Introduction
With post Cold war budget cuts hitting the armed forces strongly it was necessary during the early years of the new millennium to reduce not only the size of the forces but also to reduce the equipment it operated. This page shows some of the airfields that served the United Kingdom with great pride and honour and have now been closed but not forgotten.
Additionally this page shows some of the more minor airfields I very rarely get to visit.
RAF COLTISHALL
Former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall, was a Royal Air Force station, 10 miles North-North-East of Norwich, from 1938 to 2006. It was a fighter base in the Second World War and afterwards a base for night fighters then ground attack aircraft until closure. After longstanding speculation, the future of the station was sealed once the Ministry of Defence announced that the Typhoon, a rolling replacement aircraft, displacing the ageing Jaguars, would not be based there. The last of the Jaguar squadrons left on 1 April 2006 and the station finally closed, one month early and £10 million under budget, on 30 November 2006
RAF COTTESMORE
Royal Air Force Station Cottesmore, more commonly known as RAF Cottesmore, is a Royal Air Force station in Leicestershire. Cottesmore was the core component of Joint Force Harrier, and was home to the Four operational Harrier Squadrons. In early December 2009, it was announced the station would close due to funding cut-backs, in part to help pay for additional helicopters for British operations in Afghanistan. In 2010, 4 Squadron RAF disbanded, with 20 Squadron RAF re-badging as No 4 (Reserve) Squadron. The station became a satellite to RAF Wittering on 31 March 2011 with a civic parade and flypast to mark the disbandment of 1 Sqn RAF, 800 NAS, 801 NAS and JFH. RAF Cottesmore was formally closed on 1 March 2012 but in July 2011 it was announced that Cottesmore would house the Army's East of England Multi-Role Brigade.
RAF LEEMING
Royal Air Force Station Leeming, more commonly known as RAF Leeming, is a Royal Air Force station, in North Yorkshire. The primary role of RAF Leeming is to train for, deliver and support UK and expeditionary air operations. To accomplish this RAF Leeming is home to No 100 Squadron whose Hawk aircraft undertake a multitude of training tasks. Incorporated within 100 Squadron is the Navigator Training Unit that conducts the final phase of training for navigators destined to fly either the Tornado F3 or Tornado GR4. Also operating the Hawk is JFACTSU (Joint Forward Air Controller Training and Standards Unit). Their primary role is to develop, standardise and teach forward air controlling. No 2 Force Protection Wings role is the Command and Co-ordination of FP assets in the air environment, in order to deliver combat-effective operating locations No 2 FP includes No 34 Squadron RAF Regiment and No 609 (West Riding) Squadron Royal Auxillary Air Force. 90 Signals Unit is the most recent unit to join RAF Leeming, their role is as the RAF’s communication hub, the unit provides Expeditionary Information Services whenever and wherever they are required. The Station is also home to Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron(operating Tutor aircraft), a Mountain Rescue Team and 10 Field Squadron Royal Engineers.
