Call to save military airfields from closure

[Vulcanone]

C24

From memory Wittering was a Fighter Command airfield during the Battle of Britain. Collyweston actually had a far more interesting use during WW2, namely It was the home for the 1426 (Captured Enemy Aircraft) Flight.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

Currently being used due to the cost of returning the airfield to fields suitable for agriculture.

Nothing to do with any of the other activities on station.

[Andy_99]

Yes we need to rationalize the defence infrastructure but..... What if the Russian Bear continues to stir, if we've sold off all our Airfields but the absolute minimum how could we ever expand our Airforce to counter the threat. Or the same applies if the USA needs to expand it's operations.

[Agent K]

At least some of the airfields could be kept for civilian use and supported, the world does not rotate around Heathrow.
JJ

How do we do that? in the market economy airlines will go to where the market is. Sadly no way could a whole load of "regional airports" such as London Mildenhall, Edinburgh Leuchars etc. etc. sustain any form of competitive traffic.

[Andy_99]

At least some of the airfields could be kept for civilian use and supported, the world does not rotate around Heathrow.
JJ

How do we do that? in the market economy airlines will go to where the market is. Sadly no way could a whole load of "regional airports" such as London Mildenhall, Edinburgh Leuchars etc. etc. sustain any form of competitive traffic.

Not to mention the NIMBYS who'll complain about the handful of flights per day disturbing the peace & tranquility despite the fact the site used to be an active military airfield.

[Agent K]

I'd dearly love to see these airfields kept open, I see them as important as castles from previous centuries, they are indeed castles of the 20th century. But with the lack of use and lack of volumes of traffic (bar perhaps one or two unique examples kept for use by civilians and military such as NQY) then it just isn't sustainable or affordable.

[Sparts99]

Agree with Agent K. I think there was a plan floated to keep Alconbury going as a hub for long distance international flights as it had the runway length and road and nearby rail links could easily be upgraded to relieve pressure on London. I always thought Manston should've been kept as a freight hub, close to the channel tunnel, high speed trains to London and the motorway network. It could've taken lots of freight out of Heathrow and Gatwick, Luton etc although I'm not sure how much freight goes through the London airports now. Local people wanted it kept open and not turned into a housing estate.

[Tally-ho]

Reality can sometimes get lost in fog.

@Junkjet
"We were caught short with ww2 ..."
The politicians and Neville Chamberlain specifically, were caught short, but the RAF was not caught short because of too few airfields. To compare a 1940's airplane, where one on one engagements were the norm, to the 21st Century where one airplane can track and engage multiple targets, are apples and oranges.

Saving unused former airfields and dreaming about keeping underused airfields open based on sentimentality, is ignoring the elephant in the room which will soon trash the building. That elephant is called 'Housing' and that elephant is in our midst, together with other members of the herd called 'NHS' and 'Social Care' and 'Crumbling Roads'.

Remove the fences and dig up the runways, this is no time for day-dreaming.

[pg1610]

At least some of the airfields could be kept for civilian use and supported, the world does not rotate around Heathrow.
JJ

How do we do that? in the market economy airlines will go to where the market is. Sadly no way could a whole load of "regional airports" such as London Mildenhall, Edinburgh Leuchars etc. etc. sustain any form of competitive traffic.

You only have to look at How Sheffield, Blackpool and Manston have failed over the years
and to be fair Humberside and Norwich only keep going becasue of Oil related traffic if these airports were viable then Easyjet/Ryanair/Wizzair etc would all be serving them

we dont need more airports especially out in the sticks, the GA argument does not wash there is more than enough capacity for flight training in this country
What is required is affordable housing, now we all know that any housing built on these sites will not be affordable to the masses but it may open up older homes in the cites as more people move out who knows but in the mean time lest get these unused RAF sites closed and sold off to save money for an already over stretched military budget (not that any money given will end up in the military coffers)
Lets see what transpires

[C24]

Evening All,

Vulcanone & ColinTC..
The BoB was over by the end of 1940. The info about the emergency landing ground development in 1941 is accurate, based upon my listening to several lectures at the base; it was also in several books about the base & from WKPDR

Emergency landing ground K3 was renamed as Collyweston Landing Ground in 1940 with the construction of some blister hangars, a perimeter track and some dispersals, although the next main fighter station further north was RAF Coleby Grange. Embry in Mission Completed states that in 1940 (the station's official history indicates that this was actually in 1941[3]), while used by 25 squadron, equipped with Beaufighter night fighters, the runway was extended from 1,400 yards to 3 miles long to reduce landing accidents at night and in bad weather. It was the longest landing strip and flarepath in England and also used by Bomber Command to land damaged aircraft. Embry believed this success led to the construction of three large airfields at coastal sites (Manston, Woodbridge and Carnaby) to land damaged aircraft of Bomber Command.

Back to agriculture costs is why is being used. Stuff has been moved there 'cos if it is costing to maintain it, get some use from it
I hope that helps
E&OE.

[ColintheCaterpillar]

It was the longest landing strip and flarepath in England and also used by Bomber Command to land damaged aircraft. Embry believed this success led to the construction of three large airfields at coastal sites (Manston, Woodbridge and Carnaby) to land damaged aircraft of Bomber Command.

And led Handley Page to conduct the initial test flights of the Hastings there too.

[Precinct7]

Agree with Agent K. I think there was a plan floated to keep Alconbury going as a hub for long distance international flights as it had the runway length and road and nearby rail links could easily be upgraded to relieve pressure on London. I always thought Manston should've been kept as a freight hub, close to the channel tunnel, high speed trains to London and the motorway network. It could've taken lots of freight out of Heathrow and Gatwick, Luton etc although I'm not sure how much freight goes through the London airports now. Local people wanted it kept open and not turned into a housing estate.

++++++++++
How much freight goes though Heathrow ? a lot ! millions of tonnes, however the majority is not carried on specialised cargo aircraft
but on passenger flights you can get a lot of freight on a wide bodied aircraft,
statistics :
Around 95% of air-freight carried through Heathrow travels in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft;
86% of UK belly-hold air freight passes through Heathrow;

a cargo only airport e.g. Manston would not work, unless used by a major outfit like DHL,UPS, FedEx but there
already have establish hubs both in the UK & Europe, Manston might be close to Europe but its a long way from the industrial hubs
in the Midlands etc . Alconbury would have been in a better position and was a candidate with one major outfit a few years back

[Vulcanone]

C24

I know what they did after the BoB, I was merely pointing out its other uses pre1941. And as ColintheCaterpillar pointed out HP used it for the Hastings first flight.

Its in my book

[C24]

Thanks for that Vone

Can you supply the title/ISBN, I will try to find a copy. Always happy to read about local history. Please PM

[andrewn]

Always fascinates me in these debates on an AVIATION forum, how many people are only too happy to see airfields turned over to the greedy developers!

Not all can be saved I agree, but we should preserve what we can of our heritage and culture, and not simply cave in to the housing lobby.

Just my opinion.

[jem60]

Yes, but you have contradicted yourself. Save what we can, but if it's not really worth saving, then other use must be made of it. I presume you have your own house, as many of us do, but we must have some sympathy with people who are not able to achieve this, partly because it's the usual nimbyism from those that would save an old, decaying airfield that is no use to anyone. Yes, I do appreciate our heritage etc., but the world changes, and we must move on. Houses cost money, developers need to make money in order to build them. No developers, no new houses. First rule of business is to make money, thereby creating jobs etc. Not necessarily greedy to make a profit.!!.

[britaylor]

Has any airfield been used for housing if so how much was it to revert it to housing due to soil combination / removing of runways hardstands etc and knocking down of shelters most are used as storage of cars ie Heyford Alonbury or factory units

[jem60]

West Malling for one.

[Sparts99]

Yes West Malling, just up the road from me. Locals with big voices didn't like it, thought it was a nuisance. It was under used and with Biggin Hill and Headcorn as established GA airfields nearby it's only hope was some kind of commercial aviation use. Metair were there, used a hangar as a spray shop and I believe they refurbished and re-fitted biz jets for the very wealthy so movements were very few and far between. It was developed into Kings Hill, locals went mad during the construction complaining about the traffic increase. The place is utterly soulless, no community at all, but no doubt made a lot of money for the developers. I was there the other week, had a coffee in the old control tower where at least there's a decent acknowledgement to its past with a giant picture of the FW-190 that landed there in error. The old officers mess is still in the basement of Douce's Manor but the lease runs out in a few years so it might not survive, from The Malling Society website http://www.themallingsociety.org.uk/

The Twitch Heritage Centre, Douce’s Manor, St. Leonard’s Street, will be open from Noon to 4pm (last admission 3.30pm) on Sunday 22nd April, Sunday 27th May, Sunday 24th June, Sunday 22nd July, Saturday/Sunday 8th – 9th September (Heritage Open Days) and Sunday 11th November 2018 (Remembrance Sunday).

Sorry, thread drift.

[Andy_99]

Whilst I agree there are housing shortages & the easy way to fix some of them would be to develop former airfields/bases it's not in my eye's the correct solution for all of them.
Those who have already lost runways & infrastructure no real reason not to provided that the infrastructure is put into place to support the traffic from the homes.

Those with serviceable Runways & Infrastructure should be retained where possible. Putting all eggs into one basket springs to mind, also spreading the activities amongst bases is less likely to annoy the NIMBY's.