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Old 4th Jun 2021, 19:24
  #15 (permalink)  
SLXOwft
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 1,298
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Lots of WW2 airfields in the UK had temporary existence for obvious reasons - in the New Forest there are 3 I can think of: RAFs Beaulieu, Ibsley and Holmsley South.

Last weekend on Sunday I drove through what was RAF West Malling, past the former RAF Detling and the former RNAS/RAF Eastchurch (the site of the first flight by a British pilot in Britain, effective birthplace of the Royal Naval Air Service and thus spirtual home of the Fleet Air Arm); on Monday past or close to the fomer RNAS/RAF Ford, RAF Tangmere, RAF Thorney Island and Portsmouth Airport. Except for Detling and Eastchurch all were still active airfields within my lifetime. The former RNAS/RAF Worthy Down isn't far from where I am typing; RAF/RNAS Gosport disappeared long ago but I keep my fingers crossed that Lee-on-Solent has a future. Thankfully the Lasham Gliding Society bought the Lasham freehold from the MoD in 2001 so that is secure for the foreseable future.

The airfield I first flew from, Woodford the home of the Lancaster, Vulcan and Nimrod, is rapidly disappearing under a housing development. All in all a somewhat depressing subject.

https://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/ this site may not look much at first glance but it is a mine of information of things aviation in my adopted county. Seems to cover every patch of ground ever used for aviation related activity.

rog747, I believe LGRD is still an active airfield; the HAF has a presence but I 'm not sure if it still has any aircraft there. (There were a Super Puma and Chinook not too long ago).


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