Chris133
In the Home page for RAF Bassingbourn, mention is made of the fact that RAF Bassingbourn was used in several films.
However one film in particular was not mentioned, "The Billion Dollar Brain" starring amongst others Carl Malden and Michael Cain, released in 1967.
The film was about the COLD WAR Espionage and the scene which took about 18seconds to be viewed in the film actually took over 3 days to film etc.
It showed "Russian" aircraft (Canberras from RAF Marham marked up in Russian markings), and Carl Malden walking across a snowbound runway.
The disused North Flight of the Airfield was transformed to "SNOWY" by the application of tons of salt, it didn't take all that long to get put down but days to get back up.
I was working for Airwork Services ( a subsidary of British United Airways, Herne Airport, Bournemouth) at the time in Ground Workshops. Airwork Services had a contract to maintain the Aircraft, Ground Equipment and Motor Vehicles of RAF Bassingborn at that time. As for "lifting" the salt, I know it was difficult, I was given a broom and told to sweep it out of the grass, all in a days work.
Another thing that occured whilst I was working there was the arrival of a Vulcan in White paint scheme, I believe it was an emergency landing. This aircraft was parked in the North Flight and within hours the whole area was surrounded by barbed wire and armed RAF Police. It remained there for a couple of days and when it finally took off it was backed up so that the rear wheels of the main undercarriage were right against the Eastern end of the main runway. The engines were then reved up to full blast and JATO packs ignited before it rolled down the runway. It looked as if it was not going to fly, but it did. It made a very low pass over the buildings of the Airfield, circled once more, then departed Northwards waggling it's wings in a slow up and down motion. To this day I still wonder just what was in that plane, I have an educated guess that it was Atomic.
Chris. Walter.
However one film in particular was not mentioned, "The Billion Dollar Brain" starring amongst others Carl Malden and Michael Cain, released in 1967.
The film was about the COLD WAR Espionage and the scene which took about 18seconds to be viewed in the film actually took over 3 days to film etc.
It showed "Russian" aircraft (Canberras from RAF Marham marked up in Russian markings), and Carl Malden walking across a snowbound runway.
The disused North Flight of the Airfield was transformed to "SNOWY" by the application of tons of salt, it didn't take all that long to get put down but days to get back up.
I was working for Airwork Services ( a subsidary of British United Airways, Herne Airport, Bournemouth) at the time in Ground Workshops. Airwork Services had a contract to maintain the Aircraft, Ground Equipment and Motor Vehicles of RAF Bassingborn at that time. As for "lifting" the salt, I know it was difficult, I was given a broom and told to sweep it out of the grass, all in a days work.
Another thing that occured whilst I was working there was the arrival of a Vulcan in White paint scheme, I believe it was an emergency landing. This aircraft was parked in the North Flight and within hours the whole area was surrounded by barbed wire and armed RAF Police. It remained there for a couple of days and when it finally took off it was backed up so that the rear wheels of the main undercarriage were right against the Eastern end of the main runway. The engines were then reved up to full blast and JATO packs ignited before it rolled down the runway. It looked as if it was not going to fly, but it did. It made a very low pass over the buildings of the Airfield, circled once more, then departed Northwards waggling it's wings in a slow up and down motion. To this day I still wonder just what was in that plane, I have an educated guess that it was Atomic.
Chris. Walter.