RAF Turnhouse, hangar to go. (2012)

What the Luftwaffe couldn’t do… the developers.. will! 🙁

Hangar Demolition

Hi,
Herewith a couple of pics taken on the Wed 11th and Fri 13th of June, the work I assume must started on the Monday the 9th, showing the former airside with the offices already flattened on the 11th, the other pic is the opposite side taken on the 13th with a large hole and the blast windows already taken out. [ATTACH=CONFIG]229286[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]229287[/ATTACH].

Gerry R

Demolition in progress

Hi, Turnhouse hangar to go proclaims the title of this thread, in fact when I reported this almost 2 years ago, I thought then its demise was immiment after the offices were emptied, and there appeared an ominous sand and gravel mixing plant just beyond the old RAF MT yard. Sadly I have to report that Scotlands only example of a ‘C’ type is now in the process of demolition, I first noted this today, already the side offices have been flattened and two large openings have appeared either side of the hangar walls, I will post some pics of the sad scene fairly soon.

Gerry R

Rnwy 08/26, and Turnhouse update.

Thanks Ross, on the subject of 08/26, I was lucky to have witnessed an RAF Harrier GR3/5? departure from that particular runway at about 9 30am one morning, it was airborne within 400 ft and did a spectacular and noisy climbing turn south right over the Stakis hotel (as it was then named), anyone still slumbering in their beds must have been instantly awake:D. There was a regular jet departure from the same runway, with a daily Citation departure to London City, this to avoid the early morning peak delays on the other runways.

On the hangar demise of the Turnhouse front, please see the pics below, one taken in 2009 of what was left of the domestic site once demolition was completed, another of what was to become of it,……..and could still be, a business park, but delayed I think because change of ownership of the airport. Lastly no longer required!, the hangar door stops have been hammered out and can be seen at the top edge of the grassed area.

Regards, Gerry R.

Hi Ross,
Thankyou for your amusing and interesting reminiscence, herewith a picture of your Thompson block and the rest of the Domestic site taken around 1999. I took the photo from a Cessna 172, (The Forth Radio Traffic Report aircraft), coming round for finals on the old 08/26 runway, in fact, it was the last day of operation on that runway before permanent closure,….if my memory serves me right:rolleyes:.

Gerry R

It would have been sometime shortly after 26 June 1999 when 08/26 closed. I did my first solo from RWY 08 on that date and it was closed very shortly afterwards. I believe I am the last person to do a first solo from Edinburgh as with its closure flying circuits at Edinburgh was no longer possible.

grow45

‘Tis. Or was!!

With the C Type behind.

= Tim

PS – a bit more grist below. With Wg Cdr Leith, Admin 66 Group HQ; Mortimer, Airport Manager & Lord Nathan, Minister for Civil Aviation. We had to tread a diplomatic line to keep things sweet!

Is that you, far left, Tim?

Not just the hangar!

Hi, not only is the hangar to go but nearly all of the old RAF Turnhouse too, half has already gone, but there is a hold up on the fate of remainder, unfortunetly it is a cert all will be rubble soon.

The old supply building will probably survive a little longer, this is occupied by an airline catering company at one end, with an infant care firm at the other. My latest info comes from a chap at the inflight place who told me that the hangar should have gone by now, and also all the other buildings, SHQ, former Air Cadet HQ, Guardroom, and the former clothing section building. We came to the conclusion that the hold up was possibly due to the recent transfer of ownership of the airport (that includes the Turnhouse site), from BAA to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) this year.

All the buildings under threat I have photographed just 2 days ago 23rd October, it is debateable wether the tower will go too, but I have included a pic with the hangar and Cadet building together with it. There is now a sign on the former SHQ main door stating ‘Building scheduled for Demolition Keep Out’. The place was once my parent unit when working at RAF Pitreavie (Nato Site), the top floor was occupied by the General Office and Accounts sections, the COs office was on the ground floor at the corner of the building, facing the now long gone flagpole.

Gerry R.

Amazing what one can dig up?

Just down the road toward Glasgow were some timber lecture huts. I had these converted into temporary married quarters.

Shortly after, I married Lady Steel Maitland’s niece & moved into the first one.
We HAD to accept all the rusting tin pots & pans on an MQ inventory, including a 50cm fish kettle!! Not one was used.

I have been in touch with the recent owners of Gogar – the Morillos. They’ve done a remarkable make-over.

= Tim

Many thanks to Robert and Dave for your feedback, which reinforces for me the knowledgable and accurate information that can be obtained on this forum:).

Tim, the significance of your July 25th post comes to light:rolleyes:,not only were you posted to Turnhouse, you were in charge of the station:eek:. You mentioned Castle Gogar, you might be interested to know that around 1997, the sale of the ex RAF Turnhouse site to BAA was delayed due to a legal technicality. The Gogar Estate had bequeathed what became RAF Turnhouse, I believe just before WW.1 for the sole purpose of ‘The Defence of the Realm’, because of this BAA went through a not straight forward legal process to accuire the site, I enclose a pic of the temporary fence that was erected during the protracted sale to BAA, the hangar was painted a lighter colour a couple of year later when it was used as a reception area, for visiting VIPs for an international conference in 1999, second pic taken from the old Ferranti apron.

The last pic is another from the top of the water tower before its demise in 1991, showing the domestic site, right to left, SNCOs block, Sgts Mess, Airmans mess, NAAFI, and Medical Centre, with the barrack blocks and power station behind, now all gone.

Gerry R

Dear God – how STUPID can one get??

Of COURSE!! Thank you Dave.

= Tim

PS – a bit more grist below. With Wg Cdr Leith, Admin 66 Group HQ; Mortimer, Airport Manager & Lord Nathan, Minister for Civil Aviation. We had to tread a diplomatic line to keep things sweet!

The only full code I have is TE 250 – J. Others were D, L & N.

= Tim

I’d imagine TE250 is the aircraft serial number, the aircraft code letter would be ‘J’, Squadron codes would have been RAJ. So full aircraft ID would have been Spitfire XVI TE250 coded RAJ-J

TE250 was with 603 from 10/4/46 until 2/5/48 when it went to 609 Squadron.

The only full code I have is TE 250 – J. Others were D, L & N.

= Tim

Robert – yours came in after my last post.

OK – so why is TE not shown against 603 Sqn anywhere? Confused!

I havnt come across any 603 aircraft coded TE-.
I will check out further. Have you specific codes or serials of the actual aircraft you flew in, in your records?

Robert – yours came in after my last post.

OK – so why is TE not shown against 603 Sqn anywhere? Confused!

Meant to say, when I was at EDI a week or so back, all the ‘winter’ MT (Snow ploughs etc) were parked along the grass on the Southside – I beleive they used to live in that hanger.

Date? Not a bad guess? Could not be before 1948 & not later than 1951 when they got Vampires.

Me? Go back to my 25 July post? 9th up from bottom. One of only 2 ‘juniors’!

Griffons? Yes. Hence the noticeable torque!

= ‘Tim’

Nostalgia, but some confusion here!!
But solve this one in exchange? I also flew several Mk XVIs there, coded TE. How come??
TE was either 43 Sqn or 1401 Flight – neither of which had Spit XVIs!
= Tim

603 had Spitfire XVI’s Oct 1946 to Feb 1948 a number had TE serials TE354, 359, 437, 457, 463, 477.

Nostalgia, but some confusion here!!

RAJ was 603 Sqn RAuxAF, flying Spit 22s from 1948. John Sowrey, Flight Commander, let me fly one. Some torque!!

But solve this one in exchange? I also flew several Mk XVIs there, coded TE. How come??

TE was either 43 Sqn or 1401 Flight – neither of which had Spit XVIs!

= Tim

Hi Tim, I was about to reply to your post today, I thank you for your response and query, unfortunetly I cannot answer it. As regards the picture I was in the dark regarding its date and made a wild guess.
Thanks to your reply I have made a little headway on the date of the picture and the mark of Spitfire, I have found there is a wealth of knowledge on this website, so hopefully you and I can get some more information, from the experts waiting in the wings:D, and of course, an answer to your precise query.
Your post raises another question for me, were you posted to Turnhouse at one time?, you mentioned also you flew that mark of Spitfire (mk 22), were they Griffon engined?.

Gerry R:)

Did you get this, Gerry?

And can you help on my query??

= Tim