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RAF Machrihanish is a former Royal Air Force base three miles from the town of Campbeltown at the tip of Kintyre.Millions of pounds were spent upgrading the base during the 1980s. While speculation regarding the base suggests its use in USAF black projects, an answer to Parliament in 2004 reveals that the base was handed over by the US Navy back to Ministry of Defence control on June 30 1995. The alignment of the runway and the length (3.049km), the second longest in the UK, have increased speculation that it was a testing ground for the F-117 or the Aurora. A less interesting possibilty is that this was simply necessary for the declared purpose of the site, a dispersal airfield for the V-bombers and an emergency landing site for P-3 Orions.
The base is now on what is termed "Care and Maintenance." This effectively allows the airfield to be used by civilian airlines, which may conduct scheduled and charter flights from the aerodrome. The civilian operating companies are responsible for the up-keep of the aerodrome, which may sometimes be used by an RAF or Army detachment whilst on exercise. During times of conflict / national emergency, the aerodrome would revert to its intended military use. The aerodrome has one of the longest runways in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly, only shorter than Boscombe Down .
RAF Machrihanish is now known as Campbeltown AirportCambeltown Airport is owned by the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, a company under the control of the Scottish Executive. It is located three miles from the town of Campbeltown, at the tip of Kintyre. The airport was formerly known as RAF Machriha and is used by LoganairLoganair is an airline based at Glasgow International Airport in Scotland, UK, which operates an extensive domestic route schedule within Scotland and beyond to the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It's tag line is "Scotland's Ai for flights to Glasgow International AirportGlasgow International Airport sometimes referred to as Glasgow Abbotsinch International Airport , located 13 km (8 miles) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is the largest international airport in Scotland, and number five in the UK..
Machrihanish
