Farewell Colt
 

It was a good place
 

I drove out of the place, slightly jaded, on Sunday afternoon. All quiet, lifeless, already starting to show signs of delapidation. Almost like I was looking at it in black and white on a TV. Alot of pride, achievement, action, history, happiness, sadness, piano burning, streakers outside the mess at Christmas, all gone. Like it never mattered in the first place. Like an old friend has died.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the ball on Sat eve - one of those "once in a lifetime" do's.


I was driven out also feeling very jaded on Sunday:E

I feel the same when driving past Abingdon, Chivenor, Honington, Scampton, Wattisham..... And perhaps even Brawdy, were I to venture to the Llnd of no vwlls. All were once busy, thriving RAF aerodromes where once I flew....

And North Luffenham and Mountbatten, where tens of thousands went through decompression and wet dinghy training.

Remember as well Acklington, Andover, Aston Down, Ballykelly, Bassingbourn, Bicester, Biggin Hill, Binbrook, Bovingdon, Church Fenton, Driffield, Elvington, Finningley, Fulbeck, Gaydon, Gravely, Hamble, Honington, Kemble, Leconfield, Lindholme, Little Rissington, Manby, Newton, North Weald, Oakington, Ouston, Pershore, St. Davids, Spitalgate, Stradishall, Strubby, Swinderby, Syerston, Tangmere, Ternhill, Thorney Island, Watton, West Raynham and White Waltham...plus some I've probably forgotten.

When I joined, all were still RAF aerodromes. With proud histories. Now - well, at least the grunts have taken over some of them.

But not their souls.

And now Coltishall as well....

Sad, desperately sad. Where will it all end?

Yet another mistake by a government that wants to take part in military diplomacy but doesn’t want to foot the bill. But the RAF will go on long after this power-crazed autocracy has been eventually totally discredited and hounded out of office.

But, will Dave and his team care enough to undo some of the damage done by this bunch of jokers?

BEagle, can you please keep clear of Waddington. It seems from your post that the real reason these places are closing could be you:) Oh, you might also want to visit either Yeovilton or Culdrose thus closing that thread also.:ok:

Sorry - I was based at Waddo with GVTF in 1979....

And flew in a 'Vixen coal hole at Yeovilton in 1966...and again in an Airwork Sea Vampire in 1969.

Never been to Dulldrose though.

Suggest Beagle visit 10 Downing Street!

And number 11 as well please, just to make sure the new one gets booted as well:ok:

BEags, wasn't that Farnborough '66?

But By that stage most of the old airfields and Army bases will be housing estates and buisness parks.(espically those near London)

Only some one who is hardly past the first bloom of youth could make such a claim. Others, like me who flew from Brawdy when it was HMS GOLDCREST, can't possibly comment.

Navaleye, yes, it certainly was. Yeovilton to Farnborough to HMS Hermes to Yeovilton....

And of course Brawdy was a navalestablishment in earlier days. The locals in Solva described a Sea Hawk once flying past the pub at very low level!

It was an RAF Hunter station when I was there though. But the phonebox in the Officers' Mess still said 'Wardroom, RNAS Brawdy' on the placard in the phone!

The only thing naval when I was there was the 'Biscuit Factory' inhabited by weird American Secret Squirrels.

I once got a couple of them into "Ah cannot confirm o' deny...." robospeak after I'd had to jettision my tanks following a flashing engine low fuel pressure light. "Hope I didn't blow your headphones off, chaps, when I punched my tanks into the bay?" quoth I.

They were Not Amused.

We called it the 'Biscuit Factory' because it was commanded by a Captain Jacobs!

Beags
Thought you might have mentioned Malagassi, Gan, Tengah, Changi
Surely,a wise and experienced aviator like you must have touched down there at sometime, perhaps in a Vickers Fun Bus?

And Colerne ;)

Just thought I would give all you crab lovers out there a taste of your own medicine and an understanding of what we have been putting up with on Pprune.


Coltishall....good riddance I say. complete waste of taxpayers money and totally out of touch with today's force. Could never open when it was hot....should have shut years ago and been replaced with an aerodrome with lots of transports!



:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

On a serious note...once the A1 is covered in controlled airspace I think there will be regret at shutting such airfields. Short hop to EGD323, easy access to the NE.

It hurts does it not...get used to it! http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ai...nsHomepage.htm

BEagle,

At least we are back in Habbaniya where 4FTS became the only RAF FTS to win a Battle Honour!!

Surely you remember that?

Wildenrath, Gutersloh, Laarbruch.....................:{ (well, no tears for Gut or Laarbruch)

A sad moment is always attached to the closure of a base that held such fond memories (for those who hold such memories of same), but for goodness sake guys......grow up and recognise that airpower can be projected from the Island nation that the UK is with even less bases that are existing even today. Your choice.....lots of airfields or lots of toys. I know what I would pick if I had a FIXED budget to spend on a combination of above....




I look forward to an air force that is out of the '50s and into the new milenium.