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[LC0112G]

Incidentally, the runway where I live is a shuttle landing option so suitable for heavy and long haul. I'd welcome the expansion and building of an airport. The compulsory purchase on my house would be just the push we need to emigrate!

Sorry, but no it wasn't - and no it isn't.

RAF Fairford (10000') was the only designated shuttle landing site in the UK. Many sites were looked at and some were certified as suitable (including Manston, Elvingdon, St Mawgan, Macrihanish), but Fairford was the only one actually selected - although it was never used. 

RAF Woodbridge is/was 9000' long. RAF Benidioters is/was 8940' long. RAF Wattisham is 7983'.  You need at least 10000' for long haul to be viable. There are very few 10000' runways in the UK - Heathrow (2), Gatwick (1), Manchester (2), Birmingham (1), Stanstead (1), Brize (1), Fairford (1) and Macrihanish(1). Manchester and Birmingham have had recent extensions. Brize, Fairford, (and Greenham) were all USAF fields that were extended to 10000' during the cold war. Most UK military fighter bases are/were 7500'-8000', and V bomber bases were 9000'. 

Local NIMBY's have already placed limits on the number of movements allowed at Benidioters every year, and that's just for warbirds like Spitfires etc. And Sizewell B is inconvenient too.

Not sure what's going on with the swear filter - it's RAF  B e n t w a t e r s !

[Rods2]

That would also rule Farnborough out as runway is 8000ft with no easy options for making longer.

[Lazydocker]

Incidentally, the runway where I live is a shuttle landing option so suitable for heavy and long haul. I'd welcome the expansion and building of an airport. The compulsory purchase on my house would be just the push we need to emigrate!

Sorry, but no it wasn't - and no it isn't.

RAF Fairford (10000') was the only designated shuttle landing site in the UK. Many sites were looked at and some were certified as suitable (including Manston, Elvingdon, St Mawgan, Macrihanish), but Fairford was the only one actually selected - although it was never used. 

RAF Woodbridge is/was 9000' long. RAF Benidioters is/was 8940' long. RAF Wattisham is 7983'.  You need at least 10000' for long haul to be viable. There are very few 10000' runways in the UK - Heathrow (2), Gatwick (1), Manchester (2), Birmingham (1), Stanstead (1), Brize (1), Fairford (1) and Macrihanish(1). Manchester and Birmingham have had recent extensions. Brize, Fairford, (and Greenham) were all USAF fields that were extended to 10000' during the cold war. Most UK military fighter bases are/were 7500'-8000', and V bomber bases were 9000'. 

Local NIMBY's have already placed limits on the number of movements allowed at Benidioters every year, and that's just for warbirds like Spitfires etc. And Sizewell B is inconvenient too.

Not sure what's going on with the swear filter - it's RAF  B e n t w a t e r s !

I apologise... Must be one of those Urban Legends as it was described as one of the longest and widest usable runways until the one in Spain took over.

I can confirm that the surface is almost immaculate, although there are large shrubs and trees growing between the runway and taxi ways (which are in poor condition) and that we generally only see Apache and Osprey aircraft here now, with the occasional Chinook!!

[chrisgixer]

Benidioters

All yes it's the Stmo twhat factor playing up again

[LC0112G]

I apologise... Must be one of those Urban Legends as it was described as one of the longest and widest usable runways until the one in Spain took over.

Yes - Urban Ledgend I'm afraid (and apologies not required). Many military bases have the Space Shuttle story attached to them. I spent many hours in Rendlesham Forrest, near Wantisden Church and up Friday Street in the 1980's. Woodbridge does indeed have a very wide runway - Originally it was three times the normal width, and used as 3 separate runways for emergencies.

[05omegav6]

Gatwicks 08L/26R is just over 3000m long if landing west to east, and will easily accept a wide body jet in emergency situations without issue... have watched a Northwest MD11 make an unpowered landing on it following a total hydraulic failure, engines off the second it touched down, the aircraft came to a controlled stop just before the eastern threshold. And you could physically use it simultaneously with no issues for take offs/landings, afterall it is used as a Taxiway most of the time making a mockery of operational runway separation regs.

It wouldn't surprise me if a last minute proposal was made to allow simultaneous use of both runways for single aisle aircraft on an experimental basis with arrivals on the northern runway and departures on the southern one, thereby placing a practical limitation on two runway operations, whilst negating physical and environmental costs by not having to build another runway outside the current perimeter...

[LC0112G]

Gatwicks 08L/26R is just over 3000m long if landing west to east,

The currently certified length for 08L/26R is 8415' (2564m) in both directions.

and will easily accept a wide body jet in emergency situations without issue... have watched a Northwest MD11 make an unpowered landing on it following a total hydraulic failure, engines off the second it touched down, the aircraft came to a controlled stop just before the eastern threshold.

The two extreme cases are 1) Landing at max landing weight on a wet runway. 2) Taking off at max all up weight on a wet runway. 8415' is not enough under these conditions for a modern heavy - and even 10000' is marginal.

And you could physically use it simultaneously with no issues for take offs/landings, afterall it is used as a Taxiway most of the time making a mockery of operational runway separation regs.

It wouldn't surprise me if a last minute proposal was made to allow simultaneous use of both runways for single aisle aircraft on an experimental basis with arrivals on the northern runway and departures on the southern one, thereby placing a practical limitation on two runway operations, whilst negating physical and environmental costs by not having to build another runway outside the current perimeter...

See Section 3.1.11 of this :
http://www.icao.int/safety/Implementation/Library/Manual%20Aerodrome%20Stds.pdf

Runway separation is as much to do with wake turbulence. The ICAO minimum is 1035m for independent operation. This can be reduced (to 760m) if the runways are synchronised, but that also places restrictions on operation in bad weather. Gatwicks runways are only 200m apart - no chance anyone will certify them for simultaneous use. 

Runway 08L/26R is a non-instrument runway and will only be used when Runway 08R/26L is temporarily non-operational by reason of
 maintenance or accident. Additionally, during months where planned maintenance does not take place, Runway 08L/26R will be in use on the
 first Tuesday morning of each month from 0100 to 0400 (Winter) and 0001 to 0300 (Summer) for lighting checks, subject to weather and
 confirmation on ATIS.
 d. Use of Runway 08L/26R
 Runway 08L/26R cannot be used simultaneously with Runway 08R/26L because of insufficient separation between the two. For this reason
 also, extensive safeguarding procedures are required (see d ii) before Runway 08L/26R can be activated and the runway is not available on
 request by pilots.
 Lighting for the closed runway and parallel taxiway will not be visible on approach.
 e. Restriction of Operation
 i. During Runway 08L/26R operations, delays may occur to aircraft taxiing on the aerodrome due to the following:
 1. The parallel taxiway is limited to use by aircraft of wingspan 30 m or below during actual take-offs or landings on Runway 08L/26R
 2. Additional restrictions when the Ground Movement Radar (GMR) is not available
 ii. When Runway 08L/26R is being brought into planned use the aerodrome will be closed for a period of up to 15 minutes to allow the
 necessary safeguarding procedures to be implemented. The same will apply when Runway 08R/26L is brought back into use. In an
 emergency situation, implementation of the change to Runway 08L/26R can be expected to take substantially longer.

[TheBoy]

Incidentally, the runway where I live is a shuttle landing option so suitable for heavy and long haul. I'd welcome the expansion and building of an airport. The compulsory purchase on my house would be just the push we need to emigrate!

Sorry, but no it wasn't - and no it isn't.

RAF Fairford (10000') was the only designated shuttle landing site in the UK. Many sites were looked at and some were certified as suitable (including Manston, Elvingdon, St Mawgan, Macrihanish), but Fairford was the only one actually selected - although it was never used. 

RAF Woodbridge is/was 9000' long. RAF Benidioters is/was 8940' long. RAF Wattisham is 7983'.  You need at least 10000' for long haul to be viable. There are very few 10000' runways in the UK - Heathrow (2), Gatwick (1), Manchester (2), Birmingham (1), Stanstead (1), Brize (1), Fairford (1) and Macrihanish(1). Manchester and Birmingham have had recent extensions. Brize, Fairford, (and Greenham) were all USAF fields that were extended to 10000' during the cold war. Most UK military fighter bases are/were 7500'-8000', and V bomber bases were 9000'. 

Local NIMBY's have already placed limits on the number of movements allowed at Benidioters every year, and that's just for warbirds like Spitfires etc. And Sizewell B is inconvenient too.

Not sure what's going on with the swear filter - it's RAF  B e n t w a t e r s !

IIRC. isn't Upper Heyford 11000' ?

[biggriffin]

heathrow, would have had the capacity to expand 10 years ago,if the stupid council round here(they drink the water) had allowed raf alconbury to become the airfreight hub that they were planning it to become,the rail links were planned, the roads are here A14-A1, A14 upgrade has started. but no a few envolpes and it is now a ruddy white elephant.

[LC0112G]

IIRC. isn't Upper Heyford 11000' ?

Upper Heyford 09/27 9592', 2924m
Alconbury 12/30 9009', 2746m
Lakenheath 06/24 9000', 2743m
Mildenhall 11/29 9240', 2816m
Wethersfield 10/28 9088', 2770m
Sculthorpe 06/24 9004', 2744m

Some of these have under-runs that can be used to extend the take off length by 1000', but Upper Heyford isn't one of them.