The area of Norwich between the Salhouse and Plumstead roads (outside of the outer ring road) was originally the Cavalry

Cavalry

Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...

 Training Ground and then became the Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

 Mousehold Heath aerodrome where Boulton Paul

Boulton & Paul Ltd

Boulton & Paul was a British general manufacturer from Norwich that became involved in aircraft manufacture.Jeld Wen Inc, bought Boulton & Paul Boulton & Paul was a British general manufacturer from Norwich that became involved in aircraft manufacture.Jeld Wen Inc, bought Boulton & Paul Boulton &...

, among other manufacturers, passed over the aircraft they made for service. It was sometimes known as Norwich aerodrome by the Royal Flying Corps before it became Royal Air Force Station Mousehold Heath in April 1918.

After the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Boulton and Paul continued to use the site. The Norwich & Norfolk Aero Club was formed at the airfield in 1927 which then became the first Norwich Airport

Norwich International Airport

Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....

 in 1933. The airfield fell into disuse during the Second World War and has now mostly been redeveloped for housing.

Remains

Several original buildings remain in industrial use, including hangars and other buildings on the Salhouse

Salhouse

Salhouse is a village and civil parish within The Broads National Park in the English county of Norfolk. It lies south of the River Bure and Salhouse Broad, about north-east of Norwich....

 Industrial Estate. Part of the flying field survives as the playing field for the Open Academy, formerly Heartsease High School.

RAF and RFC units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Notes
No. 18 Squadron RFC No. 18 Squadron RAF No. 18 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the CH-47 Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham. No. 18 Squadron was the first and is currently the largest RAF operator of the Chinook.-First World War:...	August to November 1915	Vickers FB 5	Operated the Bristol Scout Bristol Scout The Bristol Scout was a simple, single seat, rotary-engined biplane originally intended as a civilian racing aircraft. Like other similar fast, light aircraft of the period - it was acquired by the RNAS and the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type... , Martinsyde S.1 Martinsyde S.1 -See also:-References:*Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Volume One Fighters. London:Macdonald, 1965....  and Farman Shorthorn for training before moving to France in November 1915 with the Vickers FB 5.
No. 85 Squadron RFC No. 85 Squadron RAF No. 85 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It most recently served as No. 85 Squadron based at RAF Church Fenton.-In World War I:...	August to November 1917	Various
No. 117 Squadron RAF No. 117 Squadron RAF No. 117 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a transport and communications unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:...	July 1918 - November 1918	Airco DH.9 Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...	Operated various aircraft for training before gaining the DH.9s in October 1918.
No 40 Elementary & Reserve Training School	August to September 1939	Miles Magister Miles Magister -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter. Miles Aircraft = The early years. Tonbridge: Air-Britain, 2009. ISBN 978 0 85130 410 6...	Operated by Air Contractors Limited and also used the Hawker Audax and Hawker Hind Hawker Hind -See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3.... .
No 3 (Training) Group Navigation School	July to November 1919	Airco DH.9 Airco DH.9 The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...

• No. 37 Squadron RFC
  No. 37 Squadron RAF
  -History:No. 37 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Orfordness, Suffolk, on 15 April 1916 but ceased to exist a month later. In September of that year, it was re-formed, with headquarters at Woodham Mortimer, in Essex. It responsibilities included defending London against aerial attack...
  
   was official formed at Norwich on 15 April 1916 from elements of 9 RS before moving on the next day to Orfordness.

• No. 3 Aircraft Acceptance Park was formed at the aerodrome on 22 March 1917 originally as the Norwich Aircraft Acceptance Park later designated the No. 3 (Norwich) Aircraft Acceptance Park and on 26 July 1919 became the Norwich Storage Park. The park accepted aircraft into service from local manufacturers Boulton Paul, Mann Egerton, Portholme and Ransome Simms & Jeffries.

• No. 3 Group
  No. 3 Group RAF
  Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.-The 1930s and World War II:...
  
   headquarters was based at Mousehold Heath between July and November 1919.

See also

• Royal Air Force station
• List of RAF stations
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons