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Pilgrimage Gary Parsons basks in nostalgia...
This is something of a
pilgrimage for me, as Binbrook is the place that rekindled my enthusiasm
for aeroplanes and airfields. As a child I was keen, living in the
shadow of Marham's Victors and Canberras, cycling to the fence to
see the B-52s on deployment in the mid-seventies. But, along came
a career and marriage, and a move to the east coast of Lincolnshire
in '84, during which I lost my way regarding aviation. But, after
a couple of years of watching Lightnings tumble and dog-fight in clear
summer skies I ventured to find where they lived, to see more of this
ageing fighter that as a kid had always made me tremble inside and
out, as I knew they
A drive around the technical
area brings many contrasts; the station headquarters building is well
kept, now housing a small office complex, but across the road the
guardroom looks dishevelled, rough wooden doors keeping out the vandals
that invariably descent upon such abandoned places. Crude fences block
internal roads, separating the hangars from the new industries, while
grain lorries track along the taxiways to and from the crash gate
on the south-west corner. H-block barrack rooms stand between the
trees, empty but undamaged, the windows amazingly intact after ten
long years. Empty But, I am amazed to see,
the 5 Squadron badge on Hangar one shines
as brightly as it ever did, fresh paint signifying the past is not
being forgotten. For in this hangar sits XR724,
an F6 that decided she didn't want to leave, who sometimes stretches
her legs and breathes again the Lincolnshire air. Such a day is today,
the 20th of September, just a month or two past the tenth anniversary
of her sisters leaving. Alone, she is a vibrant reminder of the recent
past, the sound of her two Rolls-Royce Avons filling the still air,
echoing around the Wolds for a time lost to history. Resplendent in
5 Squadron markings, she sits on the taxiway
XR724 was constructed as an F3 at Samlesbury, and first flown on 10 February 1965. Converted to an F6 almost immediately afterwards, she commenced service with 11 Squadron on 16 June 1967. Most of her life was spent at Binbrook, and she was one of the last to fly with British Aerospace on testing duties. Further information can be found at the Lightning Association web site. POSTSCRIPT, 18 November 1998 (text edited from the Grimsby Evening Telegraph): The Ministry of Defence has
just sold four of Binbrook's hangars, including the one which houses
XR724, but she has been given a reprieve as the new owners of the
hangar are letting her stay there in the short term. Members of the
Lightning Association and shareholders of the plane feared it would
be left homeless when the hangars were sold, and moving the plane
would mean taking it apart along a joint or stripping it down to make
it light enough to be transported. It feared that trying to move the
jet to another airfield, perhaps outside Lincolnshire, could damage
it. ''Thanks to the new owner's generosity we can keep it there for
the moment and after that keep it outside,'' said Charles Ross, chairman
of the Lightning Association. Engineers will be taking out the engines,
so the jet can be stored outside in the future. The Association and
shareholders are meeting to decide what to do next, but Mr Ross said
they could try to move the jet to another airfield or put up a building
at Binbrook to house it, although there would be many strings attached
to this. ''A third option is to keep it in the open at Binbrook, as
that is the spiritual home of the Lightning and some might say there
ought to be one there,'' he said. Storing the plane outside, however,
would mean it would not be in working order, but the association may
want to keep its jet in flying condition in case the CAA relaxes its
rules on the operation of ex-military supersonic aircraft in the future. A MOD spokeswoman said the decision to sell RAF Binbrook had been made because it was now surplus to requirements and needs on the defence estate had changed.
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It
is a fine early autumn afternoon, the sun still strong although lower
in the sky, ironic after such a poor summer. The air is still and
the heat reflects off the expanse of concrete, now heavy with weeds
forcing their way through the joints. White lines can still be seen,
although faded now, where the 
the
insects that are basking in the late summer air. The peace and solitude
here high in the Lincolnshire Wolds always seems serene, today more
intense as the lack of breeze intensifies any sound, giving a surreal
atmosphere to this once cathedral of 
were
on borrowed time. Thus, many a long hour was spent towards the end
in '87 and '88 as first 5 Squadron passed their standard to the 'Electric
flick-knife' at Coningsby, then 11 Squadron did so to Leeming. The
sight of dead hulks lining the disused runway was evidence that it
was all over in June 1988 as the last two Lightnings left on a dull
summer morning, the airfield itself slated for closure.
A
brief period as a relief landing ground for Scampton followed, but
this was short lived as the latter closed its doors as well in 1995.
The runway approach lights were removed, the tower demolished and
the large white crosses painted at each end of the runway, signifying
the story had finally ended as far as the Ministry of Defence was
concerned. Savills estate agents took on the task of disposing of
the airfield and hangars, a process that is soon to be complete. Whether
the taxiways and runways will remain is uncertain, but the only proposed
road scheme in the immediate area is a southern bypass for Lincoln,
so the moratorium on road building may just negate the benefits of
ripping them up for hardcore. The technical site soon became a small
industrial site after the RAF moved out, but many of the barrack blocks
remained empty, as they do today. 
wardrobes
with doors ajar give the impression of a hasty exit, as if she was
a ship slowly sinking; likewise, the crew rooms in the hangar annexes
are still adorned with squadron stickers and emblems, memories of
past exchanges seeping through the battered window frames. What the
morale was like, towards the end, is probably best left uncovered;
best to imagine the pilots proud to gracefully retire both the aircraft
and airfield, looking to the future of the Tornado F3…
gleaming
in the warm sunshine, evidence of tender loving care having been applied
by the members of the Lightning Association. A small crowd gathers
as the starter is engaged, compressed air hisses violently making
everyone jump, after which the engines can be heard spooling up; suddenly
the pilot waves in a concerned manner, as number two is reluctant
to spin, but in a second all is well and the thumbs up signify she
is ready to roll. Hesitantly at first, she soon gets into her stride
and Binbrook is once more alive to the motion of a Lightning, but
all too soon she is brought to a halt. The brakes are applied and
the engines pushed forward to full dry thrust, the air reverberating
to the thunder, the immense power of the two Rolls Royce Avons enveloping
the senses until suddenly the throttle is cut back and she sits up
at the nose, regaining her normal posture. Peace returns, the heat
from the now quiet engines mixing with the summer warmth generated
by the tarmac. Everyone smiles, the crew relieved knowing the type's
reputation for engine fires…
Unfortunately,
the future of XR724 at Binbrook is uncertain as the airfield and hangars
have recently been disposed of by the Ministry of Defence. Whether
the association will be able to remain at the airfield is uncertain,
but to see the Lightning leave will be sad, as here is her natural
home. While the runway remains, there is hope that flying of some
sort may happen in the future, and that XR724 can stretch her legs
down the mile long strip. The association will strive to ensure her
existence, wherever she may live.