RAF Mildenhall Closure?
According to the RIAT show programme, the USAF plan to move their RC135's to Fairford. As Waddington seems to be unsuitable for Rivet Joint to use with full fuel, one suspects the RAF fleet will follow.Looking back to the 1980's part of the European tanker task force was based there so it hardly takes a genius to figure out that a couple of TDY tankers could join the aircraft there - there's plenty of ramp space.
Harking back to Greenham Common, this was originally mooted as the base for the TTF in the 80's. That was until the locals got uppity and started a 'keep it quiet/closed'
protest. Then HMG 'suddenly noticed' that a certain government facility just down the road, making things that go bang, was right under the flight path. This gave them an honourable out to move the nasty noisy jets to Fairford.
What goes around, comes around......
Harking back to Greenham Common, this was originally mooted as the base for the TTF in the 80's. That was until the locals got uppity and started a 'keep it quiet/closed'
protest. Then HMG 'suddenly noticed' that a certain government facility just down the road, making things that go bang, was right under the flight path. This gave them an honourable out to move the nasty noisy jets to Fairford.
What goes around, comes around......
According to the RIAT show programme, the USAF plan to move their RC135's to Fairford. As Waddington seems to be unsuitable for Rivet Joint to use with full fuel, one suspects the RAF fleet will follow. That two year closure, and massive investment in rebuilding Waddingto's runway looks like money well spent. Looking back to the 1980's part of the European tanker task force was based there so it hardly takes a genius to figure out that a couple of TDY tankers could join the aircraft there. They've been doing USAF based rotations to Geilenkirchen for many year, so a precedent is already set, plus there's plenty of ramp space at Fairford.
Harking back to Greenham Common, this was originally mooted as the base for the TTF in the 80's. That was until the locals got uppity and started a 'keep it quiet/closed'
protest. Then HMG 'suddenly noticed' that a certain government facility just down the road, making things that go bang, was right under the flight path. This gave them an honourable out to move the nasty noisy jets to Fairford.
What goes around, comes around......
Harking back to Greenham Common, this was originally mooted as the base for the TTF in the 80's. That was until the locals got uppity and started a 'keep it quiet/closed'
protest. Then HMG 'suddenly noticed' that a certain government facility just down the road, making things that go bang, was right under the flight path. This gave them an honourable out to move the nasty noisy jets to Fairford.
What goes around, comes around......
All this talk that Greenham Common would have made a good airport or a tanker base. Take a look at a map, there is a little place called Aldermaston Nuclear bomb factory off one end of the main runway, and a little place called Newbury off the other. It was never going to happen. Good for a few days a year as a major airshow venue and that was it.
Such was the noise sensitivity at Greenham Common that my QFI's request for a training GCA approach was refused due to 'noise abatement restrictions'.
We were in a Chipmunk doing my PIFG course!
We were in a Chipmunk doing my PIFG course!
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All this talk that Greenham Common would have made a good airport or a tanker base. Take a look at a map, there is a little place called Aldermaston Nuclear bomb factory off one end of the main runway, and a little place called Newbury off the other. It was never going to happen. Good for a few days a year as a major airshow venue and that was it.
what is worse is that the real bomb factory at Burghfield is also prety much on the approach. Aldermaston is the R&D facility... and bloody frightening it looks.....
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Marshalls to sell up - 12,000 new houses on way
Interestingly, no mention of Mildenhall in any of this now....
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My money is now on Duxford if they don't go to Mildenhall............... Wyton is a non-starter and Cranfield is too far away
and the latest rumour from my neighbour who has friends at the base is that the close date for Mildenhall is now being quoted as 2025.................
Arc
and the latest rumour from my neighbour who has friends at the base is that the close date for Mildenhall is now being quoted as 2025.................
Arc
Last edited by Arclite01; 14th May 2019 at 16:22. Reason: 2025...............
My money is now on Duxford if they don't go to Mildenhall............... Wyton is a non-starter and Cranfield is too far away
and the latest rumour from my neighbour who has friends at the base is that the close date for Mildenhall is now being quoted as 2025.................
Arc
and the latest rumour from my neighbour who has friends at the base is that the close date for Mildenhall is now being quoted as 2025.................
Arc
Alconbury or Oakington......??
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Oakington faces a similar fate, busy being buried under thousands of houses - Northstowe
Next?
How about moving into a service airfield - paying HMG a bit of rent
Marham will be quiet - apart from in the sim!
Move in with the Arrows at Wittering?
Boscombe?
Lyneham - what is happening here these days.
Linton closing?
Marham will be quiet - apart from in the sim!
Move in with the Arrows at Wittering?
Boscombe?
Lyneham - what is happening here these days.
Linton closing?
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Marham will be quiet - apart from in the sim! probably a non-starter due to a mix of security concerns and location. Upto another 2,000 people trying to get in and out of Marham at peak times would cause chaos on local roads I expect.
Move in with the Arrows at Wittering? Nice long runway. Not a lot of hangarage. Good suggestion, must be a reason why it's not in the frame. Maybe the MoD aren't good sharers?
Boscombe? Earmarked for Boeing. Plus nowhere near Cambridge!
Lyneham - what is happening here these days. Not a lot I don't think. Expect the site to be put forward for housing just as soon as the LA think they can get away with it
Linton closing? Wrong location, short runway. Would assume it will be left to rot for a few years and then sold off cheap to housing developers
Move in with the Arrows at Wittering? Nice long runway. Not a lot of hangarage. Good suggestion, must be a reason why it's not in the frame. Maybe the MoD aren't good sharers?
Boscombe? Earmarked for Boeing. Plus nowhere near Cambridge!
Lyneham - what is happening here these days. Not a lot I don't think. Expect the site to be put forward for housing just as soon as the LA think they can get away with it
Linton closing? Wrong location, short runway. Would assume it will be left to rot for a few years and then sold off cheap to housing developers
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Think they'd (Marshall) be mad to consider taking on the running of an old MOD base like Wyton or worse still Mildenhall from say 2025 - think Alconbury is out because they are already have housing plans in the wrong places? The overheads of running airfields like that would make running CBG look like a kids tea party. Why own a huge piece of airport infrastructure in the middle of nowhere which nobody else needs but you - and it's not going to be a land-bank for housing of any grand scale if all goes belly-up if it is in middle of nowhere. With 2022 looming and the Herc C130 contract presumably (?) coming to an end, how many huge sheds will they need in the future, certainly not as much space as they have now? They do work on big Boeings in the civil sector, but they don't really make money out of that stuff - that's not core business.
Far better to keep all the design and back-office and small shed activities, workshops etc. still at Cambridge, on what, by default, will remain in part an industrial estate a new business park, next to the 12,000 houses, then for the actual aircraft MX activities, be at someone else's operational airport - they can pay the bills to run the airport side of the equation! If they want to retain the bulk of the CBG engineers, go and buy the Diamond hangar at Stansted - plenty of space on one side for expansion, or just past the Ryanair shed. If they are prepared to lose say half the engineers who won't relocate (not likely to need as many as they have now anyway?), then move MRO (hangar-based) ops to Brize Norton. If that doesn't stack up politically, then last choice is Cranfield. The only ready-to-move-into hangar is the Diamond Hangar at Stansted. Wyton's are too small with no ramp elbow-room - they'll have to build brand new facilities wherever they went.
Far better to keep all the design and back-office and small shed activities, workshops etc. still at Cambridge, on what, by default, will remain in part an industrial estate a new business park, next to the 12,000 houses, then for the actual aircraft MX activities, be at someone else's operational airport - they can pay the bills to run the airport side of the equation! If they want to retain the bulk of the CBG engineers, go and buy the Diamond hangar at Stansted - plenty of space on one side for expansion, or just past the Ryanair shed. If they are prepared to lose say half the engineers who won't relocate (not likely to need as many as they have now anyway?), then move MRO (hangar-based) ops to Brize Norton. If that doesn't stack up politically, then last choice is Cranfield. The only ready-to-move-into hangar is the Diamond Hangar at Stansted. Wyton's are too small with no ramp elbow-room - they'll have to build brand new facilities wherever they went.
Yep, the list of viable alternates is shockingly poor. Alconbury was hoovered up by Urban&Civic, at a knock down price, a few years ago. They are now cashing in handsomely on that wise investment - Alconbury Weald
Oakington faces a similar fate, busy being buried under thousands of houses - Northstowe
Next?
Oakington faces a similar fate, busy being buried under thousands of houses - Northstowe
Next?
Of the 3, Cranfield is the only viable option. Duxford lacks the infrastructure (runway length, taxiway widths/PCN, ATC services, controlled airspace and Instrument Approach aids/TAPs), Wyton is already earmarked for development. Cambridge has long been the Marshall family's "nest egg" - just a matter of when the business need and potential land value / housing need conspired. As I understand it, as Marshalls is still very much a family business, the interest in Aviation waxes and wanes depending on who is in the boardroom - and it changes between generations. Cranfield is benefitting from significant investment - they are lengthening the runway, have the first "digital" tower in the UK and are expanding the capacity for other users through the Air Park initiative. Alconbury is, it seems, too far gone and Mildenhall appears to have some form of stay of execution. IMHO, the inclusion of both Duxford and Wyton are part of a smokescreen to buy time for Marshalls to get their PR strategy up and running before they move out of the Cambridge area.
Like one of those costly 'independent' Govt Reviews that surprisingly reaches the conclusion that aligns with the Govt's original intention. "We looked at staying in the Cambridge area but it didn't make economic sense"
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Lyneham's full of baby REME. The schools at Arborfield and Bordon closed to become housing estates and the REME school amalgamated at Lyneham. There were plans to move the relevant parts of Cosford and Sultan to Lyneham too. Half the airfield is covered in solar panels, the other half is covered with winching posts and tank traps.