RAF Thorney Island and HMS ?

Specifically but not exclusively for VA pilots.. details of recommended addon scenery that cover VA destinations.

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DaveB
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Re: RAF Thorney Island and HMS ?

Post by DaveB »

Hi Hobby,

Tks for the HU on rcbco-20. I'm sure I have that somewhere!! :roll:

Re the Phantom's at Yeovilton..
The reason for them not using the arrestor was as I'd guessed.. it was just too darned big and too darned heavy!! I suppose that having had to plough sacks of money into refurbing Ark Royal so that she could operate the Phantom, it wasn't deemed appropriate to increase expenditure further by upgrading Yeoviltons ageing arrestor.

ATB

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hobby
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Re: RAF Thorney Island and HMS ?

Post by hobby »

Defence decisions always astound me!

One sure thing, learnt over many years by commanders, at the beginning of your war (for war read 'confrontation' if necessary) you never have the right people in the right jobs or locations and you never ever have the equipment you need for that war or confrontation.

Successful private ventures? Mosquito, the Barnes Wallace 'bouncing' bomb, pre-war middle east desert exploration and commercial bus routes leading to the LRDG, PPA and SAS. SOE began life as a private venture, as did the FANY -(Odette and Nancy Wake were members) not part of the UK Armed forces, a completely private civilian unit yet still serving the nation well in 2007. Hull designs for pre war racing which led to RN MTBs and RAF ASRLs. A successful equipment private venture for land forces escapes me.

Passing on I discovered a useful zip for FS9 'flattening and/or exclusion' which I have posted as a separate item in the 'developers' section of the forum.

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Re: RAF Thorney Island and HMS ?

Post by DaveB »

Hope you don't mind, I've moved this topic here as it seems a more appropriate place for it.
Not entirely sure this IS the right place John. Although it's loosly about scenery, it's not of the 'recommended' variety and began as an ILS question for Thorney. Granted.. it strayed a little :)

Defence decisions have always baffled me too Hobby :lol:

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nicholette
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Re: RAF/RNAS Thorney Island, Ford, Lee-on-Solent and Fort Grange

Post by nicholette »

This may be a little late, however when I read about arrested shore based landings I thought I would post something for those who may be interested in the future.

Many year ago I used to fly into an RAF Airfield called 'RAF Honnington' near Thetford in Norfolk. It sticks in my mind because it is the only time I have had a clearance to land, appended with, "Caution - Land at your own digression between the arrestor wires". Yes they had arrestor wires across both ends of the runway so landing was a little bit of a precise positioning exercise which I understand sometimes was a 'work stopping distraction' for those on the ground. For info the last time I looked I could still make out the wire positions at RAF Honnington on Google Earth.

I worked for a while at RAF Thorney Island and only knew it as such. The nearest RNAS Airfields I knew to have existed nearby were RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine) now a prison although runways still show on Google Earth, 14.4 Miles east

RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus also at one time HMS Ariel ) http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Daedalus/History.html 19.8 miles west. Just to the east of Lee-on-Solent used to be RNAS/RAF? HMS Siskin, also known as 'Fort Grange' open from c. WWI until closed in 1954 although the website http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/airfields/gos.html will give details with runways.

I am surprised that no one seems to have made a definitive model of Lee-on-Solent, as it probably was and still is unique in being the only seaplane base left having a slipway extending across the main coast road from the land base to the sea, complete with special large red traffic lights when in use. The last time was only a few years ago when I had to stop while a twin Otter amphibian crossed the road. Lee also had another set of traffic light on the road at the threshold of a runway as more than once an aircraft had failed to rotate gone though the fence and ended up in the sea. So a pretty interesting place soon to disappear under overspill housing leaving perhaps a small coastguard helo pad with short police islander strip.

Since Hampshire Constabulary took over management of Lee they have decided not to share it with general aviation (citing Security as the reason, although the MOD landlord enforces pass access, interesting that no sharing makes selling for housing easier). The site also houses the Hovercraft museum. Lee Flying Association at their website http://www.eghf.co.uk/ (What fun! They have a steerable camera in Hanger B, or am I just easily pleased now). Lists the present GA and leisure users who are now on a tenuous 'present users may return' basis, at the forelock touching behest of (servants of the public) Hampshire Police. Incidentally for avid simulator fans who demand accuracy, if you get an Islander you may (allegedly) be totally accurate if you launch for such things as bicycle and fish theft!

If anyone does decide to remodel Lee, the ILS was on runway 23/(05) with an escape route across the southern boundary and public road at whatever height cleared the fence (where the second set of big red traffic lights will have already, hopefully have stopped the road traffic for you), then out over the sea.

These airfields seem to have had quite a few crashes too - http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/hancrash.html
Last edited by nicholette on 05 Jul 2009, 20:12, edited 2 times in total.

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DaveB
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Re: RAF Thorney Island and HMS ?

Post by DaveB »

Hi nicholette :wave:

A warm welcome to the forum and thanks very much for that. I think most folk put up with Gary Summons UK2000 Lee on Solent. I can't recall another version :think:

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chockhead819
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Re: RAF Thorney Island and HMS ?

Post by chockhead819 »

Are some of you guys getting mixed up with CHAG(Chain Arrestor Gear) & Arrestor wires? As i recall CHAG was just a big lump of Chain that was rigged in case of brake failure at Yeovil & elsewhere.

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