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Wainfleet to close?

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RichC

Wainfleet to close?

Post by RichC » Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:52 am

Just saw this:- http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/ ... night.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Does anyone know any information regarding this?

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blakey
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by blakey » Sat Oct 24, 2009 1:30 am

Would be ashame if it is Wainfleet to close, just for sentimental reasons

Spent many summer hols there watching all kinds of aircraft and fondly remember the F1-11's flying round Boston and over my school enroute to the range

Happy days :)
Lee Blake

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Richard B
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Richard B » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:33 am

Razor61 wrote:Just saw this:- http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/ ... night.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Does anyone know any information regarding this?
Just read that topic on prune and the explosions are old bombs and shells that have been dug up a lot over the last month.

Not seen anything about the range closeing, thou the mod estates are selling off land all over and those wind turbines that have been stuck up along that coast could be a factor.

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Richard B
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Richard B » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:41 am

End of an era; well not yet. For 20 years Serco Defence has managed the
Wainfleet Range on behalf of the MOD and they were to handover to Qinetiq on
4 Dec. This plan has been delayed and Serco will now continue to operate the
range at least until 31 Mar 10."

Looking at the above this will be what the rumour is about.
also i see the range is now closed to the public,?

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Gary
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Gary » Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:35 am

I can see one of the east coast ranges closing or being mothballed. There just not busy enough to maintain three.

Holbeach has only just had its first business of the day.
Donna Nook has had some Tornado's
Wainfleet are the night range today and dont open till 14.00 local :lol:
Posh are going to Wembley (albeit for a tin cup)

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by markranger » Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:13 pm

Gary wrote:I can see one of the east coast ranges closing or being mothballed. There just not busy enough to maintain three.

Holbeach has only just had its first business of the day.
Donna Nook has had some Tornado's
Wainfleet are the night range today and dont open till 14.00 local :lol:
Holbeach is tasked to train 20sqn Harriers i think.
If they go then i agree That there will be 3 very slow fireing ranges.

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RichC

Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by RichC » Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:30 pm

Madhatter wrote:Not that old chestnut Wainfleet is closing again every time the contract comes up its closing!! If it is the site will take about a 1000 years to clear all the weapons droped there Remember she was a Range before WW2 onwards. I hope Wainfleet does not close it would be a hit for Wainfleet civilian staff.
So what about Cowden Range and Rosehearty Range? Cowden is in the same area near enough and that's closed. Rosehearty is up the top of Scotland, and that's closed too.
Defence Estates have closed quite a few ranges in the past. They can still cordon the area off and keep it as a Defence Estate (it's not like they can sell it for real estate is it?)
Take a look at the Nancekuke Chemical and Biological weapons factory and storage area under the coastal footpath in Cornwall... (where Portreath CRP is now).
They buried loads of it and the mines open up from time to time. However it's still safe enough to walk around.

Go to areas around SPTA, Dartmoor, Lulworth and other inland ranges and there are signs everywhere warning of unexploded ordnance littering the area and not to pick up anything yet you are allowed to walk all over the place (especially on Dartmoor at weekends and Lulworth).
There has been a few accidents on Dartmoor with artillery shells exploding but it still hasn't impacted the ramblers and family walks over the live artillery range when the flags are down.



If a range isn't being used, they might as well close it.
Why have three ranges in close proximity together when they could have two or one... and make it busier.

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Richard B
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Richard B » Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:00 pm

The National trust as a massive bag of cash for Mod land when it becomes up for grabs.
they have a policy to gain as much coastal land as possible.

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Richard B » Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:31 am

Commander Defence Training Estates has taken the decision to close RAF Wainfleet Air Weapons Range from 3 Dec 09 to meet savings targets imposed by the MOD. The last flying day at RAF Wainfleet will be 2 Dec 09. This brings to a close 71 years of operations as an RAF Air Weapons Range.

The programme for November will see Wainfleet going out with a bang not
a whimper, provided of course that squadrons honour their bookings.
Bookings promise one of the fullest programmes for many months with F15
from both the 492nd and 494th, GR4 Tornados from Marham, Harriers from
1,4 and 20 Sqns and the Naval Strike Wing, and of course the Fast-Jet
Trials Sqn. We also expect cabin gun-firing on 10 days.

There will be a Tornado Bombing Competition on 12 Nov between IX Sqn
and 617 Sqn and we expect a large number of visitors from former members
of the Squadrons including a number of ex-wartime aircrew.

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by spotter2 » Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:36 pm

Not sure they have really thought this one out. Only Wainfleet does night bombing during the summer, only Wainfleet has enough clearance for Typhoon straffing and for direct heavy weight bombing.

Still this is a monetry issue, they may think they can save money by closing Wainfleet but I bet it will cost them lot more in the long run. I understand Cowden is still being cleared and they closed ten years ago.

When Iraq and Afganistan come to an end, will Holbeach be able to cope with the extra traffic, Donna is usually block booked by Air Warfare.

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Lowfly11 » Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:31 pm

There was a news item on Look North (local news programme),at Lunchtime today,they were talking to a representative from Centrica power company,about a large wind-farm in the Wash.

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by spotter2 » Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:40 pm

Just seen the latest TV news on Look North, Centrica have just announced the building of another large wind farm just off Skegness, so maybe that's the real reason. There is going to be plenty of room along the Wash and no one around here to bother, apparently they can only connect into the National Grid at Boston so they are going in the right direction.

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Bolar » Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:49 pm

Centrica have cables coming in at Winthorpe 2 miles North of Skegness and the location of the Tubines is 5 miles out of Skegness and should not impact the wash area
Believe there are no limits but the sky.

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Richard B
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Richard B » Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:47 pm

Centrica are also selling the 1st part of there wind farm allready off the coast.
so it looks like money is talking in this closeure.
the current blot of wind turbines off the coast that can supply 65% of power for Lincolnshire will be sold off .
would at a guess say the Wainfleet range will be faze 2 and 3 of the project,

As with most of this kind of project the folk of Lincon will gain nothing from this but higher Electric bills.
when in all truth there electric should be free.I think not.

Sad to see Wainfllet close i have many fond memories of the range over the years.
Used to take some very nice Northen birds up there at night in my then new RS2000 in the early 80s for a kiss and a cuddle or two :Wow: :Wow: :Wow: :Wow: :Wow: :D :D :D :thumbs: :clap: :pop:

RichC

Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by RichC » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:24 am

spotter2 wrote:Not sure they have really thought this one out. Only Wainfleet does night bombing during the summer, only Wainfleet has enough clearance for Typhoon straffing and for direct heavy weight bombing.

Still this is a monetry issue, they may think they can save money by closing Wainfleet but I bet it will cost them lot more in the long run. I understand Cowden is still being cleared and they closed ten years ago.

When Iraq and Afganistan come to an end, will Holbeach be able to cope with the extra traffic, Donna is usually block booked by Air Warfare.
Think you guys are thinking only the Wash ranges exist and no other range does.
Do you actually know that there is an inland range (the largest in the UK) that deals with 'live' 1000Ib bombs being dropped, A-10 30mm live strafing and so on?
Salisbury Plain had two weeks of A-10s doing live 30mm strafing at tank hulks during a large exercise a year or so ago and each year they have firepower demos whereby 1000Ib live ordnance is dropped aswell as live CRV7 rocket firing.

They don't need to use Garvie Island for live stuff, they have SPTA if needed.... afterall they do fire live 155mm arty rounds all darn day there too...

So if the wash ranges close, they still have elsewhere to practice the large stuff. (Garvie and SPTA (if needed)

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by tornadopaul41 » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:14 pm

wel im gutted this is very bad news i've spent many a happy day down there over 15 years at both towers watching the f15's tornado's harriers A10'S b2's and b52's and all the choppers firing there guns ast target 4 as i live just 7 m away and watch the F15's and jets go down wind past me the best day i had was being at wainfleet when a euro did it's first uk straifing and i was the only guy there to see it i still have it on video i'm gonna miss raf wainfleet thanks for many happy years there .

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Ghastly Whisper » Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:57 pm

My best ever day was when a B-1B wanted to do a flyby of the tower and got it completely wrong......very low and very fast over the car park...superb :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

:( :( :( :( it will be a very sad day to see the place close....but it will be interesting to watch the place being cleared the amount of stuff that hasnt gone bang must be astranomical.....sid dennis will have a field day ;)
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Blackcat1 » Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:40 pm

Sad to hear Wainfleet is closing, visited twice, the first time it was shrouded in mist but second time i was lucky to see Jaguars use it, i remember it well, Boxer 1-4 spent a good 20 minutes on the range. Oh well maybe the front line squadrons can use Pembrey more often? ideal to carry out FRA's on their low fly sorties around Wales and the west country me thinks?
Gareth

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Gary
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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by Gary » Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:18 am

Gotta love how the sun are reporting the story of Wainfleet closure The Sun website
Posh are going to Wembley (albeit for a tin cup)

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Re: Wainfleet to close?

Post by RichBro » Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:48 am

Understand 1X squadron will be "performing" on the 2nd. December.
Richard

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