Kinloss Gate Guard
 

Just curious as to why Kinloss is one of the few stations not to have a gate guard?

Is there a reason for this or is it just the RAF/Goverment being lazy/cheap?

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Not alot of room at the front gate unless you move the road to the Mess back a bit and put it there. Any suggestions as to what it might be? A Kipper Bomber, obviously, but is there anything else that would be appropriate?

Well there's loads of room on the left as your heading to the Sgts Mess! Just the PTI's would have to find somewhere else to do press ups and boot runs :}

Surely we could convert one of the old rods?? If not "aquire" the Comet at Lyneham? :ok:

Just an idea..

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Agreed, good point, but something there would not be as visible to the public as something by the main gate?

Yea I see your point, it just seems a shame thats all.

It does rather cry out for something. What have we got lurking in a hanger somewhere that can be given pride of place?

What's to become of WL795 once St Mawgan goes the way of so many stations?

Is she still 'Crown Property'?

Can she be looked after by the CAS in her present state, once she is 'outside the wire'?

The CAS have done a wonderful job with her, but would she be better off staying on an active 'Kipper Fleet' station?

CircK - funny, is was thinking that the 11000 flying rivets might be a good gaurd.

What would be the cost involved in moving WL795 up from St Mawgan, and when did Shackletons last fly from Kinloss......??

In the next few years the MR2 fleet is due to fold, and not all of the airframes are due to become MRA4s, surely the logical thing is just to use an 'outgoing' MR2 as a gate guard rather than scrap it?????

How about XV235?;)

What did they do with the 5 MR2s which were cut 4 or 5 years ago? Did they send the best frames to MRA4 or the worst to the scrap man? From 46 original aircraft there are only 15 left, it seems the best airframes got chopped up (AEW3), I hope they learned the lesson and didn't take the best for MRA4, especially if they were being completely rebuilt.

http://www.targetlock.org.uk/nimrod/production.html

Oh, BTW I agree it would be nice to see a gate guard at Kinloss.

"Agreed, good point, but something there would not be as visible to the public as something by the main gate?"

Leeming's Javelin is not exactly visible from the main gate though is it?

But more visible than nothing at all :ok:

MadMark!!! :mad:

True, but Leeming doesn't have a busy public highway running past the main gate (yes I know, but the A1 isn't exactly outside the gate and Gatenby Lane doesn't get alot of traffic!).

Even long disused airfields are getting them these days - I do like the Vampire at Grove, swooping over the roundabout (wonder how many prangs are caused by people looking at it and not where they are going?!).

Er, the RAF's largest base doesn't have a Gate Guardian either....

I'm sure I know which Stn you mean, however, I believe it is not the largest Stn in the RAF. I reckon the largest Stn in the RAF has 2 Gateguards! :p

M7:E

Are there any plans to put the Vickers Funbus as gate guard at Brize? :ok:

Surely a fitting place for an iconic piece of British engineering, rather than being chopped up at St Athan. :(

Have you seen the rather sad gate guard at Benson? A plastic PR Spit with distinct anhedral of the tail plane.

Now if they had a station commander who cared, they would have had it down and hidden even if they could not have repaired it.

Passed by ISK an hour ago - 2 gate guards - one checking passes and one with a loaded gun - do we need another?:8

Did either of them go 'Woof!'?

Get the nearby Findhorn Foundation to make a gate guard out of wicker, macrame and hemp...how about a wicker man? It's getting towards that time of year!

I don't think anyones ever been that polite to me on the gate. Must be my face. :}

Kinloss nearly did have a gate guard, it was to be a Shack T4 edit WB847:B (ex MOTU ) I believe. When I arrived circa 1982 it was still just about extent on the firedump. I will post its serial when I get to see my photos of it.

Apparently it was already to get positioned, change of staish, change of mind,

What should really go on the gate at ISK is the Neptune currently languishing at Cosford. I have been told it is ex RAF, it finished its time with the Cloggy Navy before being donated to Cosford.

Big problem with a gate guard is who looks after them, in the olden days you used to get the local ATC cadets to give them a wash on summer Camp, Mr H&S has seen to that, stations are now not geared up to look after a static, cant even use the jankers brigade (Mr H&S has seen to that as well) and once the get covered in bird cr&p they look a mess, hence they get removed. Had a look at the Tonka at Lossiemouth a couple of months ago, what a mess

Bluetail
 

Want to start a voluntary gate guardian polishing squad (H&S allowing, of course)? Check PMs.

Coldwarwimp
 

Check yours as well :mad: :=

IIRC one year we had a Spitfire.....

The next it was a TR7 advertising drink/driving

kinloss gate guard
 

Wait a short while we might be able to pick up a lease hire MRA4 on PCP terms. Delivery on time could be a problem though.

Kinloss like every other RAF Station is entitled to a Gate Guardian, if WL795 becomes available they just need to submit the relevant request, providing the move is practical it will happen.

Yes, another one is needed to continue with the suppressive fire whilst #1 is reloading..................

As bluetail says, it was to be the last T4 Shack. Eng Wing and the paint shop did a wonderful job getting it to look almost like new in 1970/71, and proudly rolled it out of the hanger. Unfortunately there was a problem with the lamp standards outside the guardroom (they needed to be removed to allow the aircraft to be towed to the area designated for static) and whilst there had been money put aside for the ac there wasn't any for the other work.

The aircraft was then parked behind (I think) the Sgts Mess whilst the lights were being sorted. Unfortunately it was very light (no fuel/oils/internals etc), not tied down and nobody paid much attention to it - until a really strong wind came along and it went walkabouts and got damaged (I think it put its tail into a building but not sure) and that was the end of the gate guardian. It was then towed over to the fire dump despite the wishes of many at Kinloss.

However, it did have one final use. After a taxiing accident the following year, one of 8 Sqn's aircraft needed a new outer wing, the T4's was found to be in excellent condition and was duly used!

Perhaps a Christmas Tree would be the way to go, then?

>Have you seen the rather sad gate guard at Benson? A plastic PR Spit with distinct anhedral of the tail plane.<

I'll see your Benson gate guard and raise you the awfully sad plastic Spit outside SHQ at Cosford with major anhedral of the mainplane -- and this on an engineering station too!

And while we're at it, where's Northolt's plastic Polish Spit gone? Looked nice on the corner when the sun was shining.

The C.A.S. hope to continue to look after WL795 for as long as a RAF presence remains at St, Mawgan. I think that she will be well within the ongoing RAF area on the shrinking base. She has been at the base in the salty Cornish air for approaching twenty years so it might be quite a task to move her elsewhere but everyone locally and especially CAS members are very keen that she should have an ongoing future.

She looks in pretty good order and is cared for on a weekly basis by a small team.

I remember being one of those cadets cleaning the Vulcan at Gib.

What ever happened to her? I guess the sea air did her no favours.... Anyone got any pics? The blocks for the wheels were still there the last time I visited North Front..

Can remember watching her land.. Am I right in thinking the old Stn Cdr flew it in and retired soon after?

why not have a bit of lateral thinking and put a submarine on (or near) the gate? That nice man Mr Putin must have a few going spare...:E

Just stick an MRA 4 on the gate, it's the only use it will get at Kinloss!

Well there are three and a half Shackletons rotting away on Cyprus, true the MR.3 might be a little passed it, but the two AEW.2s at Paphos are still not beyond hope.

And the RAF did move them across the airport two years ago, What about a Crash and Smash field trip to save them from the rigours of the Med climate

I don't know what happened to the fuselage section of Dodo but it went out to Cyprus by ship too.

Well Its a nice idea but sadly the £££££ may not help on that

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Was it Linton that had a Javelin in the early 90's? Is that still there?

The only other base I know in the UK was Stafford.....what a boring summer camp that was, bl**dy shoe factory visit.

GPMG

Leeming still has a Javelin as its gate guard I believe.


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Leeming Javelin
 

Latest copy of FlyPast magazine reports that Javelin XH767 is on its way back from Leeming to the Yorkshire Air Museum.