More bombers heading to Fairford

[Punkrunner62]

My Father has always said everyone addicted to this hobby is MAD.
Cheers.

[bizfreeq]

So they flew in all those personnel last week for nothing? Where did you pick up that particular morsel from then? Or was it plucked out of thin air just for something to say?

[TREBAX_RAVEN]

still not giving up hope though

[city42]

They will arrive this week this is all part of a rolling deployment think you will find that the B52s will be back again befor Christmas

[johnwayne]

They will arrive this week this is all part of a rolling deployment think you will find that the B52s will be back again befor Christmas

Good 'gen' mate .

[Stroudy]

The Bull Inn Hotel/pub in Fairford town was full of US service personnel last night coming and going so I imagine that's a sure fire sign activity is due.

[graham luxton]

They will arrive this week this is all part of a rolling deployment think you will find that the B52s will be back again befor Christmas

International tensions are such that we are now in a new era regarding bomber deployments to Europe - wonder if RIAT have a Plan B?

[Supra]

So they flew in all those personnel last week for nothing? Where did you pick up that particular morsel from then? Or was it plucked out of thin air just for something to say?

Probably doing the xmas runs from there hence the personnel.

C.

Clearly inhaling too much of the local mind-altering Pixie-Dust?
Meanwhile, in the real World....

[Spitfire88]

Yes having spoken to an awful lot of USAF personal it seems they have no plans on leaving Fairford for a while so much so that a lot of guys that have been posted to Fairford all have their own cars with them and some even have there family's with them, I'm still trying to get more info out of them.

[TREBAX_RAVEN]

so does this suggest that they may be here on a longer deployment or not?

[city42]

so does this suggest that they may be here on a longer deployment or not?

We have had them here now on and off for the last 2 month and this may continue up to Christmas

[Reach1985]

Interesting - I'm far from being a local so I have nothing to add on the 'gossip' side of things but if what people are saying is true it's certainly a fairly major change in strategy from the last few years which have seen perhaps one 'traditional' deployment in May and June then the odd B1 or B52 passing through on airshow duties. Has it not been announced that this is going to become an 'ongoing' deployment? or is that sort of the idea? That if it is a 'deployment' and not a full base 'reactivation' that it doesn't have to be announced? I imagine the people of the Cotswolds and around (who don't like noisy great bombers) are not all that pleased? Has there been anything 'official' announced or communicated to locals?

[Spitfire88]

Nothing official announced to us locals apart from the fact the base has been reactivated for the 95thRS and 488th iss and the personal build up has started towards that, from a local point of view ( and I work in the market place ) the build up of Americans is very noticeable with a lot more Americans around and a lot more American cars and an awful lot of HGV's heading to the base with APU's and such like on them. I'd also like to add that I havnt spoken to a single local who is against having the bombers here or the base reactivation as it does wonders for the local economy amongst other things.

[von_trippenhopf]

a lot of guys that have been posted to Fairford all have their own cars with them .

I don't see any American license plates around and they wouldn't have got GB plates that quick, so either they were already TDY in the UK or you've been told some porkies.

[Spitfire88]

Iv seen 4 us plates today alone.

[davegard]

The first I heard about reactivation of the base was last christmas on an annual visit to friends living in Fairford. They were certain that the Americans were coming back permanently in the next few months.
I thought they had heard about the RC135 basing rumors (at that time) and put two and two together,but it seems they knew more than I thought.

The bomber deployments have had virtually no coverage in the local press. Warning was always given of night flying (except on live ops!). But now we have had B1s shaking me out of bed in the early hours (not that I'm complaining)

It's all very strange, almost a stealth reactivation. Long may it continue!!

[von_trippenhopf]

We're they metallic blue and have "For official use only" on the plate?

[mushbuster]

Nothing official announced to us locals apart from the fact the base has been reactivated for the 95thRS and 488th iss and the personal build up has started towards that, from a local point of view ( and I work in the market place ) the build up of Americans is very noticeable with a lot more Americans around and a lot more American cars and an awful lot of HGV's heading to the base with APU's and such like on them. I'd also like to add that I havnt spoken to a single local who is against having the bombers here or the base reactivation as it does wonders for the local economy amongst other things.

Have to say as another local the only bit of this I can agree with is the USAF presence in Fairford has been greater this year. We were told the RC135s were at least 4 years away and no personnel would be arriving for that mission until 2020 at the earliest. I have seen no American cars or American registration plates except the very occasional official ones and they are rarely in town. There has been no increase in HGVs above the normal and none of the USAF ones go through the town anyway due to weight restrictions on Horcott Rd (and the impossibly tight turning off the A417). Traffic on the HGV route into the base, which I experience daily, is as normal with very occasional (maybe 2) USAF HGVs with AGE on board passing though in the last 3 months. Our neighbours have been complaining to the base about noise and smell for weeks and there is a group of them that got very irate about the late night sorties in June (time to move on is the more common private view however) . Some shop keepers seem happy for the extra trade but some complain about running out of stock and angry regular customers - they would complain whatever was or was not happening.

[wezgulf3]

I am completely behind a Fairford reactivation, but you must wonder how the locals will take it when it happens after so many years practically dormant. I’ll never understand people who complain when moving near to an Active Airfield/Airport but this one is tricky.

But on the flip side I live an hour away and I can’t wait for more movements

Wes...

[Spitfire88]

Nothing official announced to us locals apart from the fact the base has been reactivated for the 95thRS and 488th iss and the personal build up has started towards that, from a local point of view ( and I work in the market place ) the build up of Americans is very noticeable with a lot more Americans around and a lot more American cars and an awful lot of HGV's heading to the base with APU's and such like on them. I'd also like to add that I havnt spoken to a single local who is against having the bombers here or the base reactivation as it does wonders for the local economy amongst other things.

Have to say as another local the only bit of this I can agree with is the USAF presence in Fairford has been greater this year. We were told the RC135s were at least 4 years away and no personnel would be arriving for that mission until 2020 at the earliest. I have seen no American cars or American registration plates except the very occasional official ones and they are rarely in town. There has been no increase in HGVs above the normal and none of the USAF ones go through the town anyway due to weight restrictions on Horcott Rd (and the impossibly tight turning off the A417). Traffic on the HGV route into the base, which I experience daily, is as normal with very occasional (maybe 2) USAF HGVs with AGE on board passing though in the last 3 months. Our neighbours have been complaining to the base about noise and smell for weeks and there is a group of them that got very irate about the late night sorties in June (time to move on is the more common private view however) . Some shop keepers seem happy for the extra trade but some complain about running out of stock and angry regular customers - they would complain whatever was or was not happening.

First off I as I said I live and work in Fairford therefore all I have said is true, o funnily have not spoken to anybody who is against the base but however if they are please politely remind them not to buy a house next to an airfield if they don't like it and I have family members who work in both londis and coop ( wife and mother in law) and no body is moaning about the stock levels or the Americans.