RAF Upper Heyford 2011.
Opened as an air base in 1918,taken over in the early 50`s by the Americans,this was the home to the F1-11`s till closure late 1994.Now a Heritage listed site,most of the domestic parts will soon be cleared for housing,but around the edge of the airfield many small businesses rent the old buildings.Thames Valley Police use an area next to the QRA area for training.
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We begin our tour near the runway
These concrete hangers were built around 78/80
They housed the General Dynamics F1-11
Security building
One of two watch towers from WW2
This site is known as QRA meaning "quick response area"
Fire pit near a hanger
There are 56 of these hangers in total
Inside the hanger now..Comms boxes
Imagine the noise when the jet was fired up
Some small firms have rented out these hangers
Looking out
Klaxons
We picked a cracking day
The motors that opened these doors have mostly been removed
Don,our guide used to work here on maintenance
They had to drag these doors open ingeniously
Each hanger is named after a high ranking officer
Essential
Exhausts that were capped off
Hotline
Very essential
Rear of the hanger
Seriously good fencing