RAF St. Mawgan

[Non Emmett]

Wing Commander Graham House, St. Mawgan's Station Commander, is reported on local BBC news site saying the base will remain open for at least the next twenty five years as a training base. Last month he was also reported saying there is a need to make the most of its resources. He is interested in other commercial ideas or training that could be based there.

Newquay Airport tends to be used from time to time for training by a number of airlines but to say there is considerable scope for more activity is something of an understatement.

[Finningley Boy]

I was driving past the south side of the Base on the way into Newquay a couple of weeks or so ago. Noticed some kind of new building going up on the fields near the emergency access gate at the east end of the south side. further along toward the turn off for the road leading up to the main gate, there is a lot of road widening and or new access way being put in.

Anyone any ideas?

FB

[HTB]

The MoD/RAF do not own the flying part of the airfield, and have not done so since Newquay became a civil licensed aerodrome (prior to that, Newquay Airport had ben operating under the auspices of military ATC and fire cover). The RAF retained the the domestic side of the airfield, including, I think, a couple of the HASs; the Spam's "facility" was also retained by the military, albeit for a limited time frame (the remainder of the HASs and hardened buildings were part of the deal when the then Cornwall County Council bought the land).

So any training will be conducted in what is effectively a military enclave attached to the larger real estate that is now Newquay Cornwall Airport. Basically, "airside" no longer belongs to the military, so if they want to use the runway, etc, they need to ask the airport authority. The new buildings and road access from the south are related to a cargo operation that I believe will be situated in the former Nimrod hangar (once the asbestos has been removed/stabilised), or possibly one of the adjacent smaller hangars.

Mr B

[Wholigan]

The building on the south side ............ a couple of years ago, there was a plan to build a new passenger terminal in that area, with new access roads etc. Maybe that is what is happening.

[HTB]

Wholi

That was on the wish list. Cost was one factor that has delayed those plans; another is the non-compliant taxiway on the southeast side - excessive slope for CAA specifications - that would entail reactiviating a closed taxiway access for back track to 30, runway crossing to taxiway A.

I'm fairly sure that the short-medium term reason for the road is a cargo operation.

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Air Ambulance/Police heli facility?

[nimboboy]

air ambulance

Correct, the new building on the south side by the main road is indeed the new base for the Cornwall air ambulance, the "road works" abit further west on the same road is to be the new entrance to the airfield, for when the civil airport moves across to the old south pan area, but it will probably be the road to no where. cornwall council are skint, and who wants to buy Newquay airport?.

[Not Long Here]

Jeez,

Sheds is a Wing Commander

[Rossian]

Settle, settle I said...

.....not long here. Good lad is Sheds. Hasn't he done well?
Still enjoying "there"?

The Ancient Mariner

[leopold bloom]

but it will probably be the road to no where

AgustaWestland

Don't give up just yet, the new road is part of the development plan, the small building is the new home for the Cornwall Air Ambulance. The big hangar has been leased and there are other deals in the air (pardon the pun).

[Biggus]

I'm sure that a couple of years ago the Stn Cdrs at Kinloss, Cottesmore, Leuchars, etc would have said that their base would be remaining open for the next 25 years..........

[HTB]

But you're all losing sight of the fact that this land no longer belongs to Mod/RAF. It has burger all to do with the continuing role of RAF St Mawgan. The Devon and Cornwall Air Ambulance (operated by Bond) may well move from its present location to a new hangar, and benefit from the new access road (so they don't have to come through the RAF domestic site, or cross the runway if accessing fro the terminal side).

Mr B

[Non Emmett]

I think you will find that the new air ambulance building is suffficiently close to the St. Columb to Newquay road that the new access road the Council are constructing will not be required for access.

[tregeseal]

Works at newquay airport

This is indeed the new home for Cornwall air ambulance and the new southern access road is to hopefully exploit new business on the south side of the runway. Hopefully a use will be found for 404 hangar and 402 hangar is currently leased to augusta westland until 2013. The southern taxiway is being upgraded in the near future for caa licensing purposes so not all doom and gloom hey!

[MADTASS]

Air Ambulance Building should be Completed by December. New Link Road is/will Hopefully Generate some New Business, Cargo would be Favorite.
Basically, difficult to generate business without some sort of Infrastucture in Place and asking 44 ton Trucks to go through the Forest and then get Escorted across the Airfield each time to Deliver/Collect could Logistically be Problematic.

[6Z3]

This is relevant I guess:


Government announces Newquay Aerohub Enterprize Zone | Business Cornwall