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Should have kept Lyneham Open

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Should have kept Lyneham Open

Old 20th Jul 2021, 20:18
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Should have kept Lyneham Open

https://www.forces.net/news/raf-briz...closed-repairs
Brize Closed as runway appears to have melted, 1 Voyager at Mildenhall.
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Old 20th Jul 2021, 21:03
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1 of the White Tails and 1 Voyager at EGNX

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Old 20th Jul 2021, 23:54
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ZH871 Hercules C.4 calling RRR5711 diverted to Northolt, arriving there at 22:33 on the 19th from Nice. As of the evening of the 20th, this C-130 remains at Northolt.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 01:48
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Wrong type of warm weather for the tar - a bit like British Rail "wrong type of snow" in 1991 !
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 04:01
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Originally Posted by KPax
https://www.forces.net/news/raf-briz...closed-repairs
Brize Closed as runway appears to have melted, 1 Voyager at Mildenhall.

Ever heard of concrete? Works wonders in hot and cold climes....
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 06:49
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Maybe use Fairford as happened in 1974 and again since then.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 07:30
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Lyneham is of course still open, although a Voyager landing there might have given a bit of a shock to the REME trainees busy practising recovering tanks on the runway!
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 08:46
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Originally Posted by KPax
https://www.forces.net/news/raf-briz...closed-repairs
Brize Closed as runway appears to have melted, 1 Voyager at Mildenhall.
Yep as I was there yesterday




cheers
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 10:14
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  • Brize Norton, Home of the RAF Strategic Airlift Fleet
  • Brize Norton, Home of the RAF Tactical Airlift Fleet
  • Brize Norton, Home of the RAF Air to Air Refuelling Fleet
  • Brize Norton,1 single runway.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 11:17
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A stupid situation isn't it... and the fact they are having to shove them into civilian airports just makes the whole of it even more farcical, to not have the capability to move the fleet elsewhere is ludicrous. Take out the Brize runway and they are screwed.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 11:42
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If only someone had told them that putting all the AT assets into a station with only one runway could cause problems. We are all culpable for not doing so.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 11:49
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History Never Repeats

I vaguely recall a couple of Hercs visiting Brize to 'dry run' the concept, just before the closure of Lyneham. Of course, one landed Gear Up on the runway, and stopped

Base Commander bragged that the runway was still used, as a C-17 flew off the remaining length. Where to? To Lyneham, to fill up with fuel and cargo before continuing onwards.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 11:59
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On the positive side, handy to know that a request to transit the Brize zone is unlikely to be refused at the moment...
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 12:04
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Red face

Originally Posted by Stratnumberone
If only someone had told them that putting all the AT assets into a station with only one runway could cause problems. We are all culpable for not doing so.
It wasn’t too difficult to foresee! I'm sure the issue was discussed when RAFLyneham was withdrawn from use.I don’t really see the point. Seeing as Lyneham is still an MOD establishment, just occupied by the Army now. So what was actually saved. An embarrassingly strange decision that creates operational risks and lack of flexibility.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 12:14
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Originally Posted by pasta
On the positive side, handy to know that a request to transit the Brize zone is unlikely to be refused at the moment...
Yup, seems like a few have cottoned on to this and are making use of the short-cut.

I know its hot but its been hotter over the past few years, so why this problem now? Didn't they do some work to the runway recently?
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 14:11
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Anyone trying to land at Lyneham now is in for a rude awakening !! Runway has many "buildings" on it, and the grass to the North and West of the runway has all been replaced by solar panels !!
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 14:13
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Apart from the diverted aircraft,how many others are actually stuck at Brize until the runway reopens?
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 14:28
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If only someone had told them that putting all the AT assets into a station with only one runway could cause problems. We are all culpable for not doing so.
I believe quite a few people at Lyneham did mention it including the local Wiltshire MP. I was rather severely told off by the then Stn Cdr for not being an ‘advocate of the move’ to Brize. As a Gp Capt he was required to be one although he told a marginally different tale at his dining-out night.

The birds are coming home to roost now though.

Last edited by Ken Scott; 21st Jul 2021 at 15:12.
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 15:13
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Apologies for the slight thread drift here.
In todays Daily Telegraph is a report on a statement by ACM Sir Mike Wigston that the RAF needs to 'relearn skills not practiced for 30 years'. A new series of exercises called Exercise Agile Stance will see fighter jets dispersed to civilian airfields or even motorways to make them harder for the Red Forces to destroy. I can't wait to see them at Norwich, although don't come on Mondays as they don't allow circuit training (grass cutting in progress!)
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Old 21st Jul 2021, 15:23
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Originally Posted by Stratnumberone
If only someone had told them that putting all the AT assets into a station with only one runway could cause problems. We are all culpable for not doing so.
Yup, they could have had two molten runways instead of one! Can't beat concrete eh?
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