I stand corrected – any idea when it changed?

I don’t think it ever changed?

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/british_military/1985.html

’12 May
The airfield at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands is opened by Prince Andrew. However, due to ongoing work by the contractor responsible for the construction of the station and the need to transfer Royal Air Force (RAF) units from various locations around the Falkland Islands to the new complex, the station itself, RAF Mount Pleasant, did not officially open until 1 May 1986.’

Fairly sure that ‘RAF Mount Pleasant’ never existed. Its officially ‘Mount Pleasant Airfield’ (MPA) as it’s a ‘purple’ base – at least it was when I was last there.

Not too sure about ‘RAF Al Udeid’ either. Can’t imagine the Spams or Qataris being too happy with it….

If you want bases where the RAF have a ‘permanent’ presence, how about Kandahar/Basra etc?

RAF Mount Pleasant it is. Even certain ‘purple’ bases in the UK are still titled RAF.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/stations.cfm?selectStation=9E0E8C39-F754-2F05-6BF4D6CE47462066

Good for you !

when you see News items on how the MOD are buying back Cut & shut
Land Rovers for active service in War zones you have to wonder what the hell else is going on…

The ‘Cut & shut’ is typical media hype. The standards of these Land Rovers that are rebuilt are of the highest standards. Why shouldn’t perfectly serviceable and recoverable parts from damaged equipment be salvaged? Spares recovery has been practised for years in UK Armed Forces and many others. It is an insult to the dedicated teams that salvage such equipment to simply tar them with ‘Cut & shut’.

Isn’t there a (fat) Albert Square at Mount Pleasant Airfield in the Falkland Islands?

It’s the C-130 dispersal. 😀

Yup, Albert Square and the bar in the vicinity is the Queen Vic! There is also Letsby Avenue (Mil Police HQ) and Payus Place (Station HQ/Admin). Forces humour, you can’t beat it!

IIRC correctly the Elvington Industrial site next to the airfield has aircraft road names.

WP wrote

With the RAF getting replacements for the Sea King with the Merlin

Huh? Have I missed something? The Merlin isn’t replacing the Sea King in the RAF. The contract will probably be announced during 2009 after competition and probably go part private.

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-hmcg_rescue/mcga-hmcg-sar/dops_-_sar_helo_harmonisation.htm

[QUOTE=SADSACK;1184442]

A friend visited RAF Aston Down in Gloucester when he was working at Boscombe Down, there he found numerous Harvard parts including mainplanes, many useful bits were liberated back to Boscombe for their aircraft, others swopped for much needed spares.

Have they still got the Harvards at Boscombe Down? Too logical to give one to the BBMF I suppose?

What was the story in which they found 6 Bristol Fighters at halfpenny Green. Where are they now?

I have had some idiots try to tell me that the bunkers across the road from Waddington are full of stored nuclear bombers – at a push you might get a Lightning in there! what are those overgrown bunkers anyway, weapon stores?

You sure he didn’t say nuclear bombs? Much of the large fencing and watch towers have gone I believe. I believe that these were once used to house ‘instant buckets of sunshine’.

http://www.century20war.co.uk/page9.html

Sources Ive read stated some of the ex RAF Neptunes were in use, Im hoping they are right and not just embelllished to make a nice story!

If so then they would be identifiable by their serial. Certainly the two most famous Neptunes used were ex-US Navy. World Air Power Journal has indepth articles on the subject of the Argentine aircraft used during the conflict. Unfortunately I disposed of mine some time ago.

That is just vapour.

You see that type of vortex vapour forming in this video of a Raptor display.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyKYw_p1Hrc

Example of vortex being generated on this Harrier that I captured at low-level in UK