What to do with an abandoned 10.000ft runway?!
 

Having a "Men behaving badly" discussion with a mate of mine last week, the subject being; "What to do with an abandoned 10.000ft runway?!", I came up with Campbeltown/Machrihanish. My mate says the USAF still operate the place but I was convinced that they totally pulled out at the end of 1998.

So my question really is; "What is the situation there at the moment and what lies in the future for a 10.000ft runway in the middle of nowhere?!"

Men behaving like stupid little children more like. CAL airport is now run by HIAL. There are regular charter flights due to the world class links golf course which is on final approach to runway 11. Falcons are often on the apron, spewing out funny fat blokes in horrendous tartan trousers...

Loganair run a twice daily DHC6 rotation to GLA. There are many air ambulance movements due to the long distance by road to Glasgow, 20 mins by air.

Future is bright for CAL.

Isnt that the place where the USA are flying the Aurora into now and agian, allegedley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

simfly, the yanks did indeed use RAF Machrihanish for a variety of covert black operations in the 70's/80's, indeed part of the airfield is still owned by the US Navy Seals, who sometimes visit in the dead of night in C130's with no lights!

Its fairly common knowledge that the Stealth aircraft visited MAC at times during its development, as for Aurora, who knows!

Lennox Sebe, former Head of the now defunct Ciskei caused Bisho Airport (now called Bulembu Airport) to be built some years ago. Dunno how long the main runway is but it was designed for fully loaded 747s. Only ever had a couple of multi-engines land there (they never left). Runway and airport currently non-functional though it seems that there are now noises about doing something with it.

I've flown in a few times for a game of golf at the aforementioned Machrihanish - excellent golf course.

------------------
There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no Old Bold Pilots

Surely a good place for some enterprising ex-mil instructor to set up a school for all those JP, Hunter, Vampire, L39 civvie jet jocks who need a lot of sky and runway to hone their skills.

------------------
Today is a good day for vanity and chasing after the wind.

Dunno about the runway at Kai Tak, but the terminal's been turned into a go kart track!

There's a huge 500 bay golf driving range at Kai Tak. Don't know whether its on the runway or apron area though.

Thats one hell of a water hazard!!!

The answer to the original question is open it up to Ryanair and let them call it Glasgow

------------------
-------------------------
You fly em we'll fill em!

I did my initial multi training at MAC. A very interesting place with the feeling that you had arrived late and everybody else had only just gone home but would be back tomorrow. Strange. On the topic of large disused runways, does anyone know what is planned for Upper Heyford? I believe it is in use as a large carpark at the moment.

Dunno about the plans for Heyford - I get to see it from about FL200 every other day or so, but it seems to figure in an awful lot of motoring magazines - see this month's "Evo"