Lasham Airfield
Encyclopedia
Lasham Airfield is located 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north-west of Alton
in Hampshire
, England
, in the village of Lasham
.
It was built in 1942 and it was an operational RAF
during the Second World War. It was used for recreational gliding from 1951. The airfield is now owned by the world's largest gliding
club, Lasham Gliding Society. It is also a base for a company maintaining Boeing airliners.
Pilots of powered aircraft visiting the airfield require prior permission and a briefing on its hazards: in particular dense concentrations of thermalling gliders
(up to 100 gliders can be in the vicinity at once), winch cables up to 3000 ft (914.4 m) above the ground, and occasional movements of large jet airliners. Over-flying aircraft are requested to not fly below 3618 ft (1,102.8 m) QNH
. The airfield frequency is 131.025 MHz.
Co-operation Command.
In mid-1943, the airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command
. Squadrons equipped with Hawker Hurricane
s, Hawker Typhoon
s and Spitfires operated from Lasham. Later in 1943, it became a base for the bombers of No. 2 Group RAF
, part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The sqadrons of 2 Group used the de Havilland Mosquito
and North American B-25 Mitchell.
A notable operation was by 613 Squadron. On 14 April 1944, at the request of resistance workers, six Mosquitos led by Wing Commander Bateson bombed the Central Records Registry of the Gestapo
in the Hague from a height of 50 ft (15.2 m). The accuracy was such that the incriminating records were burnt. There was loss of life amongst the Dutch and German staff, but there were few civilian casualties in the nearby streets.
On the nights preceding and following D-Day
, the Mosquitos of 305 and 613 squadrons carried out low level attacks on enemy supply lines and armoured positions in Normandy to assist the allied landing forces.
The airfield ceased to be an operational Royal Air Force station in 1948, though General Aircraft Ltd continued testing military gliders there. On 14 September 2006, a memorial at the entrance was dedicated to those who served at Lasham between 1942 and 1948.
In 1950 the Army Gliding Club was re-established by Major Tony Deane-Drummond, then an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. It operated at Odiham Airfield
but after two accidents, the Commandant of Sandhurst ordered it to suspend operations. In early 1951 he ordered Major Deane-Drummond to restart the club at Lasham. In the meantime, the Surrey Gliding Club and Imperial College Gliding Club were both seeking a new home, because Redhill Aerodrome
had many other users. The Surrey club and Imperial College therefore moved to Lasham in August 1951.
Lasham Gliding Society was established in 1958 to unify operations and it later signed a long lease on the airfield from the Ministry of Defence
. The airfield's boundaries were reduced but it still occupies over 500 acres (202.3 ha). The Defence Research Establishment later maintained a satellite station at Lasham but the dishes, one enclosed in a large white dome, have now been removed. Most of the buildings from World War II
have now been demolished. Derek Piggott
was Chief Flying Instructor at Lasham during much of the period from 1953 to 1989. Ann Welch
, Nicholas Goodhart
, Frank Irving
and Peter Twiss
were also members for many years. In 1999 the Society bought the freehold of the airfield from the Ministry of Defence, making the final payment in 2001.
club, Lasham Gliding Society. 210 gliders
are based there which are used by 640 full members. The airfield is in constant use throughout the year and regularly hosts national and regional gliding
championships. Oerlinghausen Airfield
claims to be the world's largest gliding club with "around 25,000" glider launches annually whereas Lasham launched 25,746 gliders in the year to 31 October 2010. There are approximately 59,000 aircraft movements (departures and landings) annually (compared with Southampton Airport
's 43,350).
LGS's 90 instructors train new pilots at all stages from Ab initio
through to competitive cross-country flying. The training fleet consists of the following types:
There are 186 other gliders at the airfield operated by private owners and by affiliated gliding clubs: Imperial College Gliding Club
, University of Surrey Gliding Club
, Southampton University Gliding Club, The Crown Service Gliding Club and the IBM Gliding Club. Lasham Youth run a Saturday Evening gliding course during the summer months which is open to everyone, providing an environment where young members can fly with people of similar ages.
established a subsidiary, Dan-Air Engineering
, at Lasham Airfield to service its own fleet and aircraft belonging to other operators. From the 1960s to 1980s, Lasham hosted a number of unusual aircraft - notably one of only two surviving Avro York
s (G-ANTK in Dan-Air colours) - and was the resting home of aircraft from around the world which came to be scrapped. Dan-Air ceased trading in 1992, and after a period of operation by FLS Aerospace, the facility has now been let by the society to aircraft maintenance company ATC Lasham. The company uses the main runway several times a week to bring in airliners for overhauls.
In late 2008, in light of the global credit crunch and a rise in the price of aviation fuel, a number of airlines went bankrupt. ATC Lasham agreed to provide storage for repossessed leased aircraft, including those from XL Airways UK, Futura International Airways
and Zoom Airlines
.
Alton, Hampshire
Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in the village of Lasham
Lasham
Lasham is a small village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is northwest of Alton, just off the A339 road. The nearest railway station is Alton, southeast of the village....
.
It was built in 1942 and it was an operational RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during the Second World War. It was used for recreational gliding from 1951. The airfield is now owned by the world's largest gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
club, Lasham Gliding Society. It is also a base for a company maintaining Boeing airliners.
Pilots of powered aircraft visiting the airfield require prior permission and a briefing on its hazards: in particular dense concentrations of thermalling gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
(up to 100 gliders can be in the vicinity at once), winch cables up to 3000 ft (914.4 m) above the ground, and occasional movements of large jet airliners. Over-flying aircraft are requested to not fly below 3618 ft (1,102.8 m) QNH
QNH
QNH is one of the many Q codes. It is defined as, "barometric pressure adjusted to sea level." It is a pressure setting used by pilots, air traffic control , and low frequency weather beacons to refer to the barometric setting which, when set on an aircraft's altimeter, will cause the altimeter to...
. The airfield frequency is 131.025 MHz.
History
The airfield was constructed in 1942. Initial operations (from November that year) were by 38 Wing, ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Co-operation Command.
In mid-1943, the airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
. Squadrons equipped with Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s, Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s and Spitfires operated from Lasham. Later in 1943, it became a base for the bombers of No. 2 Group RAF
No. 2 Group RAF
Number 2 Group is a Group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Command....
, part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The sqadrons of 2 Group used the de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
and North American B-25 Mitchell.
Squadrons based at Lasham during the war
(apart from one- or two-night stays)- No. 107 Squadron RAFNo. 107 Squadron RAFNo. 107 Squadron RAF was a bomber unit in the RAF in both World War I and World War II and during the Cold war was operational on Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles.-Formation and World War I:...
Mosquito VI, arrived 1 Feb 1944; departed 23 Oct 1944 - No. 181 Squadron RAFNo. 181 Squadron RAFNo. 181 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter-bomber unit in World War II.-Formation in World War II:The squadron formed on 25 August 1942 at RAF Duxford and was supplied with Hurricanes and Typhoons. It then operated the Typhoons from several locations in the United...
Typhoon IB, arrived 5 Apr 1943; departed 6 Jun 1943 - No. 182 Squadron RAFNo. 182 Squadron RAFNo. 182 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter-bomber unit in World War II.-Formation in World War II:The squadron formed on 25 August 1942 at RAF Martlesham Heath and was supplied with Hurricanes and Typhoons. It then operated the Typhoons from several locations in the...
Typhoon IB, arrived 3 May 1943; departed 2 Jun 1943 - No. 183 Squadron RAFNo. 183 Squadron RAFNo. 183 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a fighter-bomber unit in World War II.-Formation in World War II:The squadron formed in 2 March 1942 at RAF Church Fenton and then equipped with rocket armed Typhoons. It was involved in attacks on targets in France from the UK...
Typhoon IB, arrived 3 May 1943; departed 30 May 1943 - No. 305 (Polish) SquadronNo. 305 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 305 Polish Bomber Squadron "Ziemia Wielpolska" was a Polish World War II bomber unit.-History:The last of the Polish bomber squadrons, 305 Squadron was formed at RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire on 29 August 1940...
Mitchell II and Mosquito VI, arrived 18 Nov 1943, departed 30 Oct 1944 - No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAFNo. 320 Squadron RAFNo. 320 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during World War II formed from the personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service.-Formation:...
Mitchell II, arrived 30 Aug 1943; departed 18 Feb 1944 - No. 412 Squadron RCAFNo. 412 Squadron RCAFNo. 412 Transport Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force is one of 3 transport squadrons attached to CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario. This squadron, however, is based out of Ottawa, Ontario. It had formerly been attached to CFB Ottawa, which closed in 1994. The squadron operates with a strength...
, Spitfire VB, arrived 7 Mar 1943; departed 8 Apr 1943 - No. 602 (City of Glasgow) SquadronNo. 602 Squadron RAFNo 602 Squadron is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron. Originally formed in 1925 as a light bomber squadron, its role changed in 1938 to army co-operation and in 1939 to that of a fighter squadron....
Auxiliary Air ForceRoyal Auxiliary Air ForceThe Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
Spitfire VB, arrived 14 Apr 1943; departed 29 Apr 1943 - No. 613 (City of Manchester) SquadronNo. 613 Squadron RAFNo. 613 Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force later Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron formed on 1 February 1939 at the then new municipal airport at Ringway, nine miles south of Manchester. The squadron served at first in the army cooperation role, and later during World War II became a tactical...
AAF, Mosquito FB.VI, arrived 12 Oct 1943; departed 30 Oct 1944
A notable operation was by 613 Squadron. On 14 April 1944, at the request of resistance workers, six Mosquitos led by Wing Commander Bateson bombed the Central Records Registry of the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in the Hague from a height of 50 ft (15.2 m). The accuracy was such that the incriminating records were burnt. There was loss of life amongst the Dutch and German staff, but there were few civilian casualties in the nearby streets.
On the nights preceding and following D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, the Mosquitos of 305 and 613 squadrons carried out low level attacks on enemy supply lines and armoured positions in Normandy to assist the allied landing forces.
The airfield ceased to be an operational Royal Air Force station in 1948, though General Aircraft Ltd continued testing military gliders there. On 14 September 2006, a memorial at the entrance was dedicated to those who served at Lasham between 1942 and 1948.
In 1950 the Army Gliding Club was re-established by Major Tony Deane-Drummond, then an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. It operated at Odiham Airfield
RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the historic small village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook HC2, HC2A and HC3...
but after two accidents, the Commandant of Sandhurst ordered it to suspend operations. In early 1951 he ordered Major Deane-Drummond to restart the club at Lasham. In the meantime, the Surrey Gliding Club and Imperial College Gliding Club were both seeking a new home, because Redhill Aerodrome
Redhill Aerodrome
Redhill Aerodrome is located southeast of Redhill, Surrey, England, in green belt land.Redhill Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee .-Early history:The airfield came into use in the...
had many other users. The Surrey club and Imperial College therefore moved to Lasham in August 1951.
Lasham Gliding Society was established in 1958 to unify operations and it later signed a long lease on the airfield from the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. The airfield's boundaries were reduced but it still occupies over 500 acres (202.3 ha). The Defence Research Establishment later maintained a satellite station at Lasham but the dishes, one enclosed in a large white dome, have now been removed. Most of the buildings from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
have now been demolished. Derek Piggott
Derek Piggott
Alan Derek Piggott MBE is one of Britain's best known glider pilots and instructors. His flying career has been long and varied. He first flew in an Avro 504 as a passenger at the age of four...
was Chief Flying Instructor at Lasham during much of the period from 1953 to 1989. Ann Welch
Ann Welch
Ann Courtenay Welch OBE, née Edmonds, was a pilot who received the Gold Air Medal from Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for her contributions to the development of four air sports - gliding, hang gliding, paragliding and microlight flying.As a child, Ann Welch kept a diary listing every...
, Nicholas Goodhart
Nicholas Goodhart
Rear Admiral Hilary Charles Nicholas 'Nick' Goodhart CB Legion of Merit FRAeS RN rtd was an engineer and aviator who invented the mirror-sight deck landing system for aircraft carriers. He was also a world champion and record breaker in gliding.-Early life:He was born at Inkpen, Berkshire, the son...
, Frank Irving
Frank Irving
Frank Irving was a British aeronautical engineer, glider pilot, author and university Senior Lecturer.- Early life and education :...
and Peter Twiss
Peter Twiss
Lionel Peter Twiss, OBE, DSC and Bar was a British test pilot who held the World Air Speed Record as the first man to fly at a speed greater than 1,000 mph.-Early life:...
were also members for many years. In 1999 the Society bought the freehold of the airfield from the Ministry of Defence, making the final payment in 2001.
Lasham Gliding Society
The airfield is home to a glidingGliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
club, Lasham Gliding Society. 210 gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
are based there which are used by 640 full members. The airfield is in constant use throughout the year and regularly hosts national and regional gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
championships. Oerlinghausen Airfield
Oerlinghausen Airfield
Oerlinghausen Airfield , known as Oerlinghausen Segelflugplatz, German for Oerlinghausen gliding airflield, is a small airfield situated in the town of Oerlinghausen close to Bielefeld in the North Rhine-Westphalia German region. With around 25,000 glider take-offs each year it is one of the...
claims to be the world's largest gliding club with "around 25,000" glider launches annually whereas Lasham launched 25,746 gliders in the year to 31 October 2010. There are approximately 59,000 aircraft movements (departures and landings) annually (compared with Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
's 43,350).
Ab initio
ab initio is a Latin term used in English, meaning from the beginning.ab initio may also refer to:* Ab Initio , a leading ETL Tool Software Company in the field of Data Warehousing.* ab initio quantum chemistry methods...
through to competitive cross-country flying. The training fleet consists of the following types:
- ASK 13 (nine basic trainers)
- ASK 21 (two glass fibre trainers)
- Duo DiscusSchempp-Hirth Duo Discus|-See also:-References:*...
(advanced trainer) - DG-1000 (advanced trainer)
- Discus (three single seaters)
- Grob G-102Grob G-102 Astir-References:**Hardy, M. Gliders & Sailplanes of the World. Ian Allan, 1982*...
(three single seaters) - Scheibe SF-25 Falke motor gliderMotor gliderA motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: A fixed wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion ,...
There are 186 other gliders at the airfield operated by private owners and by affiliated gliding clubs: Imperial College Gliding Club
Imperial College Gliding Club
Imperial College Gliding Club is the oldest, and one of the largest, university gliding clubs in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1930, the club was the second club to become affiliated to the British Gliding Association, and has for most of its life flown from Lasham Airfield in Hampshire...
, University of Surrey Gliding Club
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
, Southampton University Gliding Club, The Crown Service Gliding Club and the IBM Gliding Club. Lasham Youth run a Saturday Evening gliding course during the summer months which is open to everyone, providing an environment where young members can fly with people of similar ages.
ATC Lasham
In 1954 Dan-AirDan-Air
Dan-Air was a leading private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline based in the United Kingdom....
established a subsidiary, Dan-Air Engineering
Dan-Air Engineering
Dan Air Engineering Limited was the maintenance arm of Dan Air Services Limited, one of Britain's foremost wholly privately owned, independentindependent from government-owned corporations airlines during the 1970s and 80s....
, at Lasham Airfield to service its own fleet and aircraft belonging to other operators. From the 1960s to 1980s, Lasham hosted a number of unusual aircraft - notably one of only two surviving Avro York
Avro York
The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.-Design and development:...
s (G-ANTK in Dan-Air colours) - and was the resting home of aircraft from around the world which came to be scrapped. Dan-Air ceased trading in 1992, and after a period of operation by FLS Aerospace, the facility has now been let by the society to aircraft maintenance company ATC Lasham. The company uses the main runway several times a week to bring in airliners for overhauls.
In late 2008, in light of the global credit crunch and a rise in the price of aviation fuel, a number of airlines went bankrupt. ATC Lasham agreed to provide storage for repossessed leased aircraft, including those from XL Airways UK, Futura International Airways
Futura International Airways
Futura International Airways was an airline based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It operated scheduled services and charter flights for tour operators and other airlines, in Europe, as well as wet lease and ad hoc charters...
and Zoom Airlines
Zoom Airlines
Zoom Airlines Inc. was a Canadian low-fare scheduled transatlantic airline with its headquarters in the Place Bell Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario...
.
External links
- Lasham Gliding Society
- RAF Lasham airfield at controltowers.co.uk