RAF V-Bomber Bases in the UK

I worked in Prestwick Tower and I was there when the ORP's were constructed. They are located in about a 1 o'clock position from the Tower. On the Google map look to where the 13/31 and 26/03 runways intersect and just to the left of blue a/c symbol thats them. You can see them better if you zoom Google. Saw a scramble one day on duty very impressive. Regards scopie 5861

I note that Alertken in posting #69 mentions RAE Farnborough.
I always wondered whether Farnborough would actually have been used as a dispersal airfield because when I mentioned its use in threads on other forums, I was always pooh poohed.

From before I was posted to ATC Farnborough in 1974 until about 2000, there was a dispersal on the south side of the airfield which was alway referred to as 'V Bomber dispersal'. It's still there to this day but has been re-named 'South 2 Apron' for some years and is situated west of disused runway 36 threshold area. It can be easily seen on satellite photos and appears to have been constructed post war roughly in line with the disused runway 22 from 2 'diamond' shaped dispersals. It was used for parking by RAE aircraft when ETPS then EFS occupied the area just east of 36 and later when Farnborough Business Aviation started up on the south side. Since they became TAG Aviation and moved north side it has been used to park aircraft during the airshow and at other times as an engine running base. The last V bomber I saw using it was a Victor which was flown in during the late '70s for dismantling.

Being situated near the midpoint of the main runway is unusual I must admit, but it is adjacent to mulltiple points of entry to the runway enabling backtracking.

If it was constructed for use by V Bombers, I don't know how many were intended; obviously it's big enough for 2 but 4 would have been a bit tight I think however there are a couple of other places, one just north of this dispersal and the other just south west across the taxiway where other aircraft could be parked. In addition, close to runway 25/24 threshold, there is another possible parking area which was known as 'The Pit', a sort of egg shaped dispersal where I believe RAE operated aircraft would have had bombs loaded.

To the south west of V Bomber dispersal there was an area which had it's own security perimeter inside the RAE perimeter known as 'Special Weapons Department' and I remember seeing an aerial photo taken during one airshow where a Victor and Vulcan were parked in this area overnight.

Sorry but I've no facility for downloading photos but you can study this area on GE or ZoomEarth.

.