Leuchars flagged up by SNP

[Finningley Boy]

https://www.kingdomfm.co.uk/news/local-news/calls-for-clarity-over-leuchars-airfield/

The MOD have dismissed claims by Steve Gethins, MP for North East Fife, that there are plans to end military aviation at Leuchars in 2021. So where did Mr Gethins get the scent from? I'd have thought that Leuchars' position as the master diversion for Lossiemouth would ensure its survival in that regard!? But I've been certain about things before only to be proved mistaken.

FB

[Davef68]

UAS still based there at present

[Pontius Navigator]

We used Aberdeen more than Leuchars

[KPax]

I thought that Inverness was the main Diversion for Lossie, and there was a possibility of a hanger being built. Isn't there also still an ATC presence at Kinloss provided by Lossie ATC.

[Pontius Navigator]

Inverness and Kinloss are affected by the same weather conditions but OK for crash. And of course Prestwich.

[dook]

At Lossiemouth we used Leuchars as a weather diversion and Inverness or Kinloss as crash. However, our best crash was often our other runway.

If Leuchars was not suitable we would use Stornoway.

[Pontius Navigator]

Didn't need cables.

Reverse thrust on the mighty hunter and as for the Shack :)

[Finningley Boy]

At Lossiemouth we used Leuchars as a weather diversion and Inverness or Kinloss as crash. However, our best crash was often our other runway.

If Leuchars was not suitable we would use Stornoway.

dook,

This is how I understood it, but I'm intrigued as to what prompted Mr Gethins to blow his trumpet hard about such a notion with certainly nothing else in the public domain and, what I certainly read, as a comprehensive denial by the MOD.

FB

[Timelord]

The fact that something is completely wrong has never yet stopped the SNP “blowing a trumpet hard” about it.

[golfbananajam]

@PN

Prestwich?

a surburban town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Borough_of_Bury), Greater Manchester (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Manchester), England, 3.3 miles (5.3 km) north of Manchester city centre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_city_centre), 3.1 miles (5 km) north of Salford (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salford,_Greater_Manchester) and 4.7 miles (7.6 km) south of Bury (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bury,_Greater_Manchester).

Historically (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_counties_of_England) part of Lancashire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire), Prestwich was the seat of the ancient parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestwich-cum-Oldham), in the hundred of Salfordshire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salford_(hundred)).

[OffshoreSLF]

We used Aberdeen more than Leuchars

I live under the flight path for Aberdeen and many times I have seen Tornado's with wheels down on the approach. I've always assumed that they were familiarising themselves should the need ever arise that they had to do it for real.

[Timelord]

PN,

Just wondering what the nearest div with cables from Lossie would be if they got rid of Leuchars.
Leeming....

[dook]

Back in my days cables were not a prerequisite for a diversion.

Our jets stopped very quickly with just the 'chute and big brakes. It was designed for rough field operations.

Can't speak for todays' kit though.

[Cubanate]

Not so Pontious,

Several years ago Inverness Airport was fogged in and all flights diverted to Kinloss. Arrived there to turn the flights and the RAF boys had sunglasses on and were in shorts and T shirts!

[Melchett01]

The fact that something is completely wrong has never yet stopped the SNP “blowing a trumpet hard” about it.

When dealing with the SNP you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Hang around too long and it’s Westminster imperialism, look to close a base down and Westminster is doing all it can to kill the economy. Can’t win, best just give them a stiff ignoring until they have something genuinely worthwhile listening to.

[Pontius Navigator]

Not so Pontious,

Several years ago Inverness Airport was fogged in and all flights diverted to Kinloss. Arrived there to turn the flights and the RAF boys had sunglasses on and were in shorts and T shirts!
Har har, one day we were chasing our tails trying to land between snow showers with each in turn going black as we reached them and moved to the next and back.

[Finningley Boy]

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/north-east-fife-residents-warned-of-low-flying-aircraft-1-4792533

Here's an interesting first since the Army moved in.

FB

[Union Jack]

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/north-east-fife-residents-warned-of-low-flying-aircraft-1-4792533

Here's an interesting first since the Army moved in.

FB
"Out of necessity, this will involve an increase in air and maritime activity in the vicinity of Leuchars Station throughout this period, during both day and night time." - Fife Today

Can't wait to see the maritime activity in the vicinity, especially at night - Salmond fishing or skinny-dipping in the Eden?

Jack

[Green Flash]

Jack, perhaps they are expecting a very high tide and Be-200's landing on the runway! :)

[glad rag]

"Out of necessity, this will involve an increase in air and maritime activity in the vicinity of Leuchars Station throughout this period, during both day and night time." - Fife Today

Can't wait to see the maritime activity in the vicinity, especially at night - Salmond fishing or skinny-dipping in the Eden?

Jack

Couldn't read article as it's ad blocked.

Start of the Wildfowling season today mind, could get messy with all that hevishot [TM] flying about

[Finningley Boy]

Bearing in mind Stephen Gethins point raised about his concerns that Leuchars will lose its status as a Diversion for Lossiemouth, the worrying response from the Air Defence Secratariat is; a decision hasn't been made about the long term future of Leuchars. Well what does that mean exactly? This is Gethins point entirely, they can never give an answer which comprehensively reassures. So what is implied here? Are they saying that the station is under review again? Has someone in the MOD crunched some numbers and worked out that for the number of practice diversions and actual diversions, to fly the one hundred+ miles extra to Leeming and back still leaves the MOD in pocket when compared with the savings of closing down Leuchars as a WX diversion? Or is this, as has been suggested, a bull headed illogical demand for a trade off for turning Leuchars into the Army Central Hub in Scotland? I was saying to my Brother just the other day, did you know that along with four squadrons of Typhoons, all the RAF's nine P-8s and a new P-8 maintenance centre together with the constant coming and going of US Navy and Royal Norwegian Air Force P-8s, the former I understand may have a permanent operational detachment there, will be based at Lossiemouth. His response was to say what a choice target for Terrorists. Same with the Army Hub!? When did we lose sight of the folly of over grouping everything in one place and limiting the scope for deployment? The bean counters can always show what they've saved with what they've taken away, but will never be drawn to explain the cost they've inflicted!

FB

[drustsonoferp]

There are probably some important semantics here. "Plans to end..." do not necessarily equal "no confirmation of support beyond" - but they might do. And if you want to start winding up the political head of pressure required, you might want to start sooner rather than later.

[PICKS135]

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/north-east-fife-residents-warned-of-low-flying-aircraft-1-4792533

Here's an interesting first since the Army moved in.

FB

Had something similiar earlier this year. Some 'Hooligans' were throwing themselves out of perfectly serviceable aircraft into St Andrews bay the lot. One of Serco's ships is also currently in St Andrews Bay. Wonder why ;-)

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:194330/mmsi:235068802/imo:9534107/vessel:SD_VICTORIA

[matkat]

I was om VASF at Lossie (And Leuchars) and remember ABZ being closed and Lossie was their diversion cannot recall having anything similar happening at Leuchars.

[BEagle]

VASF Leuchars on the Ark Royal dispersal were always excellent! Whether dealing with an F-4 or a VC10K, Big George and his lads always provided a superb service to visiting aircraft.

[tescoapp]

could it be to do with the radar needing to be replaced in the short term for it to remain viable?

it hasn't been exactly reliable for the last 15 years...

[Red Line Entry]

Finningley Boy,

Who are these ‘bean counters’ of whom you speak? Do you imagine there is a brigade of faceless civil servants giving direction to the RAF which then must be enacted? If so, you are somewhat misguided. Under the Levine reforms, the Front Line Commands have extensive control over how they spend their money. I cannot think of any significant decision made in the last few years that has not been endorsed by either CAS, DCom Cap, DCom Ops or COS Cap. None of these individuals I would characterise as a ‘bean counter’, quite the reverse! However, they are having to deal with significant financial constraints in the best way possible while maximising the RAF’s capability, so difficult decisions have to be taken. But rest assured, they are being taken by people who absolutely understand the operational impact of their actions!

[matkat]

VASF Leuchars on the Ark Royal dispersal were always excellent! Whether dealing with an F-4 or a VC10K, Big George and his lads always provided a superb service to visiting aircraft.
Thanks BE and it was always as pleasure seeing you, George is still in the states as far as know think he was back for a GE reunion a while back with Ron Pepper.

[Finningley Boy]

Finningley Boy,

Who are these ‘bean counters’ of whom you speak? Do you imagine there is a brigade of faceless civil servants giving direction to the RAF which then must be enacted? If so, you are somewhat misguided. Under the Levine reforms, the Front Line Commands have extensive control over how they spend their money. I cannot think of any significant decision made in the last few years that has not been endorsed by either CAS, DCom Cap, DCom Ops or COS Cap. None of these individuals I would characterise as a ‘bean counter’, quite the reverse! However, they are having to deal with significant financial constraints in the best way possible while maximising the RAF’s capability, so difficult decisions have to be taken. But rest assured, they are being taken by people who absolutely understand the operational impact of their actions!

All very well RLE, however, who thought that they were comprehensively refuting an assertion by a politician by stating 'no decision has been made about the future of...'? This is the kind of mask slipping stuff, whoever is behind it, that gets folk like Gethins running to the newspapers and who can blame him.

FB

[NorthSouth]

https://www.kingdomfm.co.uk/news/local-news/calls-for-clarity-over-leuchars-airfield/

The MOD have dismissed claims by Steve Gethins, MP for North East Fife, that there are plans to end military aviation at Leuchars in 2021. So where did Mr Gethins get the scent from? I'd have thought that Leuchars' position as the master diversion for Lossiemouth would ensure its survival in that regard!? But I've been certain about things before only to be proved mistaken.

FB

I suspect this might be Mr Gethins' source:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696814/2018-03356.pdf

Leuchars' (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696814/2018-03356.pdfLeuchars') status is highly anomalous. The only ATC unit providing a LARS H24. Why? Not even Lossiemouth or Coningsby do that even though they're the source of any H24 movements at Leuchars. And how many Typhoon divs do they get? Last time I looked a pair of Lossie Typhoons operating to the north diverted all the way to (Liverpool?), flying past Leuchars because they were on easterlies and below minima (Cat D PAR DH 710ft on 08 compared to 250 on 26)