RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance

Location : South West UK

Looks like Fairford will be very quiet from now on, it is being put in 'care & maintainance' status over the next 12 months and all the American personnel will be leaving for other bases within that time frame.

Location : huntingdon.cambs

does this mean no airshow next year ?

Admin Location : Bristol, UK

das wrote:: does this mean no airshow next year ?

No, RIAT will be safe next year.

Mike

Location : Abingdon

That's predictable, they've spent millions on the place in the last 10 years or so which is often a pre-requisite to future closure!

Location : Fairford

Just a few more snippets emerging from what the local MP Geoffery Clifton Brown has said today.

- RIAT will continue to use RAF Fairford;
- The annual RAF Exercises held here will continue;
- The care and maintenance status will be in effect from October 1st this year.

Lee

Admin Location : Bristol, UK

Great news regarding DOTEX Lee, thanks for the update.

Mike

Subject: Re: RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 2009-09-15, 08:48

So movements wise it looks like it won't be much quieter than it is now, with the exception if the one-off movements like the U2s?

Steve

Location : Area 51 Spotter Watch Member : No

If it's on a care & maintenance basis would be surprised if the U-2s still came through. Have seen them at both Mildenhall and Lakenheath in the past but wonder whether they'll now take a different routing.

Location : Birmingham Spotter Watch Member : No

Long rumoured and finally announced.

RIAT and exercises will still be supported.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/8257452.stm

Location : Fairford

Another article from the Wilts and Glos standard http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/4630311.American_military_personnel_to_leave_RAF_Fairford/

Location : Naaarwich Spotter Watch Member : No

No massive changes then, just means the meal queues in the mess will be a bit shorter next year!! We were told this year the Americans would be loathe to lose the place completely and at worst it would go to care and maintenance, as Fighterfoto touched on though it will be interesting to see where the U-2's go now.... please be the Hall!!

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

If Fairford is being vacated then perhaps it's time to consider relocating RIAT as well.

Location : South West UK

keiron lammond wrote:: If Fairford is being vacated then perhaps it's time to consider relocating RIAT as well.

Why? A nice big base with no-one else getting in the way. I would have thought that would be ideal.

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

A lot of people (myself included) are put off going to RIAT nowadays because the ongoing increase in entrance fees, combined with esculating petrol prices means that it is no longer financially possible to attend. Perhaps if RIAT were to be staged somewhere more centrally, eg. Cottesmore (as was the case for two years when Fairford was closed) it would go some way towards easing the travel cost for a lot of people.

For a lot of people, this would be even more ideal.

Subject: Re: RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 2009-09-15, 15:15

To be fair Fairford is pretty central as it is. Makes no odds to me, I'm equidistant between the two. It would make SOME peoples travel costs lower, but increase others.

Agree about the price though, it's priced me out the market for one, and I'm sure there are others out there.

Steve

Photo of the Month Runner-Up Location : Wiltshire, UK

keiron lammond wrote:: A lot of people (myself included) are put off going to RIAT nowadays because the ongoing increase in entrance fees, combined with esculating petrol prices means that it is no longer financially possible to attend. Perhaps if RIAT were to be staged somewhere more centrally, eg. Cottesmore (as was the case for two years when Fairford was closed) it would go some way towards easing the travel cost for a lot of people.

For a lot of people, this would be even more ideal.

So, move the show elsewhere, reducing the cost for you, but increasing it for other people, and of course the cost of entry is affected by the venue of the event. I like it, can I have some of what you're smoking please?

Location : Portsmouth , UK Spotter Watch Member : no

Yes Riat is alot of money to get in , but sell out crouds prove that it is still financially viable to the visitors in this current climate. RIAT has been at fairford for nearly 20 years , Its is a success of the highest order ! £35 a ticket or £100 a ticket im will still paying to go to this quite fantastic show. RIAT as a charity cant be held responsible as the current climate has over come everyones back pocket money. (the show must go on )

Me being 17 can have a diffrent view to you slightly older chaps but i will say its costing everyone more and more not just the customer and sell out crouds last year dont lie, The public are still finding the money to surport this great event.

Admin Location : Bristol, UK

Also it's just been announced on Sky News (Was also on the breaking news banner earlier). Nothing on ITV West though Roll Eyes

.

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

So, move the show elsewhere, reducing the cost for you, but increasing it for other people

Well, it wouldn't just be me that would have reduced travelling distance.

london - fairford = 100 miles
london - cottesmore = 100 miles

manchester - fairford = 154 miles
manchester - cottesmore = 112 miles

newcastle - fairford = 268 miles
newcaslte - cottesmore = 181 miles

birmingham - fairford = 78 miles
birmingham - cottesmore = 73 miles

edinburgh - fairford = 360 miles
edinburgh - cottesmore = 302 miles

ipswich - fairford = 168 miles
ipswich - cottesmore = 107 miles

leeds - fairford = 181 miles
leeds - cottesmore = 100 miles

As you can see it is less distance for practically anyone who is not living in the South West of the UK. So it would actually save travel costs for the majority.

I like it, can I have some of what you're smoking please?

No need for rudeness, I was just offering my opinion. Sheesh lol.

Subject: Re: RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 2009-09-16, 02:34

Devon - FFD = 131 miles
Devon - Cott = 234 miles

Southampton - FFD = 80 miles
Southampton - Cott = 172 miles

Cardiff - FFD = 87 miles
Cardiff - Cott = 183 miles

North West Wales (Betws Y Coed) - FFD = 177 miles
North West Wales - Cott = 179 miles

Oxford - FFD = 29 miles
Oxford - Cott = 84 miles

Dover - FFD = 169 miles
Dover - Cott = 175 miles

Quote :: london - fairford = 100 miles
london - cottesmore = 100 miles

Steve

Location : Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Quoting distances like this is pretty meaningless, in my opinion. Wherever it is held, RIAT will always be near/far for someone! I think Keiron's point - with which I concur - is that it should be more central. As far as I know, there is no god-given law which states that it should be always be held in or around the M4 corridor.

As for Steve's contention that Fairford is "pretty central as it is" ... blimey, which road atlas are you looking at!

Subject: Re: RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 2009-09-16, 05:26

What you define as 'more central' depends where you are coming from. If you come from Rotherham, you would of course think it would be better at Cottesmore. But not if you were coming from Plymouth, for example.

Like I say, makes no odds to me, my part of Brum is closer to FFD than Cottesmore but only by a few miles.

Steve

Location : Portsmouth , UK Spotter Watch Member : no

Grahame i couldnt agree more RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 352546

Location : Abingdon

Maybe the Leuchars show should be moved to Cottesmore and make that more central too then more of us could go to that one! RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 294955

RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 294955

Or even better, combine RIAT, Leuchars and Waddo into one huge show and we'd all only have to make 1 journey a year and get to see everything, it would be cheaper overall, our CO2 emissions would be drastically reduced and we'd only have to sit in one traffic jam! Winners all round! RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 53197

RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 53197

Location : Oxfordshire Spotter Watch Member : no

Bucky P wrote:: Maybe the Leuchars show should be moved to Cottesmore and make that more central too then more of us could go to that one!

Or even better, combine RIAT, Leuchars and Waddo into one huge show and we'd all only have to make 1 journey a year and get to see everything, it would be cheaper overall, our CO2 emissions would be drastically reduced and we'd only have to sit in one traffic jam! Winners all round!

RAF Fairford - Care and Maintenance 253775