RAF Driffield NEWS

Driffield and Davidstowe Moor

I think it is now more of a case of ‘fiddling whilst Rome burns’. Driffield may not be a premier site but it is representative of the situation befalling all airfields at present. We will soon be in a situation where very little remains on the landscape to indicate past deeds, and I am not just talking WWII here. Take a look at the evidence for WWI airfields, just a few fragile remnants remain and the majority of those are hangars.

Coming from Scarborough I often think airfields and their current ‘high speed demise’ can be paralleled with the ship building industry. Scarborough, along with the majority of other sea ports once had its own ship building industry, now only demonstrated by the odd sepia photograph. I would like to hope we are not close to that juncture with airfields but fear we might be.

A nice ray of hope. I was at RAF Davidstowe Moor today and spent an interesting afternoon with David Keast who has, with the help of a small band, put together a museum and raised a memorial to the site and its airmen. This I think will be the future for many airfields.

As to Driffield it is not the first and unfortunately will not be the last.

Okay, I know I’m probably going to get some earache over this, but let’s just say that Driffield is preserved. What as? Representing what? What’s so special about Driffield?

RB

The 68 married quarters can be restored and sold to first time buyers. This might still happen. The eight accommodation blocks can be converted into 48 spacious flats. There is enough space between these accommodation blocks and the officer’s mess to build extra houses. The officer’s mess itself can be restored and used as a hotel or residential home or offices (public or private sector).

The hangars are already owned by a private company and are safe (leased) for at least another ten years. The technical site is the problem area. Some buildings can be reused (MT Section, Main Stores, Engineering Block, etc), but a number of other buildings will go. You could build around 12 new business units. Job Done. The Guardroom, SHQ and SSQ are currently still being used by the MoD (ACF and ATC).

What is so special about Driffield? Nothing. Question: What is so special about most aerodromes? Most have comparable histories and it is impossible to clearly define the importance of one aerodrome over another – unless you employ mathematics and a finite point scoring system. Basically it’s impossible to be objective in a subjective world. I could write reams explaining why Driffield is more important than Finningley or Waddington, while someone else could write a 50 word rebuttal, detailing that my arguments are flawed.

Did my first ever rally at Leconfield,in a Rover 3500 SDI.:D

What a feeling going down the main runway at about 140mph.:eek:

Driffield was a place I also visited for motorsport,and can remember it being a vast open space,which was impressionable to a late 20’s year old kid.

Shame it’s come to this.

Ken.

Okay, I know I’m probably going to get some earache over this, but let’s just say that Driffield is preserved. What as? Representing what? What’s so special about Driffield?

RB

************G angry

yes the control tower is still there and leconfield is used by the defence school of transport and the sar flight they were going to shut the school and privatise it with the loss of 1500 jobs, but they changed their mind after the uproar by the staff and local business people who would stand to lose out if it closed. shame about driffield ************G b******S:mad: p.s. why isnt this a hot thread?! were going to lose another airfield!:mad: 😡

I thought Leconfield was still in use by the army? Is Leconfield to be disposed of then?

Buy Leconfield instead as soon as the army naff off. 5 hangar (202 sqn RAF) still has bullet holes in the concrete from the baedekker (?) raids, and all the runways are intact apart from a roundabout planted on one of them….
Shame about Driff, I guess it will become a housing estate or industrial estate. I know the white hangars were condemmed a few years back, and I even looked at buying one of the officers quarters, but they were knackered too. Cheap but rotten. RIP RAF Driffield

RAF Leconfield will loose its hangars within a few years I’m told. Also, by the time this site becomes available there will be nothing left of the airfield (now covered in trees. Is the control tower still standing at Leconfield?

Buy Leconfield instead as soon as the army naff off. 5 hangar (202 sqn RAF) still has bullet holes in the concrete from the baedekker (?) raids, and all the runways are intact apart from a roundabout planted on one of them….
Shame about Driff, I guess it will become a housing estate or industrial estate. I know the white hangars were condemmed a few years back, and I even looked at buying one of the officers quarters, but they were knackered too. Cheap but rotten. RIP RAF Driffield

Agree

Totally agree, maybe not using the same terminology, but still agree. I have just spent the last few months looking for type sites (TDS, Expansion etc) and do you know there are next to none left!! I am sure we are now staring into the abyss with airfields. Problem is airfields are very big ‘brown field sites’ and as such are ripe for development. This becomes all the more prevelant when town development spreads out to surround them. Unfortunately Driffield, a good early expansion site is clearly destined to go the same way as many others.

Another airfield bites the dust then, drive past this base quite often, wot a loss it will be, how many stations are now left that could be preserved?!