RAF Machrihanish

[garyscott]

Lot of speculation about this base!
I personally know it has been used by the US Navy SEAL's, but further than that is just rumour, ironically given your screen name, a rumoured stealthy prototype - the ASTRA, has supposed to have been there a few times!?!
http://www.dreamlandresort.com/black_pr ... anish.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/ ... ion.usnews
http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Aurora
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/secre ... 72714.html
And a link to a page about the ASTRA, rumoured to have at times operated out of Macrihanish, who someone on FC had a hand in!
http://www.dreamlandresort.com/black_pr ... scombe.htm

[noelb1-b]

We use to do a lot of exercises in the area and often tied up at the refulling jetty just outside Cambeltown.Aircraft wise there use to be a lot of MC-130 flights in and out playing with the S.E.A.L.S also noted American reg Biz Jets Challenger,s were the main ones. If i remember correctly there was a large brown hangar which was off limits to just about every one hope this helps a bit

[bluemoontets]

I served there in ATC for 18 months in the early 1990's , there was all sort of rumours about the Aurora being there and all kinds of other mumbo jumbo, including an undergrounf hangar. I am afriad certainly whilst i was there thats all they were rumours. The hangar was big enough to get 2 P-3's in but it was falling into disprepair then. Yes there was a detachment of US Navy seals there, and they had some Gucci equipment.

Sorry to be a bit of letdown for you, and before anyone says but it flew under the cover of darkness etc, be rest assured we did plenty of nights being called out for Air Ambulances so we would have seen it.

Tets

[alanp]

People seem to confuse far away with clandestine. The airfield is in a valley so can be looked down into from two sides, plus the town of Campbeltown is a short distance away directly under the approach for 29. Additionally Machrihanish Golf Club is at the end of 11 and crawling with canny Scots playing for free in the dark and yet not a single piece of hard evidence has ever been forthcoming. Didn't happen.

[jakdaw]

Just off topic a little but how do you play golf in the dark, would be a brilliant spectator sport!!

[Mike]

Just off topic a little but how do you play golf in the dark, would be a brilliant spectator sport!!

You just need luminous balls.

[Fighterfoto]

alanp has it right. It would be difficult to operate out of there in secrecy as it's well overlooked. The Seals were there because of Holy Loch and the USN boomers which used to dock there. Mind you, when I visited I'm sure I saw Elvis driving an ice cream van....

[Victor5]

Don't forget that for many years Nuclear Weapons were stored here, and guarded by US Marines.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll= ... 6&t=h&z=16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There was a similar facility at RAF St Mawgan.

[BunkerAlpha]

I love this base - been there many times. Great memories from back in 05 when SOG deployed there for their ORI! Never seen Aurora or a B2 mind you but a great place. The wee roll shop in Campbeltown does great Bacon and Egg rolls too.

My last trip over was in 2009 for another SOG visit - this time a Talon doing para drops. They seemed quite surprised to see me there lol!

Some pics from a very good day out!


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr


EXCLUSIVE: US SPECIAL FORCES AT MACHRIHANISH, KINTYRE. by stealth_chaser, on Flickr

This was also the last ever roadtrip of my Rover 216 GSI - God rest her soul - before she went to a better place. A fitting end

Rover by stealth_chaser, on Flickr

Here's hoping something similar happens again - always enjoy a road trip to that neck of the woods.

[Ronald Reagan]

Lovely photos, what a nice base.

[watson]

sold for a quid

[ArabJazzie]

sold for a quid

Are you gonna expand on that as there was a darn good reason it was sold for a quid and it still has a use in aviation!
Arabest,
Geoff.

[watson]

sold to the local concil for £1.00
industrial park for the constrution of windturbines in the only hangar
runway now very short still open us gulfsream 4 left prestwick today for a golftrip

very nice for pics in its day

[Victor5]

Lovely photos Watson! Nice to see a USN P3 in the old colourful markings.