambles really, in comparison to St. Athan!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,946
Received 2,852 Likes
on
1,220 Posts
With a £12bn deal for a state-of-the-art military academy
WHY????????????????????? Why move out of Cosford and back to Wales, they moved the School from Saints to Halton and then to Cosford, now it's going to cost the earth to move it again........... why waste 12bn that could be used where it is needed............
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South Wales
Age: 63
Posts: 729
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NutLoose
To be totally honest I have to agree with you. It is barking mad to move training from a suburb facility such as Cosford and 12 billion is a lot of money. However, this decision has not been based on common sense even sound business judgement. It is a political decision as a sweetener after the Red Dragon farce. (My personal opinion!!)
I must admit that because of sentimental reasons I would like to see St Athan remain RAF, but the truth is I believe that the new Academy is just all talk by a bunch of ministers and business groups (paid for with public money) but will never actually happen. Time will tell I suppose.
To be totally honest I have to agree with you. It is barking mad to move training from a suburb facility such as Cosford and 12 billion is a lot of money. However, this decision has not been based on common sense even sound business judgement. It is a political decision as a sweetener after the Red Dragon farce. (My personal opinion!!)
I must admit that because of sentimental reasons I would like to see St Athan remain RAF, but the truth is I believe that the new Academy is just all talk by a bunch of ministers and business groups (paid for with public money) but will never actually happen. Time will tell I suppose.
A wretched place for engineering test flying with its short runway and dismal weather factor, StAthan.
Although Scrapheap Challenge did a grand job with major servicing of the old FunBus, the Red Dragon hangar was a farce of epic proportions and the only reason for some spurious 'Defence Academy' down there would be to keep the Viet Taff politicos happy.....
It makes no sense to relocate from Cosford - which is probably why it's bound to happen...
Although Scrapheap Challenge did a grand job with major servicing of the old FunBus, the Red Dragon hangar was a farce of epic proportions and the only reason for some spurious 'Defence Academy' down there would be to keep the Viet Taff politicos happy.....
It makes no sense to relocate from Cosford - which is probably why it's bound to happen...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Manchester
Age: 46
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12bn is a lot of money but it wouldn't just be the RAF relocating there. All military air engineering training will be conducted at St Athan along with Marine Engineering allowing the closure and sale of HMS Sultan. At least the standard of Naval training will improve with the integration with the crabs.
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Defence Technical College (to give it is current name) has been a twinkle in various eyes for years. I remember being briefed about it back in 2001 and being told that we were all moving to Cosford by 2005 (which would have probably suited me as its closer to the Severn Valley Railway!). Clearly things have changed a little since then, with the selection of the Metrix Consortium as the preferred bidder back in 2007 which meant that the answer to the exam question then became St Athan. However, it's not just a matter of moving Cosford to Saints; other units, including Aborfield, parts of HMS Sultan and our own Eng Off Trg at Cranwell will also move but not, I was told, before 2015. This has been dragging on for what seems like an interminable period of time and, whilst it seemed a good idea at the turn of the century, seems less so now especially given the whopping price tag. The contract itself isn't signed yet and, as a soon to be civvy, I'm even more interested in when or if I will be working for the MOD or a contractor. Still listening out but it's all gone quiet apart from the issuing of some shiny plans and impressions of what this dreamworld will look like and where DCAE, DCCIS and DCEME will all live together. The firm decision is unlikely before the next general election but there is much pressure for it to go ahead.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Tennessee - Smoky Mountains
Age: 55
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Is there not another aspect to St Athan that has more to do with strips of Harry Black Maskers than scrapping aircraft or training?
I would expect that requirement to increase (as it has, into St Athan) over the next few years.
Although if the training circus is moved lock stock and barrel into there, the newer occupants may well want to relocate.
I would expect that requirement to increase (as it has, into St Athan) over the next few years.
Although if the training circus is moved lock stock and barrel into there, the newer occupants may well want to relocate.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,946
Received 2,852 Likes
on
1,220 Posts
Ahh so they are moving the Navy in, but as St Athans is "land locked" by a few miles, meaning you are either going to have to build something on the coast? and buy the land to do it, or run em a canal up to west camp to allow them to mess about in their boats... 
you might as well build em a big boating lake at Cosford, a Billion or so should see something big enough for them to splash about in, the rest of the money could be redirected......failing that move to Cottesmore, and bung the Navy on Rutland water...... 
you might as well build em a big boating lake at Cosford, a Billion or so should see something big enough for them to splash about in, the rest of the money could be redirected......failing that move to Cottesmore, and bung the Navy on Rutland water......
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Manchester
Age: 46
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HMS Sultan and Collingwood are hardly by the waters side. Nor are either of the air stations. It is going to be a training base not a dockyard. Don't know what the Cardiff locals will make out of all the matelots and crabs on nights out....
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,371
Received 115 Likes
on
82 Posts
" Don't know what the Cardiff locals will make out of all the matelots and crabs on nights out...."
The way things are going, and with reviews / cuts various on the way, it would seem the local population of Cardiff and Barry are unlikely to have their overall IQ raised several points by the influx suggested above.
One period of incarceration was enough ( Bucc majors). If I'd wanted to work in a factory, we actually had to clock on!!, I wouldn't have joined the RAF......thankfully, I escaped after a few months..... back to the Air Force.
The way things are going, and with reviews / cuts various on the way, it would seem the local population of Cardiff and Barry are unlikely to have their overall IQ raised several points by the influx suggested above.
One period of incarceration was enough ( Bucc majors). If I'd wanted to work in a factory, we actually had to clock on!!, I wouldn't have joined the RAF......thankfully, I escaped after a few months..... back to the Air Force.
duty dit I've heard in SULTAN is that the move is being 'looked at'. It's a lot of money for a PFI, and the contractor is getting cold feet due to the current financial climate. Plus, not a lot of the civvy staff at SULTAN are going to relocate, and they can't find replacements.
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Alfred; yes, it's also my understanding that there are "issues" with HMS Sultan moving and, I'd heard that 2020 was the date being mooted and not all of Sultan would move either, some units remaining at Gosport. There are a number of factors regarding the financial situation, not least that the value of the land that was thought to be released by the sale and relocation to St Athan is now less, plus the fact that borrowing huge sums of money for a PFI isn't exactly easy for organisations such as the Metrix Consortium at present. As I said, I was expecting some sort of statement before Christmas but I presume that all will now be revealed sometime after the next election. I do have a vested interest but, at the end of the day, would a move to South Wales be enticing?
the local population of Cardiff and Barry are unlikely to have their overall IQ raised several points by the influx suggested above.
CG
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Luton UK
Age: 83
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Happy days spent at Pickeston on Canberra majors 1969 to 1973. Real aircraft maintenance. I did learn a lot from those days. Sad if it goes. My twins were Christened on the base. Again happy memories.
.....not a lot of the civvy staff at SULTAN are going to relocate, and they can't find replacements.
Tough luck, MoD - didn't you realise that?
Hardly much of a surprise that a civilian workforce cosily ensconced on the sunny South Coast doesn't feel overly keen at the prospect of moving to the Land of No Vowels, is it?
That's always the problem with over-contractorisation and reliance on increasingly large numbers of civilian staff - they can't just be given a posting notice to somewhere hundreds of miles away and be expected to get on with it.
The problem is that a sudden raft of resignations or early retirements doesn't bother the beancounters at all, who don't care a jot about maintaining Operational Capability.
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tucumseh, agreed and, what makes things even more tricky for this enormous PFI is that, on Service Commencement Date (currently mooted to be early 2011), all CS staff working in the 3 defence colleges will "TUPE across" from the CS to the Metrix consortium. At least, that is the intention. Clearly some may or will not wish to do so for geographic, professional or personal reasons and that is the real issue for most CS staff. For military personnel, well we are just moved to where we are needed but it is intended that far fewer Service personnel will be employed in this new centre of excellence in any case. In the meantime, the continued uncertainty gnaws away at those of us who are directly involved; for the rest of the military its far less of an issue I suppose but it's yet another "challenge" to divert us from our key task of delivering trained people to the Front Line (I don't mean the NHS when I use that term either!).
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,946
Received 2,852 Likes
on
1,220 Posts
Quote:
the local population of Cardiff and Barry are unlikely to have their overall IQ raised several points by the influx suggested above.
the local population of Cardiff and Barry are unlikely to have their overall IQ raised several points by the influx suggested above.
You'd need aircrew for that.
CG
CG