Longest runway in the UK?
Alba Gu Brath
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Ah, good old RAF Thurleigh. Was once a contender for London's 4th aiport, till lil ole Stansted came along. Believed to have been the station that Glenn Miller took off from on his final, fatal mission, although that fact is open for some debate.
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What about that very shady place between Aberdeen and Dundee - roughly inland from Montrose if memory serves - was/is it called RAF Edsel?
Stories of bat winged night arrivals rife there in the early '80s well before bat winged things admitted to.
Runway is huge, I've seen it from the air, but like the elephant's cage at RAF Chicksands appears on no map that I've ever seen.
Anyone know about this?
Stories of bat winged night arrivals rife there in the early '80s well before bat winged things admitted to.
Runway is huge, I've seen it from the air, but like the elephant's cage at RAF Chicksands appears on no map that I've ever seen.
Anyone know about this?
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thanks spekesoftly - it's good to know that my old imc instructor wasn't lying all those years ago - he was just exagerating a bit when it came to the exact length of the bedford runway - it wasn't really second only to heathrow
by the way speedbird 2946, how come you are so on the case re runway lengths ?
by the way speedbird 2946, how come you are so on the case re runway lengths ?
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45 mins SE of my humble abode is Castle AFB. (California). Old B52 base. Great museum too.
Non-towered, with 11,000+ feet of runway. Plenty of fun for us chaps in little bug smashers.
Seem to remember getting 7 takeoffs and landings in a 152 one calm day! With full flaps and a headwind, just might be able to land the thing in the width of the rwy.
Does make one feel slightly small and insignificant though.....
In the plane that is.
Non-towered, with 11,000+ feet of runway. Plenty of fun for us chaps in little bug smashers.
Seem to remember getting 7 takeoffs and landings in a 152 one calm day! With full flaps and a headwind, just might be able to land the thing in the width of the rwy.
Does make one feel slightly small and insignificant though.....
In the plane that is.
Bruntingthorpe's longest Runway was 10,200ft, when it was built in the late '50s, to accommodate USAF B-47s and RB-66Bs.
According to an earlier post on this thread, the runway is now a little shorter.
According to an earlier post on this thread, the runway is now a little shorter.
Last edited by spekesoftly; 15th Aug 2002 at 20:13.
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I'm amazed at the lengths UK runways have apparently reached in rumour and legend!
As Speedbird 2946 says, the longest runway now or ever in UK is London Heathrow's 27R. Bedford was the longest 'military' (OK, RAe) airfield. Speedbird's figures are correct. There has never been a runway of 14000ft in UK! The large number of runways extended in the 1950s as part of the USAF Korean War/Cold War military build up were nearly all taken out to figures between 9000ft and 10000ft. Finningley was just under 9000, Elvington was 9800. It was, I believe, restored to its full length when the RAF resurfaced the airfield in 1989/90. Sculthorpe was unusual in that its extension to 9000ft (not 14000) came between 1944 and 48.
Manston, along with Woodbridge in Suffolk and Carnaby in East Yorkshire, was reconstructed in 1943 to have a single runway of 9000ft by 750ft width (not 300) expressly for emergency landings by returning heavy bombers. If you look closely now, you'll see that the northern parallel taxiway sits on the same hard surface as the currently marked 200ft wide runway. The old runway forms the foundation for both.
St Mawgan (the eastern extension and replacement for Trebelzue airfield) is 9000ft by 300ft; I believe this is the widest runway in current use in the UK.
RAF Macrihanish (now known as Campletown) is 10000ft by 150ft, as reconstructed in 1960-62.
I believe the longest runway never used in the UK was at RAF Chelveston, in Northamptonshire (now the site of a radio relay station). Chelveston was extended to somewhere around 3600m (10800ft) in the 1950s, but no aircraft ever used it (although there are rumours of one crash landing). The runway was broken up in 1977.
As Speedbird 2946 says, the longest runway now or ever in UK is London Heathrow's 27R. Bedford was the longest 'military' (OK, RAe) airfield. Speedbird's figures are correct. There has never been a runway of 14000ft in UK! The large number of runways extended in the 1950s as part of the USAF Korean War/Cold War military build up were nearly all taken out to figures between 9000ft and 10000ft. Finningley was just under 9000, Elvington was 9800. It was, I believe, restored to its full length when the RAF resurfaced the airfield in 1989/90. Sculthorpe was unusual in that its extension to 9000ft (not 14000) came between 1944 and 48.
Manston, along with Woodbridge in Suffolk and Carnaby in East Yorkshire, was reconstructed in 1943 to have a single runway of 9000ft by 750ft width (not 300) expressly for emergency landings by returning heavy bombers. If you look closely now, you'll see that the northern parallel taxiway sits on the same hard surface as the currently marked 200ft wide runway. The old runway forms the foundation for both.
St Mawgan (the eastern extension and replacement for Trebelzue airfield) is 9000ft by 300ft; I believe this is the widest runway in current use in the UK.
RAF Macrihanish (now known as Campletown) is 10000ft by 150ft, as reconstructed in 1960-62.
I believe the longest runway never used in the UK was at RAF Chelveston, in Northamptonshire (now the site of a radio relay station). Chelveston was extended to somewhere around 3600m (10800ft) in the 1950s, but no aircraft ever used it (although there are rumours of one crash landing). The runway was broken up in 1977.
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Sorry to quibble with your findings Scroggs, but several sites, including Yorkshire Air Museum's own site, have Elvington at 1.92 miles, which is a little over 10,100 feet.
This figure is also quoted on Maurice Greenaway's aviation site, but then the same page also mentions a length of 3,018 meters, which is about 9,900 feet.
Keith Lindsay has some useful info on his site, for current airfields:
http://www.lindsay.flyer.co.uk/airfield.htm
just select the country from left margin.
Some of the longest runways in the world are in South America. La Paz boasts a runway of just over 13,100 feet(c4000m). The local joke is that the runway length is the same as the altitude!
Embraer have just completed a runway of length 16,404feet(5,000m) at their facility at Gaviao Peixoto.
This figure is also quoted on Maurice Greenaway's aviation site, but then the same page also mentions a length of 3,018 meters, which is about 9,900 feet.
Keith Lindsay has some useful info on his site, for current airfields:
http://www.lindsay.flyer.co.uk/airfield.htm
just select the country from left margin.
Some of the longest runways in the world are in South America. La Paz boasts a runway of just over 13,100 feet(c4000m). The local joke is that the runway length is the same as the altitude!
Embraer have just completed a runway of length 16,404feet(5,000m) at their facility at Gaviao Peixoto.
Last edited by newswatcher; 16th Aug 2002 at 10:28.
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sculthorpe
there was a caution put in the remarks for sculthorpe in the raf bina. this said pilots were to exercise caution when landing because of the runway length you could get optical illusions. someone mentioned having a bina from the 80's. what does it give as sculthorpes runway length?
Sculthorpe - 24/06 - 9,009ft/2,746m
'Caution. Optical illusion on final approach caused by concrete and asphalt runway,may cause unduly long landings.'
I read that to mean that the contrasting (light/dark) runway surface caused the optical illusion, not the runway length itself.
'Caution. Optical illusion on final approach caused by concrete and asphalt runway,may cause unduly long landings.'
I read that to mean that the contrasting (light/dark) runway surface caused the optical illusion, not the runway length itself.
Last edited by spekesoftly; 17th Aug 2002 at 00:03.
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Some interesting 'maximum' lengths of runway in the UK, how about this one in the Maldives it was three miles long in 1960, unfortunately the island is only 1.25 miles long, the pilot 'landed' his Hastings in the sea as many eye witnesses have recorded that there was a refraction of the runway at sea!
Read about it on
http://splashdown2.tripod.com
and for photos:
http://community.webshots.com/user/hastingsgan
Read about it on
http://splashdown2.tripod.com
and for photos:
http://community.webshots.com/user/hastingsgan
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My own memory of Gan is that the runway was about 7000ft long, and it certainly fitted within the physical boundaries of the island! The relatively short runway was a bit limiting for many of the types that staged through in the 1970s, prior to its closure in 1976.
As for Elvington, I don't have an RAF BINA from before it closed (93), which would show the accurate ASDA - i.e. the length of concrete including stopways - but the documentation I do have shows 9800ft. While some may measure runways in statute miles, the RAF never has. I did much of my own early Jet Provost T3A flying from Elvington. The facilities there at the time were extremely sparse!
As for Elvington, I don't have an RAF BINA from before it closed (93), which would show the accurate ASDA - i.e. the length of concrete including stopways - but the documentation I do have shows 9800ft. While some may measure runways in statute miles, the RAF never has. I did much of my own early Jet Provost T3A flying from Elvington. The facilities there at the time were extremely sparse!
I see Scroggs getting a little aroused here and no wonder. The en-route supps have it well documented from accurate surveys etc. Folklore seems to have got the better of some of the others.
Another interesting point is the lose use of the term 'miles'. In flying speak - certainly at the professional level, we mean nautical miles (6080 feet) rather than road type statute miles (5280 feet). So its not surprising that distances can become rather arbitrary.
Scroggs' 9,800 ft at Elvington, for instance, could become 1.86 statute miles which, if taken as NMs would be 11,308 ft .... etc.
Whoops, putting coloured pens down now - sorry.
Another interesting point is the lose use of the term 'miles'. In flying speak - certainly at the professional level, we mean nautical miles (6080 feet) rather than road type statute miles (5280 feet). So its not surprising that distances can become rather arbitrary.
Scroggs' 9,800 ft at Elvington, for instance, could become 1.86 statute miles which, if taken as NMs would be 11,308 ft .... etc.
Whoops, putting coloured pens down now - sorry.
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spekesoftly Thanks for that. Unfortunately, it doesn't help a lot because in those days the RAF maintained only a 6000ft portion of the runway, roughly centrally within the overall length. The ASDAs quoted in 1983 would be from the displaced thresholds. I think that the resurfacing in 1989 restored the usable runway to its full length, but perhaps someone else can confirm that. I have airborne photographs (taken by me!) of the of the runway being worked on in 1989, but it's not clear whether the whole length was involved. I'll stick with 9800ft until someone can authoritatively show otherwise!
PS, measurement of the 1987 OS 50 thou shows the runway to be 3000m, near enough, which is close enough to 9800ft for me!
PS, measurement of the 1987 OS 50 thou shows the runway to be 3000m, near enough, which is close enough to 9800ft for me!
Last edited by scroggs; 26th Aug 2002 at 10:21.
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Edwards AFB is supposedly 8 miles long, I think that wins.. in the USA, as mentioned, and its in the guiness book of records as well.
In the UK its obviously at LHR, in fact not many long runways in the UK really. MAN's new runway is a reasonable length too.
In the UK its obviously at LHR, in fact not many long runways in the UK really. MAN's new runway is a reasonable length too.
scroggs - sorry the 'BINA' info wasn't more helpful. Having also flown circuits at 'Elvers' in a JP (Mk3 in my day 
) - I've no reason to doubt the original runway length that you mention. Interesting to learn that the 1989 resurfacing may have been done 'full length', and I'm intrigued by the thinking behind that decision, especially with imminent RAF withdrawal pending!! (par for the course, do I hear you say!!).
In an earlier post, you mention that the original Runway width at some (FIDO equipped?) RAF Airfields, such as Manston, was 750ft, and not 300ft. Does the figure of 750ft (five times wider than most runways!) refer to the actual width of the usable concrete/asphalt surface, or could it in fact have been the distance between the FIDO equipment, running parallel to each side of the runway?
) - I've no reason to doubt the original runway length that you mention. Interesting to learn that the 1989 resurfacing may have been done 'full length', and I'm intrigued by the thinking behind that decision, especially with imminent RAF withdrawal pending!! (par for the course, do I hear you say!!).In an earlier post, you mention that the original Runway width at some (FIDO equipped?) RAF Airfields, such as Manston, was 750ft, and not 300ft. Does the figure of 750ft (five times wider
than most runways!) refer to the actual width of the usable concrete/asphalt surface, or could it in fact have been the distance between the FIDO equipment, running parallel to each side of the runway?
Last edited by spekesoftly; 28th Aug 2002 at 12:48.
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SORRY
As I have posted before on similar threads
The two longest runways in the UK are Liverpool Bay, and The Solent. Jet Fighters and "rather" Large Transports spring to mind
We aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy
As I have posted before on similar threads
The two longest runways in the UK are Liverpool Bay, and The Solent. Jet Fighters and "rather" Large Transports spring to mind
We aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy
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Agaricus bisporus ,
Looks like Edzell is on the map, and runway lengths about a mile long. Wouldn't expect any shady flying there, as the locals would have noticed!
Map of Edzell airfield
See also Info under 'Forfar'
Looks like Edzell is on the map, and runway lengths about a mile long. Wouldn't expect any shady flying there, as the locals would have noticed!
Map of Edzell airfield
See also Info under 'Forfar'