Transport at RAF Güthersloh

[Copter]

Heard a rumour that the MoD have plans to use Güthersloh again for army transport (fixed wing) flights !

Not officially confirmed.

Copter

[Rolf]

You won't belive it, but in 2003 there were Harriers of 3. Sqn. at their old homebase Gütersloh for an exercise!

[letsmoveit]

I heard these rumours as well. It looks as if Hannover wants to cancel those RAF-flights from there, and so a few months ago some RAF officials checked the base to use it for RAF-flights with Hercules, VC 10, C 17 and so on. Even an terminal for personal, stuff &Co. excixts from the times when civil flying is allowed. The Army doesnt like that idea, but the MoD will decide in the end, and the Army has to follw. Last year an C 17 picked up 2 Lynx for an exercise in Kenia from Gütersloh, and that goes to show that AAC and RAF can combine its strategic needs in an perfect way.

[Copter]

Is Niederrhein no option for these transport flights (then they have cargo, where they asked for )

Copter

[letsmoveit]

Welllllll...... we over here in Gütersloh would love to see our base in full use again, and to combine it with some civil flying,which would bring some money in, what its all about these days. From MoD-aspects it would make a lot of sence as they would save a lot of money, as ATC and firebrigade etc. is here anyway. Lets keep the fingers crossed, that it works out as we hope it will.

[Copter]

By the way, I heard the runway is allready owned by a civil company ....

[Triple Nickel]

I'm falling off my chair here!!

Now the RAF sees with their own eyes that their RAFG cutbacks were to soon and too much... Now they have to open a base again...

I hope it al comes true for Gutersloh. But it would also be nice to have them here at NRN.

On the other hand I ask: What is there to transport???? What kind of material or is it just troops?

Greetz, Ron

[Rolf]

Ron, I'm surprised, too. But Gütersloh is close to the remaining Bases of the Royal Army in Germany which Laarbruch is not. They need it for transport reasons, and exercises, occasionally, even with Harriers, as in 2003. But there is no need for any reopening of RAF flights to Laarbruch I think, unfortunately.

[letsmoveit]

Thats excatly the point. Gütersloh is surrounded by british units as in Sennelager, Osnabrück, Fallingbostel and so on. It costs the RAF an extreme amount of money to fly from places like Hannover or Paderborn, which are close to Gütersloh anyway. Why not safe the money, and use it combined with the Army and some local companies. If you look over to Britain to see, how many bases will be closed over there regarding costs, then the option to use an fully equipped base again is the most useful thing in the western world. It all depends on the MoD-report, which will be published in Oct., and then it will be clear, cause if they dont use Gütersloh for flying again, the Army will kick the airforcecrew in the tower out of the base and send the AAC-Lynx back to Britain, as they dont make much sence over here anyway besides some trainingflights. Otherwise all rumours do go direction flying fixed wing very clearly. The base is in the same shape as in 1993, when the Harriers left. What for ?Laarbruch has always been an fighterbase, but in Gütersloh there is space for planes like VC-10, Galaxy or 747, and so it should be used that way....soon hopefully.

[Copter]

It is also possible that the RAF is going to use NRN for VIP flights to Kalkar or Rheindahlen ...

Copter

[letsmoveit]

I am not so sure about that one, cause here we go again with the remaining costs when it comes to civil airports and its fees. They also thought about reopening Brüggen again, but they took away all the eqipment and cut off all the cables that excisted over there, cause the option with VIP-flights would have made sence in combination with Brüggen as well, but thats impossible for sure.

[Rolf]

Very interesting development, "letsmoveit". Please keep us informed!

[letsmoveit]

Well Rolf, if you keep an closer look on how the base and the runway is kept fully equipped, then it goes to show that some kind of further use must be on its way, cause otherwise they could just shut down the runway to base some ugly armytrucks on there. To use it again would save them lots of cash and would us bring back lots of fun

[Rolf]

@letsmoveit
Now I am a little confused. As I know Gütersloh is already in dual use as an airport for civil planes limited to 20 tons and by the AAC. So isn't the necessary equipment already there? To handle a C 17 an the Harriers (2003) it should be. Or am I wrong?

[letsmoveit]

Thats correct. It could be used by civil planes up to 20 T., if only the army would agree on that, but they keep on blocking it, as they dont wonna be involved in it. Bertelsmann & c. would love to fly from there, but got kicked out by some blockheads in Gütersloh. After they found out how much money these companies spend on the base, they would love to have them back, and this is why those terminals still wait for some use, weither its just for military(raf) or combined use.
Even the ATC`s from Gütersloh push hard to get the planes back in there, so they are in permanent confrontation with the officials from the army.