Wittering future

[hillbilly]

Hi all passed Wittering today, and made me wonder what the future has in store now the Harrier has gone, F35 OCU perhaps...

[boff180]

I believe there was a noise abatement court case where the RAF lost a few years ago relating to Wittering. IIRC, the judgement also stated that it was the courts view that Wittering was not suitable for the F-35 due to the increased noise. Perhaps someone with more information can clarify?

Edit, mentioned in this mod report http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/DB6038D8 ... annexc.pdf

Ironically, the claimants bought and moved into the property, and then tried to claim 10million in damages. The court gave them 950,000 and signed a death warrant for the jobs on base.

Andy

[ArabJazzie]

Thought there was a future as a part of the RAF supply chain for Wittering?
Arabest,
Geoff.

[Unknown74]

Hand it over to the Harrier Heritage Centre people and open at least some of it as a Visitors Centre for the Heritage Centre Area.

[ArabJazzie]

Hand it over to the Harrier Heritage Centre people and open at least some of it as a Visitors Centre for the Heritage Centre Area.

Time to move on i think! Whats done is done n all that!
Arabest,
Geoff.

[iainpeden]

This comes up sometimes; Wittering is leased from a local estate for a peppercorn rent. Under the terms of the lease, if the forces move out, the site has to be returned to its original condition.

Therefore, economically, its not worth the MOD closing the base.

[Arthur Tee]

Think you'll find the Tutors moving in from Wyton are the current favourite...

Arthur

[T_J]

This comes up sometimes; Wittering is leased from a local estate for a peppercorn rent. Under the terms of the lease, if the forces move out, the site has to be returned to its original condition.

Therefore, economically, its not worth the MOD closing the base.

The question of RAF Wittering and Burghley Estates was answered during 2009 in a Freedom of Information request.

Question:

Is it correct that the land on which RAF Wittering stands is owned by the Burghley Estates and if the station was to close the land must be
reinstated to its original condition? If so, is the cost of land remediation the main reason that the station remains open and that RAF Cottesmore is to close?

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E0B3C38A ... ec09_2.pdf

Answer: (Taken from Facebook cache from person who filed the Freedom of Information request - See bold in reference to land issue)

'I have just received an official MoD response to a Freedom of Information request:

Your correspondence dated 17 December 2009 has been considered to be a request for information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental Regulations 2004.

The Secretary of State for Defence announced in the House of Commons on 15 December 2009, that key adjustments will be made to the current Defence programme to enhance the support to our personnel on operations in Afghanistan, and announced that Joint Force Harrier will be reduced by one Squadron. It was therefore necessary to look at the continuing requirement to maintain two Harrier bases in the UK, which in the final analysis could no longer be justified. This resulted in the closure of RAF Cottesmore and the consolidation of the Harrier force at RAF Wittering.

The decision to close RAF Cottesmore rather than RAF Wittering was made for a number of reasons. Firstly, RAF Wittering is the better suited from an operational perspective. The infrastructure such as runway configuration and Harrier operating surfaces at RAF Wittering was considered to meet the longer term needs of the RAF more effectively than that of RAF Cottesmore. The financial case also supported the closure of RAF Cottesmore rather than Wittering for a number of reasons; for example there are two Harrier simulators based at RAF Wittering which would be expensive to relocate and in addition to its function as a flying station, in recent years, RAF Wittering has become a major logistical hub, and relocating this element would be costly.

The land comprising RAF Wittering - which is identified as a "core site" in the Defence Estate Development Plan 2009 - is owned freehold by MOD. The Core Estate consists of locations that are either large bases or groups of sites that have an indefinite operational future; or individual core sites, which are expected to support defence outputs for at least 15 years. The majority of the land was purchased from the Burghley estate between 1924 and 1966, with a right for the estate to repurchase several parcels of land should the site become surplus to defence requirements and be sold (other than as an airfield or for other Government use) prior to 31 July 2022. There are no plans to dispose of RAF Wittering.'

[Pen Pusher]

Think you'll find the Tutors moving in from Wyton are the current favourite...

Arthur

So the Cambridge University Air Squadron will be moving further and further away from Cambridge then.

Last I heard was that Wyton was to be a centre for Tutor flying with other units moving in there. Because of the composite composition of the Grobs, 3 Hangar at Wyton has built inside it individual sealed off bays so that work can be done on the carbon fiber of the aircraft in a controlled environment. Those would have to be moved/built at Wittering.

Brian

[Arthur Tee]

Think you'll find the Tutors moving in from Wyton are the current favourite...

Arthur

So the Cambridge University Air Squadron will be moving further and further away from Cambridge then.

Last I heard was that Wyton was to be a centre for Tutor flying with other units moving in there. Because of the composite composition of the Grobs, 3 Hangar at Wyton has built inside it individual sealed off bays so that work can be done on the carbon fiber of the aircraft in a controlled environment. Those would have to be moved/built at Wittering.

Brian

Brian,

I think that was the plan to combine all UAS's into just two units - one North and one South (Wyton) - but the latest is the rumour is that that Grobs may relocate to Wittering...

It doesn't make sense when thinking about work done on hangars etc - but then again that's a cost that can be passed onto 'those civvies that operate the things' surely?

What does make sense is keeping Wyton open for some form of flying - thereby any fast jet units would be able to bolt hole there when major airfield works are required. It certainly doesn't make sense keeping two airfields open with the associated costs of Air Traffic Control, Fire cover etc, etc.

Arthur

[GertrudetheMerciless]

Think you'll find the Tutors moving in from Wyton are the current favourite...

Arthur

So the Cambridge University Air Squadron will be moving further and further away from Cambridge then.

Hoorah. They might start being sociable then and discover what the Officers' Mess is then! How about poor old ULAS. They're getting further and further away from London. The students at Canterbury Uni will need to start setting aside a day to travel!

Last I heard was that Wyton was to be a centre for Tutor flying with other units moving in there. Because of the composite composition of the Grobs, 3 Hangar at Wyton has built inside it individual sealed off bays so that work can be done on the carbon fiber of the aircraft in a controlled environment. Those would have to be moved/built at Wittering.

Brian

3 hangar is useful, however Wyton suffers the massive limitation of having no approach aids or (IIRC) radar, so all the Tutor units bar the AEF all lose out when the weather is marginal, unlike the units up the road at Cranwell. Ten years ago, when the Tutor wasn't allowed anywhere near cloud, it didn't matter. Now post Haddon-Cave, and also more pertinently after the two mid air collisions the availability of a radar head probably influences any decision too. I suspect the cost of moving (particularly with the peculiarities of Wittering's ownership) outweigh the cost of bringing the airfield facilities up to date (again) at Wyton.

[GertrudetheMerciless]

Brian,

I think that was the plan to combine all UAS's into just two units - one North and one South (Wyton) - but the latest is the rumour is that that Grobs may relocate to Wittering...
r

EFT yes (with 85 going, 16 and 57 remaining), UAS no. It would be a logistical nightmare to relocate 14 units into 2 sites!

[C24]

Xmas 2015.
There is/has been a lot of activity this autumn. There were 3 "two doors" in the circuit at dusk last evening. Being curious or nosey, how many are now operating from the airfield?

[cg_341]

There's at least 11 Tutors, I believe. Certainly that's how many I've counted with "WITxx" callsigns on various Mode-S sites.

[GertrudetheMerciless]

Xmas 2015.
There is/has been a lot of activity this autumn. There were 3 "two doors" in the circuit at dusk last evening. Being curious or nosey, how many are now operating from the airfield?

4 Squadrons and an AEF... So quite a lot. More than 11.

[C24]

Thank you.

[GertrudetheMerciless]

Thank you.

You're welcome. If I could give you a better number I would, but to support a dozen or so airborne on a daily basis requires a few more in the hangar!

[Hasboman]

Thank you.

You're welcome. If I could give you a better number I would, but to support a dozen or so airborne on a daily basis requires a few more in the hangar!

Varies from day to day, but there are indeed more than a dozen!

[GertrudetheMerciless]

Varies from day to day, but there are indeed more than a dozen!

It doesn't vary quite that often, but you are right, it's a large fleet across all three services that move around when and where required.

[romeo bravo]

Xmas 2015.
There is/has been a lot of activity this autumn. There were 3 "two doors" in the circuit at dusk last evening. Being curious or nosey, how many are now operating from the airfield?

4 Squadrons and an AEF... So quite a lot. More than 11.

Doesn't mean there's that many as all units will use a pool of aircraft; definately the AEF (when flying) uses the UAS a/c.

[Arthur Tee]

A former work colleague told me that there should be an esablishment of up to 25 aircraft.

Arthur

[paulb1973]

Regards units based (or to be based at Wittering) I have a Word document developed by myself, listing the active military airfields in the UK and the major flying units based there. Just an informal thing which I hadn't updated for ages. For RAF Wittering I had this:

RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire (to house an Army Multi-Role Brigade an East England MRB)
16(R) Sqn [1 Sqn 1 EFTS] (Grob G.115E Tutor T1) to relocate here [from Cranwell] 2015
115(R) Sqn (Grob G.115E Tutor T1) to relocate here [from Cranwell] 2015
East Midlands UAS/7 AEF (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)
Cambridge AS/5 AEF (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)
University of London AS (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)
RAFGSA East Midlands Gliding Club

Associated with any changes to the units at Wittering I also list these units as being based at Cranwell & Wyton.

RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire
16(R) Sqn [1 Sqn 1 EFTS] (Grob G.115E Tutor T1) to move to RAF Wittering in 2015
45(R) Sqn/3FS (Raytheon Beech Super King Air 200)
57(R) Sqn [2 Sqn 1 EFTS] (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)
115(R) Sqn (Grob G.115E Tutor T1) to move to RAF Wittering in 2015
JEFTS/MELI (T.67M Firefly M260)
EFTSS (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)
RAFGSA

RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire
Pathfinder Flying Club

Is any of this correct? And are any units missing or no longer exist?! At Wyton [is it pronounced 'Why-ton' or 'Witton' - I've never really known!] I only have a Flying Club as being left there.

[Big Eric]

It's pronounced "Witton".

[paulb1973]

It's pronounced "Witton".

Ah right - I assumed it was!

[GertrudetheMerciless]

Regards units based (or to be based at Wittering) I have a Word document developed by myself, listing the active military airfields in the UK and the major flying units based there. Just an informal thing which I hadn't updated for ages. For RAF Wittering I had this:

RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire (to house an Army Multi-Role Brigade an East England MRB) Don't think so. Very much RAF Logs hub
16(R) Sqn [1 Sqn 1 EFTS] (Grob G.115E Tutor T1) to relocate here [from Cranwell] 2015correct moved May 15
115(R) Sqn (Grob G.115E Tutor T1) to relocate here [from Cranwell] 2015correct, June 15
East Midlands UAS/7 AEF (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)initially planned, but remained at Cranwell
Cambridge AS/5 AEF (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)correct
University of London AS (Grob G.115E Tutor T1)correct
RAFGSA East Midlands Gliding ClubI think they were moved on - with (eventual) 7 days ops there's nowhere for them to operate at Wittering

Wyton - I believe Pathfinder will continue til it's built upon.

Cranwell - 674 Sqn AAC and 703NAS replaced 16 & 115 Sqn.