'RAF' Finningley - rumour
 

I heard a funny rumour today. If Linton closes then the UAS/AEF might move into 'RAF' Finningley (ok, Doncaster/Robin Hood London Yorkshire International, whatever!). Also, that the UAS/AEF at Colerne might move to Exeter?

Anyone else heard that rumour? Any idea of timescales?

Do I need to advance book my taxi back from the Doncaster Royal Infirmary after first night madness in Camelots! :ok:

iRaven

Isn't the Glasgow UAS at Glasgow airport? Makes sense to move from Linton to Robin Hood I guess.

Bristol University Air Squadron at Exeter? Wouldn't that just be silly?

YUAS would be going home if they did move to Finningley, but if Linton should close would it not be an awful lot cheaper to move to Topcliffe, an existing MOD site?

Why would they want to close Linton? Oh, I forgot, it's a proper RAF station which people want to serve at, foolish question......

Good luck to Ascent trying to recruit QFIs for the T6 at Valley on below market (pension adjusted) salaries!

London UAS at Wittering?

We'll sort of, YUAS having formed at RAF Church Fe............ Erm Leeds East Airport. If Linton closes then surely a move back to LEA would be much more sensible? Only problem being that YUAS' THQ (the old SHQ) is now the LEA HQ.

Ken Scott,

Good point well made, but if I had to choose between driving from London to Wittering (80 miles up the A1) or from Bristol area to Exeter, I know which I'd prefer.

If BUAS go to Exeter I'll have to dust off my AEF Tutor rating....

pr00ne:

As students are unlikely to have cars the provision of rail services are probably more pertinent.

I have to agree with your basic sentiment though, that establishing UASs miles from their catchment universities is rather silly.

True but hardly a new phenomena. UBAS was always a bit of a schlep from Birmingham to Cosford. And Woodvale isn't exactly convenient for Manchester and Salford. It's almost like its part of the joining procedure to test your sense of humour and staying power!

Don't forget, there is also a very large university at Exeter......

And even more of a schlep when UBAS was at Shawbury. ;)

You should try the trip from North Wales - eg Bangor - to Saints!!:{

ATC,

Shhhh! You'll alert the fun detectors.;)

ATC Woodvale also has a VGS (in theory :rolleyes:) and an Auxie Sqn and a cadet HQ and a Cadet Sqn .......

....... probably some other stuff too - used to have a Police helo but I think that's gone now......

ATC;

Woodvale is one of the few places on the west coast of the UK that has an RAF presence. It is next to Altcar training area, the Marines were flying night ex's there not long ago. Chinooks have been known to slip in over the fence crossing the railway from the sea. Quiet transit route from NI. In house Auxiliary squadron re-inforcing an RAF presence. Handy for Morecambe Bay gas rigs.

Liverpool, too small and constrained by the location.
Woodford, just about to become a housing estate
Sealand, civil industrial estate
Waton and Salmebury, VGS moved to Woodvale when security was raised.

Certainly is, and a very good one too.

TTN, BA (Exon) ;)

Liverpool is constrained by the river around two sides and housing and a Tudor hall on the other sides so expansion is not possible. Think somewhere like Waddington, which is a long thin airfield site.

BAe is very sensitive about who it now lets onto its airfield.

I've known 'people' use Woodvale and Warton would charge an arm and a leg open out of hours, Blackpool would have been better but that looks as if it's closing slowly.

Could Bristol UAS not move to -ahem- Bristol Airport? Or even RNAS Yeovilton?

Oh, sorry, common sense kicking in. Silly me.

When the Tutor replaced the Bulldog across the UAS/AEF units, a single national contract was placed for the supply and engineering support of the fleet. That had some expensive consequences, as the owners of several sites refused to let the new contractor onto their airfields. Thus, Cambridge UAS & 5 AEF had to leave Marshalls and move to the specially re-opened Wyton, Bristol UAS & 3 AEF had to leave Filton and move to Colerne - where the airfield was re-opened for them, and a hangar cleared of asbestos at enormous cost. There may have been others.

Glasgow - I've had no recent contact, but when I was airline flying out of there in the 90s the UAS could fly only dual sorties because of the intensity of airline traffic. Central Scotland has few airfields; how they did solo, I don't know. I doubt it has changed.