Airfields that never were

All is forgiven Peter. I should have realised if I had looked at the italicised other airfields mentioned. That should have made me think more.

Not so much an airfield that never was but an airfield that was built and never used.

RAF Laarbruch's Cold War relief strip on the A57 autobahn near Sonsbeck (51°34'27.7"N 6°25'50.6"E).
Most people driving on the autobahn never realised what it was but the telltale signs are straight as a die for 2,600 metres with a service area at each end. Also the central reservation has no planting, just the crash barrier which can be removed relatively quickly. I did hear a tale of a Jaguar pilot who got a bit lost and was lined up, wheels down on the Sonsbeck strip, before realising his mistake.

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Sonsbeck

PaulGiverin wrote:

Not so much an airfield that never was but an airfield that was built and never used.

RAF Laarbruch's Cold War relief strip on the A57 autobahn near Sonsbeck (51°34'27.7"N 6°25'50.6"E).
Most people driving on the autobahn never realised what it was but the telltale signs are straight as a die for 2,600 metres with a service area at each end. Also the central reservation has no planting, just the crash barrier which can be removed relatively quickly. I did hear a tale of a Jaguar pilot who got a bit lost and was lined up, wheels down on the Sonsbeck strip, before realising his mistake.

Sounds very similar to the 3 runways on motorways in Cyprus.

TerryClark wrote:

Sounds very similar to the 3 runways on motorways in Cyprus.

Kofinou, Kornos and Mandria were the three in Cyprus.

My photos here:
www.ukairfields.org.uk/cyprus.html

Im intrigued by the Laarbruch war strip, anyone know for certain of any others? As a former member of the Harrier force in Germany we had war sites, but only the Station Commander and the Harrier squadron commanders knew there location.

canberra wrote:

Im intrigued by the Laarbruch war strip, anyone know for certain of any others? As a former member of the Harrier force in Germany we had war sites, but only the Station Commander and the Harrier squadron commanders knew there location.

I used to have a 1:1,000,000 USAF chart which showed quite a lot in the former East Germany and there are more in Sweden designed for use by the SAAB Viggen which I believe could operate off an 800m strip carrying a full war load.