RAF Little Rissington
Why not pick the one with the most runways, Bedford Thurleigh! Hasn't it been suggested before?
Can't help thinking that Alconbury and Upper Heyford would make much better new "London" airports, particularly UH with its proximity to the M40 and another N-S mainline.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,021
Received 2,900 Likes
on
1,242 Posts
I called into Swinditz over the bank holidays and bar the odd hangar and an empty airfield. I was pleasantly suprised to see ( after a twinge of sadness ) a complete new village with schools etc built on what was the domestic site, driving around the site old officers quarters are still there, though separate from the main village. Only sadness was I didn't see any streets named to reflect the airfields past, but that does not mean some haven't been.
Last edited by NutLoose; 14th May 2013 at 18:15.
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Aah Swinditz. I was first introduced to whisky there, during an ATC camp in '59, along with my first trip in a jet aeroplane; a Vampire, quickly followed by a puke on the dispersal. So ill was I that I couldn't bare the whiff of it until my fifties. Now, happily, it's a different story!
Roland and Beags have it - the key issue obviating London expansion at Rissi and many other former stations is access.
Conversely, not only does Upper Heyford have remarkably good road and rail infrastructure already in place, but the travel time on existing rail from central London is less than that to the nether LHR terminals on the Tube! What's more, the terrain would allow for the construction of at least one more 260 with the requisite separation, and all this in an area of minimal population density.
To my simple mind, redevelopment of the wickedly-wasted Upper Heyford facilities (perhaps with further enhancement of the Chiltern line, instead of the wanton folly of HS2) is just a no-brainer .... but, as we all know, Whitehall is even lower that in the brainpower stakes.
Conversely, not only does Upper Heyford have remarkably good road and rail infrastructure already in place, but the travel time on existing rail from central London is less than that to the nether LHR terminals on the Tube! What's more, the terrain would allow for the construction of at least one more 260 with the requisite separation, and all this in an area of minimal population density.
To my simple mind, redevelopment of the wickedly-wasted Upper Heyford facilities (perhaps with further enhancement of the Chiltern line, instead of the wanton folly of HS2) is just a no-brainer .... but, as we all know, Whitehall is even lower that in the brainpower stakes.
Wethersfield and Dutch F-16C last year
I read in Air Forces Monthly earlier in the year, that last Sept, the Dutch sent over four ship of F-16C and a C-130H to the former RAF now MOD Police Training Wethersfield so it became an active airfield for a day or so.
Can be done, I've ranted over Alconbury on here that remove the containers which contain a lot of crap, and turn it into a good airfield or maybe EUCOM or USAFE could utilise it for support not full time day in day out aircraft ops or even once a year or biannually international airshow. Could conceivably land a U-28 in the area not covered by the containers as seen on Google earth
be handy for the residents the other side of the A14 if you get my drift.
With the likes of Lyneham if I am correct and Kinloss still keeping some limited airfield ops in case of emergencies / overspill for Brize and Lossie?
Sculthorpe is kept alive on an ad hoc basis for the Mildenhall SOG folks and RAF even though its been closed for near 2 decades. Ideally could be used as an emergency outlying for Norwich International?
Can be done, I've ranted over Alconbury on here that remove the containers which contain a lot of crap, and turn it into a good airfield or maybe EUCOM or USAFE could utilise it for support not full time day in day out aircraft ops or even once a year or biannually international airshow. Could conceivably land a U-28 in the area not covered by the containers as seen on Google earth
be handy for the residents the other side of the A14 if you get my drift.With the likes of Lyneham if I am correct and Kinloss still keeping some limited airfield ops in case of emergencies / overspill for Brize and Lossie?
Sculthorpe is kept alive on an ad hoc basis for the Mildenhall SOG folks and RAF even though its been closed for near 2 decades. Ideally could be used as an emergency outlying for Norwich International?
Last edited by chopper2004; 14th May 2013 at 22:33.
Surely we're ignoring the 'elephant in the room' that is Bruntingthorpe...
- 'kin huge runway
- adjacent to M1
- adjacent to mainline to Euston
- in a low density populated area
- oh, and did I mention 'kin huge runway?
LJ
- 'kin huge runway
- adjacent to M1
- adjacent to mainline to Euston
- in a low density populated area
- oh, and did I mention 'kin huge runway?
LJ
Plus, there's always London/Milton Keynes International...
...Cranfield.
Near to the M1 and trainline and if I recall correctly is about 6,000ft long so would only need another 1-2,000ft of concrete to be really useful.
LJ
...Cranfield.
Near to the M1 and trainline and if I recall correctly is about 6,000ft long so would only need another 1-2,000ft of concrete to be really useful.
LJ
there's always London/Milton Keynes International...
The main runway was doubled in length and Cranfield village disappeared under a terminal building and motorway spur from the M1. The resulting drawing was printed, folded an then marked up with alterations and 'distressed' with a few coffee cup stains before being placed in a folder and 'lost' in the airfield restaurant.If it was ever found, it was obviously never looked at because the trouble it could have caused never happened.
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Sussex
Age: 66
Posts: 371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I was a student at Cranfield, we could always tell when we were near Cranfield on the M1, there was fog or other low lying clouds there. There was a story that Cranfield had been used once as a divert field when as I recall Heathrow was closed, the plane landed and stopped ok, to get airborne again the seats etc had to be removed due to the short runway.
Cranfield is also quite built up as a university...
Cranfield is also quite built up as a university...
Here's another thought..
What about Manston?
Very large runway, close to a major rail route and a motorway.....
Re Alconbury. The cynic in me suggests that as Sir John Major was the local Huntingon MP (and may still be?), any civil use of that site was a non-starter.
Sculthorpe is occasionally used by the Mildenhall C-130's, and is often NOTAMed for Hawk FAC exercises as well. Rumour has it that it could be used for the displaced 611 VGS gliding school that's now homeless, following Watton being sold off for houses.
Time will tell......
Very large runway, close to a major rail route and a motorway.....
Re Alconbury. The cynic in me suggests that as Sir John Major was the local Huntingon MP (and may still be?), any civil use of that site was a non-starter.
Sculthorpe is occasionally used by the Mildenhall C-130's, and is often NOTAMed for Hawk FAC exercises as well. Rumour has it that it could be used for the displaced 611 VGS gliding school that's now homeless, following Watton being sold off for houses.
Time will tell......
Last edited by bobward; 15th May 2013 at 16:43.
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
What about Manston?
Very large runway, close to a major rail route and a motorway.....
Very large runway, close to a major rail route and a motorway.....
The problem is that North Kent isn't actually very close for that many people. Upper Heyford makes more sense, but neither will ever happen as London's third airport.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,021
Received 2,900 Likes
on
1,242 Posts
If God was going to give the World an Enema, he'd stick the tube in Cranfield, so an ideal place to build over, trouble is the runway was chopped a bit when they built the Nissan development centre on the end of it..
As for Bruntingthorpe might conflict a bit with East Mids 15 miles north.... And it is actively used.
As for Bruntingthorpe might conflict a bit with East Mids 15 miles north.... And it is actively used.
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
a complete new village with schools etc
Only sadness was I didn't see any streets named to reflect the airfields past
Thought there was a VGS at Rissy.; is it still operating?
The developers are currently removing the hangars though one occupant a Nut Company, has refused to move out!
F4, thanks for the correction ...and just finding the said back page of AFM, so thanks for putting me right.. Must have been tired and hallucinating 
and wishful thinking as was also looking at FighterControl site, with photos taken back in early 70s of the U-2 temp deployment to Wethersfield.
Cheers
and wishful thinking as was also looking at FighterControl site, with photos taken back in early 70s of the U-2 temp deployment to Wethersfield. Cheers