LYNEHAM VISIT FOR AFA MEMBERS...

[billsamuels]

Evening chaps,

With the fantastic help of ZZ, AFA members have been offered a tour of the stored helicopters at Lyneham.

The visit has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 27th 2017.  Currently we are anticipating a PM time, but we need to be flexible as we are fitting in with their available time slots.

We have very limited space available so please only apply if you can definitely attend. We'll be accepting applications on a 'First come First served' basis.

As with our last AFA visit to Middle Wallop, we may be asked for a donation towards the bases chosen charity, if this is the case we will advise you in advance.

Thanks once again ZZ, I am sure we will all have a great day out.

All the best.

Bill

[graham]

Great news ZZ, and as always, huge appreciation for all your efforts.

Here's a list of what is currently stored at Lyneham, courtesy of "Demobbed" website

www.demobbed.org.uk/locations.php?location=1824

[zz]

This list includes the 2 Qatari Lynx as well... a total of 34 aircraft.

www.eurodemobbed.org.uk/locations.php?location=1824


No problems guys, looking forward to it.

So far we have

1) Me
2) Mike (my dad )
3) Bill
4) Graham

[graham]

Thanks for the updated list ZZ. Very surprised when I checked my mil logs that I need 26 of those!

[Dylan]

Hi ZZ/Graham,
Could you please add Kevin Grant to the list - sadly I'll be working as it's a weekday. If you need any other details please let me know.
Cheers chaps and have a great trip.
Dylan

[keefyboy]

Hi ZZ

I did ping Bill last night expressing my interest if there are spaces available - there are 12 at Lyneham I've not seen before

Cheers

Keith

[graham]

Hi Dylan, it's good to hear from you, you've been missed.

[davebasing]

Aug 8, 2017 10:12:16 GMT zz said:

This list includes the 2 Qatari Lynx as well... a total of 34 aircraft.

www.eurodemobbed.org.uk/locations.php?location=1824


No problems guys, looking forward to it.

So far we have

1) Me
2) Mike (my dad )
3) Bill
4) Graham

Hi ZZ. Count me in please if you have space. However I note that others need far more than I do (I only need one) so if you get oversubscribed I'd be happy to concede to anyone who would benefit more than me.

[zz]

1) Phil (zz)
2) Mike M
3) Bill
4) Graham
5) Keith (keefyboy)
6) Kevin Grant
7) Davebasing


Keith- sorry, Bill mentioned that someone had expressed an interest last night.

Dave- that's very generous, but hopefully no need. I'm hopeful that we may be able to arrange another visit, as there are already a few who would like to come but can't.


3 at Lyneham that I need, but also it's a base that I've never been in or on, only outside.

[starlifter]

Hi ZZ/Graham

Any chance you could add me to the list please?

Thanks
Andrew

[photomick]

please put my name forward any time OK

[zz]

Hi Andrew and photomick- added!
Also Malcolm James.

1) Phil (zz)
2) Mike M
3) Bill
4) Graham
5) Keith (keefyboy)
6) Kevin Grant
7) Davebasing
8) Andrew (starlifter)
9) Malcolm James
10) photomick 

I should just add that we THINK/HOPE we have 12 places, but I am still waiting to hear from Lyneham confirming numbers and arrival time.
If I don't hear anything this week, I will try again next Monday.

So whilst we have been offered 27 Sep, no places are confirmed until Lyneham confirm numbers.

[starlifter]

Thanks Phil

cheers
Andrew

[rugbyref]

Hi Phil (ZZ), I would be keen to go too, if possible. Thanks Phil (Rugby Ref).

[zz]

Hi Phil- added!
Just one more...

1) Phil (zz)
2) Mike M
3) Bill
4) Graham
5) Keith (keefyboy)
6) Kevin Grant
7) Davebasing
8) Andrew (starlifter)
9) Malcolm James
10) photomick
11) Phil (rugby ref)
12)

[graham]

Morning Phil, I would often cycle to Lyneham as it was only a few miles from where I grew up. There's a village close to Lyneham called New Zealand and if you cycled down through the village, the road ended by a crash gate right beside the threshold of the main runway, The C-130s would go over your head at no more than 100ft on finals. If I recall it took me only 7 or 8 visits to clear the original fleet of 66. But I would also see Belfasts, VC10s, Comets and other more exotic fruit such as regular visits from the Iranian AF C-130s. It was a very busy base in the 70s and 80s and I also attended a couple of their open days.

[rh226]

That signpost always makes me laugh as I come out of Goatacre!!

Remember that crash gate well, though I never did see them using that cross runway - but it was rather inconvenient for seeing some of the visitors (and the Varsity on the fire dump).

[davebasing]

I also used to use the viewpoint in the cul de sac in New Zealand. My first visit to Lyneham was way back in 1963 when it housed the Comets and Britannias. I also logged around two dozen Meteors that day in and around the maintenance unit (No 33) which was by then housed in the area on the opposite side of the A3102 road from the main base (3 surviving hangars and where the preserved DC3 was in later years before moving to Brize), served by a taxiway across the main road. Although it will probably always be remembered as a transport base, Lyneham was originally built as a maintenance unit and in the immediate post war years it held upwards of 750 stored aircraft awaiting their fates. Over 500 of these were apparently Spitfires. With the decreasing size of the RAF, the maintenance unit finally closed in December 1967 but not before I'd made another visit to see them processing the scrapping of Lightning F1s, a task they shared with the MU at Leconfield in Yorkshire. I noted 2 Varsitys on the fire dump at separate times, WL631 which arrived in 1973 and WJ916 which turned up to replace it in 1977.

The only current resident of the tri service training centre which I need is development Lynx XZ170. I made a few visits to the previous training school at Arborfield (where many of the Lyneham inmates came from when that place closed), but XZ170 arrived there after my last trip round. The Lyneham school was set up to combine the Army school at Arborfield and the Navy equivalent at Fleetlands.

[graham]

I used to drive past Lyneham most days of the week Dave, it's hard to envisage there being a taxiway across that busy main road. I believe the old DC-3 was "gate guard" for the 47th Air Assault Sqn who were based on that opposite side of the A3102 although I stand to be corrected

[bonniville]

room for one more, if possible include me

dave

[graham]

It's full.

[zz]

Hi Kevin Grant (Dylan), photomick and keefyboy,

If you have not already done so, please can you reply to Bill's PM, sending full name, car make, model and reg?

Many thanks

Phil

[zz]

Hi all

Final reminder-

Meet just before 13.00 at Lyneham main gate.

Ssgt Sean Ireland will be hosting us- I get the impression that it will be more of an informal wander than last year's Middle Wallop visit.

See you all Wednesday
Phil

[graham]

Great, thanks Phil very much

[zz]

Still hoping that starlifter, photomick and Kevin Grant have seen the message about taking photo ID...!

[graham]

Morning Phil, I've posted a message here on AFA " forum update" section to ask if anyone on here knows starlifter and if so, has a contact number for him. Fingers crossed.

[graham]

Well, a fabulous afternoon at Lyneham, top marks to Phil for arranging it all, and kudos to our very friendly guide Sean Ireland for whom nothing was too much trouble. Photos will be uploaded tomorrow morning. Great to meet all the AFA-ers who attended. Great company.

[photomick]

Great day and great company thanks ZZ for all you did role on the next outing