RAF Christchurch
Encyclopedia
Christchurch Airfield was located southeast of the A337/B3059 intersection in Somerford, Christchurch, Dorset
, England.
It was a civil airfield starting from 1926, then it was used during World War II by the Royal Air Force
and the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force
. After the war the airfield returned to civilian use and the airfield complex was then demolished in 1966.
s Air Circus put on a show there attended by around 8,000 spectators. In the same year, the Rambler Air Station was established and airline services commenced on 14 May 1934 with Western Airways operating a de Havilland Dragon Rapide
and the airfield was known as Christchurch Airport. In February 1935 the airfield temporarily became known as Bournemouth Airport (not to be confused with Bournemouth Airport at Hurn).
In 1954 the Military Experimental Engineering Establishment from Christchurch laid a Tarmac runway on the site of the World War II wire and steel runway. The main beneficiaries of this exercise was the De Havilland factory which was producing jet Vampire
fighters and Airspeed Ambassador
twin piston engined airliners.
However, time was running out for Christchurch and following the closure of De Havilland factory in 1962, the use of the airfield rapidly declined. The manned air traffic control tower was closed in July 1963 and the Aero Club closed in 1964. The airfield officially closed at the end of 1964, although occasional aircraft used the airfield for several years after that date.
Today, Christchurch airfield has been developed by the urban areas of Somerford/Mudeford
. The land which was the airfield is now a mix of housing and industry with nothing remaining of the airfield except some of the Airspeed buildings and streets named after aircraft.
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
, England.
It was a civil airfield starting from 1926, then it was used during World War II by the Royal Air Force
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...
and the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
. After the war the airfield returned to civilian use and the airfield complex was then demolished in 1966.
Before World War II
Flying at Christchurch started in July 1926 when Surrey Flying Services began offering five shilling pleasure flights from an area known as "Burrysfield". In May 1928, the Hampshire Aero Club operated from the area. The next step was when Francis C Fisher leased some open fields where he operated a flying facility in the summers until his lease ran out in 1932 by which time Fisher had flown over 19,000 passengers.In 1933 Sir Alan CobhamAlan Cobham
Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC was an English aviation pioneer.A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly...
s Air Circus put on a show there attended by around 8,000 spectators. In the same year, the Rambler Air Station was established and airline services commenced on 14 May 1934 with Western Airways operating a de Havilland Dragon Rapide
De Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
and the airfield was known as Christchurch Airport. In February 1935 the airfield temporarily became known as Bournemouth Airport (not to be confused with Bournemouth Airport at Hurn).
After World War II
With the facility released from military control, civilian flying returned to Christchurch. The Christchurch Aero club operated from the north side while on the southwestern tip of the field the 622 Glider School operated for many years from a hangar just outside the airfield boundary.In 1954 the Military Experimental Engineering Establishment from Christchurch laid a Tarmac runway on the site of the World War II wire and steel runway. The main beneficiaries of this exercise was the De Havilland factory which was producing jet Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
fighters and Airspeed Ambassador
Airspeed Ambassador
The Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador was a British twin piston engined airliner that first flew on 10 July 1947 and served in small numbers through the 1950s and 1960s.-Design and development:...
twin piston engined airliners.
However, time was running out for Christchurch and following the closure of De Havilland factory in 1962, the use of the airfield rapidly declined. The manned air traffic control tower was closed in July 1963 and the Aero Club closed in 1964. The airfield officially closed at the end of 1964, although occasional aircraft used the airfield for several years after that date.
Today, Christchurch airfield has been developed by the urban areas of Somerford/Mudeford
Mudeford
Mudeford was originally a small fishing village in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset southern England, lying at the entrance to Christchurch Harbour. The River Mude and Bure Brook flow into the harbour there...
. The land which was the airfield is now a mix of housing and industry with nothing remaining of the airfield except some of the Airspeed buildings and streets named after aircraft.