RAF Lyneham is to close in 2012
 

According to that well-accredited newspaper, The Wiltshire Gazette & Herald dated 7th May 2009 RAF Lyneham is to close in 2012. I thought it was to become a mega-suba-hubscrauber base when the Hercs left?

I heard it was worth more being turned back into 'common land'. A pleasant area to work your dog, fly a kite, or have a pic-nic.
The government have decided rural green spaces are required after all.
I believe the runway is to be dug up and re-used for the fifth lane of the M25, which has a start date at the same time as Lyneham closes.
A/C are to be taken out of service, as there is no longer a requirement for them due to PFI and we are not at/will not undertake any other conflicts..ahem...wars.

Gives a different meaning to 'Rompers Green'!! However, I can't see MoD missing an opportunity to relocate another armu unit close to 'the plain' and the local economy would be sh@gged without the base.

Criteria for closing a base.......is the local mp liarbor or tory? Is the seat marginal?:yuk:

Local Builders will be happy - in my experience large sums will be spent from the Defence Budget to upgrade accommodation and other facilities prior to closure.

:ugh:

Very sad . . .
 

Well, for once, all cynicism and humour aside, I shall be very sad to see RAF Lyneham close.

Big chunk of 30 years of my life off and on were associated with that place, it was good, bad and indifferent but there was always something going on.

A memorable fortnight in the the summer of 1976 in charge of putting barbed wire on poles stuck in old fire section foam containers started the rot . . .

I loved the flying TS etc, I hated Orderly Sergeants and sgt's gate guards, I tolerated Orderly Officer because I could go to bed!

We don't use real names in here without permission.

QRA allowed me to go with the crew-coach driver to go find the first grey and green Herk (305) which was locked up in a B line hangar.

Being searched by my 3 year old because she knew I'd been flying - so I MUST have chocolate in my flying suit! I didn't dare eat that!

Visits from . .

The memories flow. On balance, a sad day if and when it happens.

I hope they do something nice with the land if it does close.

Belvedere was a helicopter re-basing stream. Now that it's been canx everyone is talking of Lyneham's demise - Belvedere cancellation leads to other options for the base being considered; kinda clears the way for the Army to take the place over; ideal place for a Joint SF air-wing or to rebase 16 AAB right next to Sailsbury Plain and Sennybridge TAs. Could even be used for troops returning from BAOR (he he)

Don't reckon she's that dead just yet - look at Innsworth - now re incarnated as HQ ARRC in a few years!

It was no surprise to me - this was announced about 5 years ago!!!:}

Rompers Green closure
 

I hope someone is going to preserve all of 'Buzz' Stoner's art work, and especially the periodical of you 'Truckees':ok:

Dengue Dude
 

'Brian Spurway, Izzy (Booker), John Seaton, Pete Tyas (RIP)'..........I was only there for 14 years but you've just re-kindled some very fond memories. Thanks!

I still think it is an utterly ridiculous decision, Lyneham is very busy as it is, and Brize is not exactly quiet. Whoever has thought this little gem up has no idea....:mad::ugh:

I wonder if the Tories got in, would they would see sense and keep it open? :suspect:....

I may be a little bit biased having been at Lyneham for 10 years now, it is a home from home and I am saddened to see the way it is going. Is it REALLY going to save that much money in the long run? I can't see it myself, perhaps if MP's stopped making false housing claims (why are they not being prosecuted for fraud?) there might be enough left in the pot to maintain the armed forces :*

Memories!!
 

Dengue Dude and Kilwhang,Brian Spermwhale, Dizzy Hooker and Pete Tightarse (RIP), the latter two very good friends, was in complete agreement with 30 Sqn Engs on the first one!! But you are right very very sad to see Lyneham close, the beauty about the place is that everyone spoke Herculese, unlike Brize which has always been a mish-mash of units, flying and non flying!!

Was this man responsible for deciding to close Lyneham?
 

Totally open source, found by google within three minutes. Make your own minds up...

Air Commodore Ian Elliott, OBE BSc FRIN RAF

I have merely provided it for your information, and presumably he wrote the piece himself.

I realize that using real names on PPrune is generally frowned upon, but as I said this is taken from a website freely available to the public, and the text was presumably written by the individual concerned. Oh, and I haven't said whether I believe closing Lyneham is actually right or wrong.

No doubt if I have crossed a line a mod will be along soon, and I apologise if my actions are considered out of order!

And a jolly nice chap he is too! I did ask him WTF he thought he was doing, planning to contaminate a fine jet AT/AAR base with slow, noisy propeller things from Wiltshire - where were they going to live and where were their squadron buildings going to be built? And where were all the extra parking spaces, now that the Ops Wg car park had turned into a car rental yard?

If you're reading this, 'Snake', hope you enjoy Washington! Fred Roggero told me that's where you'd been posted when I saw him at ARSAG.

Is it really the work of one person? - probably not.
 

No bias toward BZN at all then? best Station of the year award? are we McDonald's now; shall we have Stn Cdr of the month award too? :)

You can build all the pan space you could possibly need. But the fact remains a single runway with mulitple transport aircraft waiting to disgorge their pax and freight. I just hope that the Air Cdre has sourced enough ACSSU's to load, service, fuel, cater, the list goes on to support all this AT eggs in his wonderful basket.

One runway for all that traffic....doesn't make sense at all. What with FSTA on the way in and many other things alongside that as well, I'm sure the local population around Brize are going to be chuffed to bits with the news!! I heard they might create a super helo site, combining Benson and Odiham there, but rumour control goes mad in the Forces!!

All what traffic....? How many movements a day does BZN have...?

Brize and it's locals have no idea what's coming! They're going to love all those night circuits, low level 2 ships and MCT sorties. It's bad enough having to share our GASOs with the shinies of Brize but sharing an airfield with them.... :yuk:

It's a pretty poorly thought out plan to be honest with many heads currently being stuck in much sand. Shame that the undoubtedly splendid Air Cdre won't get the chance to be the Stn Cdr of this crap when it eventually comes to fruition. :suspect:

StopStart,

very true! What a bizarre decision:

It's clearly not on a cost basis, as (if we do it properly by building houses/sqn accommodation) there will be no cost saving in my lifetime.

It's clearly not on an efficiency basis as you've mentioned. Brize is going to get heinously busy.

It's not on an local economy basis as it appears the locals at LYE and BZN haven't been consulted (schooling/local employees etc).

It's not on a manpower basis as many LYE civ contractors AND blue suiters won't be making the move (manpower savings will be over-aggressive in this case). Not sure whether they've started training/costing replacements yet.

The 2 assumptions of the closure are flawed:

1. Forecast manpower saving has already occurred.

2. A400 apparently can use the rwy at LYE with no problem with regard to field length (IF we ever see it!).

Looks like someone is too embarrassed to make the right and cheaper decision!