Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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#1853927
Yes. And if you are headed that way so does Alconbury, though the warehouses are encroaching rapidly

But I wouldn't want to bet the farm on either.

Rob P
#1853934
Ah.. But we all remember how the Benjamin Britten luvvies scuppered the plans for a new Ipswich Airport at Bentwaters. Even the Grace Spitfire was too much for their delicate ears.

Rob P
JAFO liked this
#1853937
Rob P wrote:Ah.. But we all remember how the Benjamin Britten luvvies scuppered the plans for a new Ipswich Airport at Bentwaters. Even the Grace Spitfire was too much for their delicate ears.


They don't seem to want anything.

The government’s initial intention was to build a comprehensive development – a whole new town with houses, schools, services and lots of employment – by encompassing the thousand-acre technical site as well as the domestic site. This was stopped by the county council on the grounds that this was an AONB – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Apparently, no one considered the huge areas of outstandingly unnatural runways, concrete bomb shelters and ammunition dumps when making this decision.

It did seem for a while as though the county with no motorway and no city might just get an airport but, apparently, those living in some surrounding villages did not share that vision. Worries about the noise of commercial aircraft, from a site which had, until very recently, been home to some of the noisiest machines America owned, crushed the plan.

Then it appeared as though the Maharishi Foundation might buy the place to build what they called a University of Natural Law, but there was again too much local opposition to that. Presumably on the grounds that all those people meditating might bring too much peace and quiet to the area.

A final proposal saw the chance to remove the military buildings and runways and for the area to be landscaped. This would be funded by, and then would begin to fund the expansion of, a holiday village, with chalets designed to blend into the environment so that people could visit this area of outstanding natural beauty. That was vetoed, as trucks would be needed to take the rubble away and that might cause some short-term disturbance.
Rob P liked this
#1853938
JAFO wrote:This was stopped by the county council


Suffolk Coastal if memory serves. Merged with Waveney District on 1 April 2019 to form the new East Suffolk District

Rob P
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1854037
PeteSpencer wrote:There’s always Woodbridge and Bentwaters whose runways are untouched .


Mostly untouched? Pretty sure that Woodbridge runway is not exactly as it was... At least it didnt appear so when I flew over in August 2017 and landed at Bentwaters - and there they had something across it (trench?) about 1/4 of the way from one end (which could have been fake or repaired of course) which was being used for Bollywood filming at the time. :shock:

Regards, SD..
#1854047
Rob P wrote:
JAFO wrote:This was stopped by the county council


Suffolk Coastal if memory serves.


I seem to recall that SCDC offered alternatives to the original plan for Anglia International Airpark to enable it to happen but this was later quashed by others higher up the chain and that it was, eventually, the Planning Inspectorate themselves who said that this piece of land which had been used for aviation since 1943 and was home to a 2,725 metre runway, was unsuitable for aviation.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1854048
skydriller wrote:
PeteSpencer wrote:There’s always Woodbridge and Bentwaters whose runways are untouched .


Mostly untouched? Pretty sure that Woodbridge runway is not exactly as it was... At least it didnt appear so when I flew over in August 2017 and landed at Bentwaters - and there they had something across it (trench?) about 1/4 of the way from one end (which could have been fake or repaired of course) which was being used for Bollywood filming at the time. :shock:

Regards, SD..


Looked fine when I flew over it last week.

And the week before . :evil:
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1854049
JAFO wrote:So, surely the establishment of an "Avtech" centre beginning with this green aviation venture secures Duxford's future as an airfield whilst offering some financial security to IWM allowing them to develop Duxford along lines which respect its history and tell the story of those who served.

Sounds positive to me.


So, if I am understanding you correctly, the preserved airliners are a blight as they have no historic connection to Duxford, but an upstart aviation business has?

Even though DAS/Airliners played an important role in preserving the site.

I/we/friends always enjoyed visiting Duxford and I understand that change is the only constant in life, however what is planned/rumoured seems to terminate Duxford as it is known and loved.

However the ability by the IWM to shoot itself in the foot is well known, and documented.
PeteSpencer, kanga liked this
#1854057
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:So, if I am understanding you correctly, the preserved airliners are a blight as they have no historic connection to Duxford, but an upstart aviation business has?


In that case, it appears that I have explained my position quite poorly.

From what I had read, I believed that the IWM were to move the airliners to a location which did not have them centre stage at the heart of the historic airfield. That I support, if they are to remain then placing them away from the part of the site that makes Duxford so special, would be a good idea, to my mind.

The factory, as I understand it, is planned for the periphery of the airfield, so, again, does not disrupt the historic core of the site, yet it will financially support and help to fund the place we all seem to love. Don't see the downside.

Imagine if there was sufficient capital to improve the whole experience of Duxford in its own right. To imagine the airfield as it was between the wars, the enthusiasm and optimism of the new air force. Maybe how the disabled Douglas Bader felt as he left through the main gates, as far as he knew never to see the RAF he loved ever again. Or to allow you to understand how it might have felt to arrive there as a nineteen year old pilot in the summer of 1940. Perhaps what it might be like lining up on a winter's morning in 1944 to take off in support of a bombing raid on Europe. Or any other of the thousands of stories that Duxford has played a part in. All without either the airliners or the factory sat right in the middle of the story but both playing their part in the wings.
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1875536
speaking to one of the stewards at duxford suggested that the new faraday facility is to be on land not owned by IWM but on land owned by the college IIRC on land at or beyond the "cabbage patch" which is the field beyond the warfare hall.

As to the warfare hall knock down management dream the big problem is funds they suggested, so it sounded like it's going to be there for a few years yet. Either way if they delete the warfare hall you'll loose 20% of exhibits - but don't expect the entry ticket to go down !
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