RAF Machrihanish to close
 

Another airfield is to be sold off. Yesterday, uncertainty over RAF Machrihanish's future was finally removed when new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Veterans Kevan Jones announced that the Kintyre base was "surplus to defence requirements and will be disposed of.

Mothballed Kintyre Air Base To Be Be Disposed Of By MoD (from The Herald )

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Jobs to go with sale of airbase

Average wage of a maintenance fella.... £12,000 PA....

* 20 = £240,000 ..........for the last 12 years is £2.8 million......

And the crabs shutdown Heron flight to save money...... Right !

Take it the seals err left

Where will top secret stealth planes land now? They haven't thought about this, have they? Or maybe they didn't even know.

The plot thickens.

I think it's a diversion.

The truth is out there.

Believe!

Where will top secret stealth planes land now?




Anywhere they like. No one can see them.

What do you reckon they got for it then? - if you go on location/location/location it's only worth about £45:}

This will be a snip for Ryanair!

In the early '70s, when I was instructing at Manby, we used to do a 2 day round UK low level trip for those returning to fast jet flying which involved stopping overnight at Macrihanish. On one of these trips my Wg Cdr "student" and I left our accomodation to go to the Mess hut and the Wg Cdr, looking back to our accomodation, saw that the word "SHELTER" was written on the side of the building.

"Tell me Caz" he said "is that the Building's secondary function - or the name of the Organisation that own's it?"

A month or 2 ago I did a feasability audit to see if it was plausible to set up a EASA 145 MRO and a part 147 training establishment there and TBH the site would be great for it with everything(and more) already in place my only real problem would be to get engineers to go there it is indeed a desolate place but no doubt if manpower could be enticed there it would work.

A friend of mine did a tour there as SATCO. I never did find out what he'd done wrong, but it must have been serious.

YS;)

Some wonderful "dances" there in the 60's. Long trip from BK though!

Did a long bolthole there in '76. Best bit was the Cloggie Atl det who, being Navy, brought a 16mm projector and a raft of dubious films with a film show every night.

Same det, worst bit, were the food waggons. Daily delivery of sausages and baked beans,

When the Cloggies left food reverted to its previous high standard.

Hey cazatou
Fond memories of MacDrop and a few libations in Campbelltoon:ok:

Glasgow (Not Prestwick) West

Edinburgh (West) for the Ryanair Atlantic Run to er, to New York (North) Newfoundland.

Just get a f*cking taxi.

This is tongue in cheek.

Despite everything, low cost has provided employment and travel that previous generations did not have available.

Let's not forget how it was 20 years ago.

Blackpool anyone?

Full Hansard text
 

RAF Machrihanish

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Kevan Jones): The former RAF Machrihanish, near Campbeltown in the west of Scotland, is surplus to defence requirements and will be disposed of.

In considering the way forward in regard to this large but relatively remote site, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been very aware of the sensitivities that attach to it, not least the impact of change on the local community and the presence of transport links provided by Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL), which currently leases areas of the site for use as Campeltown airport. To that end, before making the announcement, we have engaged closely with the Scottish Executive (SE), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Argyll and Bute council as well as with other stakeholders.

Having publicly announced our intention to dispose of the site, we will now take the disposal forward in partnership with other Government stakeholders via a joint steering/focus group. We will engage and consult with the local community, businesses and other stakeholders to help determine the best way to dispose of the site balancing departmental, Scottish and local interests (including both the requirement to achieve best value for the public purse and maximising the long-term development potential of this site).

It is also our intention, with the full understanding of the SE, to discuss the way forward with HIAL to ensure that its future is both secure and sustainable under new ownership and to ensure that the transport link will continue.

The relatively remote location of Machrihanish means that the impact of a change of use could be greater than elsewhere.

Twenty people currently work for MOD at Machrihanish including facilities management staff and security guards. It is our intention that the termination of employment and maintenance contracts will be handled sensitively. The other MOD establishment in the travel to work area, the oil fuel depot (OFD) at Campbeltown, will remain open.

MOD will also do all it can to ensure that the interests of tenants other than HIAL, are also protected in the sale process.

On water and waste water services supplied by MOD to its tenants, former MOD housing and local farmers, the Department will do everything possible to ensure that a responsible purchaser will discharge those responsibilities for the future.

This announcement brings to an end a long period of speculation about the future of the former RAF Machrihanish. It is hoped that the disposal will end uncertainty and allow a new era of development and long term prosperity to begin that will benefit both the site and the local community.

House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 06 Oct 2008 (pt 0001)

I hope its not one of those airfields that have to be returned to its original condition once it ceases to be used for aviation. Think how much that'll cost.

exscribbler: dry up mate. WE PAY TAXES here too you know, in case it had escaped your notice.

If we're that much of a drain on your coffers, then do yourselves a favour and cut us loose, don't wait for us to do it for you.

Personally, I can't wait!!!

Rab-K forgot to mention. WE pay extra taxes up here to fund those f*rkin idiots in Holyrood.