MOD considers selling RAF Northolt

Indian AF at Northolt

Apologies for the grumpy response re 707….this was the Indian Super Connie which got a bit close to a 727 approaching Heathrow RWY23 in early 1970

Yes, I think it was an Indian one that mistook it for Heathrow. They had to strip all the seats and just about everything else out so a Boeing test pilot could fly it out with minimal fuel.

Propstrike your last post is quite revealing. Now with all filters set at max (including acid) you may find the back of beyond in the wilderness that is south Shropshire, an enjoyable place to visit.
If you wished to visit Cosford museum you could get on a train at Euston, change at Wolverhampton and get off at RAF Cosford with a short walk to the museum. It would almost be like commuting! Whilst walking the few hundred yards look to the north west to see the distant Shropshire hills, worth the journey on their own.
Apologies for my rather short response this morning i was tired and emotional!!
The only problem you may have is that Shropshire is multiculturally deprived,however on the way home you could spend an hour or two in Wolverhampton which is not.It would probably be right up your avenue.

Baffled.

I have always been rather baffled by the mindset of some architects. Some seem to have an overweening desire to stamp their name which overrides common-sense and good taste. In Birmingham, next to the preserved Moor Street Station – which is actually a splendid project, there has been permitted the latest – at least the third encarnantion of the Bull Ring. This resembles a vast, ugly turd, embellished with little shiny disks. It is perfectly ghastly. Why such vanity designs are allowed to creep onto aerodromes I don’t know, when it’s obvious that a hangar, or version thereof, is both efficacious and blends well with the environment. Plucking a historical design off the shelf migh also save a lot of wasted fees as well….:diablo:

To tell you the truth, I have never been to Cosford, but I am sure it is absolutely smashing.

Well it was… untill they built that ‘Fallen down Hangar’ eyesore 😉

Propstrike,a tag for a commentator who is obviously well named. Was it self inflicted or won through poor airmanship!!! In the vicinity of Cosford and area with his comments he would be appraised as a grade one tripe hound.

I say, that’s a bit strong !

Perhaps you could turn your irony filter down a couple of clicks. 😉

To tell you the truth, I have never been to Cosford, but I am sure it is absolutely smashing.

Not Indian ….Pan Am 1960 (at least I don’t think the pilot was Native American) …read
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=114447&highlight=heathrow+northolt post#7

photo http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1001607/

There was an near-miss incident 9 Jan 1970 with an Indian Air Force Super Constellation and an Olympic 727 due to conflict between LHR RWY23L and NHT RWY26 approaches

Yes, I think it was an Indian one that mistook it for Heathrow. They had to strip all the seats and just about everything else out so a Boeing test pilot could fly it out with minimal fuel.

Aeronut 2008, Hi!
Tks for the response. I was actually using Willis & Hollis for my r/w heading.
But you can see the problem. All this niff-naff and trivia about previous owners of airfields, and reversions thereto, is so much rubbish. The owners of properties in the way of the proposed London>Birmingham High-Speed Rail Link will simply be issued with Compulsory Purchase Orders, properly enacted, by our popularly elected Govt – and that will be that! It should (and, probably, will) be the same for airfields! Not enough people, nowadays, do as they are told by their elders and betters. This has caused more organisational problems than enough. Modern Govts don’t have enough backbone!!!!!!!
But I bleat!
Resmoroh

Extend Benson 02

Was this a typo or were you quoting a true bearing rather than a magnetic one? 😉 The current AIDU ‘On route’ booklet gives Benson’s runway as 01/19 now that 06/24 is deemed unusable (its in far better condition than the runways at Abingdon I use, but that’s another issue all together).
If 01/19 was extended it could join up with the runway at Chalgrove which would give you more than enough runway for max weight A380, although come to think of it 26,000 is probably overkill.:)

There is of course a nice long (and wide), under used, runway to the west of London that wouldn’t take much to turn into an airport. Anyone for London (Salisbury) International using Boscombe Down? :diablo:

Creaking Door, Hi,
Think BIG.
Shut/Sell Kidlington.
Shut/Sell Chalgrove.
Extend Benson 02 to make it capable of taking A380’s (or whatever). Give Martin-Baker’s a patch to play their games. Make the whole enlarged Benson complex a multi-user Regional airfield. A few roads will need to be re-routed – not a problem. There will be complaints from (a) the Good & Great with expensive properties in the area, and (b) the local citizenry. But these can be dealt with by either offering money, or using mounted police and/or water-cannon.
All these airfields were, originally, acquired by Govt force in a National Emergency (i.e. WW2!). We’ve got another National Emergency at the moment – or have you not noticed?!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not meant to be helpful – but it is practical and – probably – very effective.
Rgds
Resmoroh
PS I have no, rpt no, financial interest.

Sad loss of history if it goes but if it’s a purely economic decision, the potential real estate value of this piece of land must be enormous.

That’s only one aspect, there are so many important units on the site, many of which it is beneficial for them to be there, that’s why I don’t quite believe the article.
Yes each unit may be able to be rehoused relatively easily, but take in to consideration The recent British Forces Post Office and EOD admin/training areas, and the existing AHB and Aeronautical documents centres would take some relocating as whole. That’s not to mention other units that are rarely referred to!
Northolt page here, http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafnortholt/aboutus/who_here.cfm
Also many of the existing buildings are Grade II listed, but unsure if that in itself would be a block to development.

Personally I can’t help thinking this to take attention away from one of the other ‘London’ stations, ie Benson.

The grand plan to close an RAF airfield and sell it off as a housing estate generally falls foul of the terms under which the land was acquired in the first place. The original owner (descendents of) have to have first refusal at the price it was bought for, so forget £millions and possibly even £thousands, think £hundreds.:eek:
Most airfields closed in recent years have become army barracks because of this bean counter Elephant trap. Some, like Greenham have had to be given back but at least some cash was obtained by selling the runways as hard core.
When no longer needed RAF Halton will have to be returned to the Roschild family in the condition it was ‘loaned’, this would involve the demolition and landscaping of most of the camp, which won’t be cheap. The Officer’s mess-Halton House would need total removation and the last time I heard the cost for this mentioned (almost 20 years ago) the phrase was “24 million and counting”.

And then flog Odiham!! National Debt expunged at a stroke!!

I’m not sure HM Treasury would end up with a penny from that deal!

The answer is to sell Northolt. The ‘spook’ flights can be done from Benson. I lost count of the number of foreign a/c that didn’t land at Benson, and who’s VVIP pax were not transferred (by road, or chopper) to London! I can’t remember what the record is (chocks to chocks) from Northolt to Benson in a TQF Andover – but some of those ex-members of that Private Air Force may be able to tell you!! Besides, too many ‘watchers’ at Northolt!
HTH
Resmoroh
PS And then flog Odiham!! National Debt expunged at a stroke!!

Yes, I think it was an Indian one that mistook it for Heathrow. They had to strip all the seats and just about everything else out so a Boeing test pilot could fly it out with minimal fuel.

Didn’t a 707 land at Northolt by mistake in the 1960s or 70s?

AF1 at Northolt? I’d like to see a B747 try that.

I wouldn’t!!!!!!

Sad loss of history if it goes but if it’s a purely economic decision, the potential real estate value of this piece of land must be enormous.

“and it is where Air Force One lands during visits by the US president”

This quote from the Guardian is slightly wrong me thinks.

Air Force One uses Stanstead I believe, it was there the last time the President visited the UK and not Northolt.

Please correct me if I am wrong as it has been known!!!