Warton Aerodrome
Encyclopedia
Warton Aerodrome is located near to Warton
village on the Fylde
in Lancashire
, England. The aerodrome is 6 NM west of Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Today the airfield is a major assembly and testing facility of BAE Systems Military Air Solutions
.
Warton Aerodrome has a CAA
Ordinary Licence (Number P748) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (BAE Systems (Operations) Limited).
station at Squires Gate airfield in Blackpool
during World War II, as thousands of aircraft were processed on their way to active service in Britain, North Africa, the Mediterranean and mainland Europe. On 23 August 1944, the accidental crash of an American United States Army Air Force B-24 Liberator
heavy bomber
caused the Freckleton Air Disaster
.
took over the site moving their design office there from Strand Road Preston in 1948.
site and then privatised as British Aerospace
until its final transformation into BAE Systems
. As such the airfield has been the testing ground for several front line aircraft including the Canberra
, the Lightning
,the Sepecat Jaguar, the Panavia Tornado
and BAE Hawk
(formerly the Hawker Siddeley Hawk) and most latterly the Eurofighter Typhoon
.
In June 2010 The Sun
reported that poisonous red back spiders had been discovered in a consignment of parts from Australia. The article expressed fears that these spiders would colonise the surrounding countryside. As a routine response, BAE Systems employed a specialist contractor who quickly managed to eliminate the spiders. The contractors were assisted by the fact that the Australian red back spider has very visible nests, a relatively short two-week gestation period, a reluctance to wander from its nest, and an intolerance to the British climate except at the height of summer. BAE Systems also implemented a number of measures to prevent further incursions of foreign species in subsequent consignments from Australia.
, No. 17 Squadron and No. 29 Squadron
. This was under the so called "Case White" programme where BAE assumes more responsibility for training and support of the new aircraft than previous RAF types which were introduced under a more "in house" system. BAE insist that this allows inevitable problems with any new aircraft to be quickly ironed out by BAE personnel on site. BAE plans to offer this on site service to any export customers.
. Following this the main assembly hall was re-fitted as the final assembly site of the Eurofighter Typhoon
. BAE estimate that modern manufacturing techniques will allow the 30 week assembly time for a Tornado to be reduced to 16 weeks for the Typhoon.
' Corporate Air Travel department which operates scheduled services for employees (and those of partner organisations) to Farnborough
, Munich
, Filton, Cambridge
, RAF Coningsby
, and RAF Marham
. The Farnborough
and Munich
services are provided by Corporate Air Travel's BAe 146
aircraft, with the others contracted out to other operators. Many ad-hoc passenger flights also take place operated by various VIP operators including the Queen's Flight.
The site is not open to the public, although limited areas are made accessible during Open Days (currently on a four yearly cycle) which the company holds for the families and friends of employees and local residents. These Open Days, which are free of charge, typically include demonstrations of activities, tours of simulation facilities and impressive flying displays.
has operated an Air Support Unit from the site with their G-LASU Eurocopter AS.355N Twin Squirrel Oscar November 21. This aircraft is fitted with special equipment as follows: AGEMA/Leo 400 nose FLIR/Video turret, searchlight, Nitesun, comms systems.
Warton, Fylde
Warton is a village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England.The village is about six miles from Preston and eight miles from Blackpool. It is located on the banks of the River Ribble, close to its entry into the Irish Sea. It is best known for its airfield, BAE Warton and its associated aircraft works...
village on the Fylde
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. The aerodrome is 6 NM west of Preston, Lancashire, UK.
Today the airfield is a major assembly and testing facility of BAE Systems Military Air Solutions
BAE Systems Military Air Solutions
BAE Systems Military Air & Information is a business unit of British defence company BAE Systems responsible for the design, development, manufacture and support of fixed wing military aircraft...
.
Warton Aerodrome has a CAA
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden...
Ordinary Licence (Number P748) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (BAE Systems (Operations) Limited).
History
In 1940 new runways were built at Warton so that it could act as a "satellite" airfield for the RAF Coastal CommandRAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
station at Squires Gate airfield in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
USAF
The airfield was first operated as an air depot of the U.S. Army Air ForceUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II, as thousands of aircraft were processed on their way to active service in Britain, North Africa, the Mediterranean and mainland Europe. On 23 August 1944, the accidental crash of an American United States Army Air Force B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bomber
Heavy bomber
A heavy bomber is a bomber aircraft of the largest size and load carrying capacity, and usually the longest range.In New START, the term "heavy bomber" is used for two types of bombers:*one with a range greater than 8,000 kilometers...
caused the Freckleton Air Disaster
Freckleton Air Disaster
On 23 August 1944, an American United States Army Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber crashed into the centre of the village of Freckleton, Lancashire, England. The aircraft crashed into the Holy Trinity Church of England School, demolishing three houses and the Sad Sack Snack Bar...
.
English Electric
In 1947, English ElectricEnglish Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
took over the site moving their design office there from Strand Road Preston in 1948.
BAC and BAE Systems
With the merger of English Electric Aviation with other aircraft divisions of the major manufacturers it became a British Aircraft CorporationBritish Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs , the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1960. Bristol, English Electric and Vickers became "parents" of BAC with...
site and then privatised as British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
until its final transformation into BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
. As such the airfield has been the testing ground for several front line aircraft including the Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
, the Lightning
English Electric Lightning
The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
,the Sepecat Jaguar, the Panavia Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
and BAE Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...
(formerly the Hawker Siddeley Hawk) and most latterly the Eurofighter Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
.
In June 2010 The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
reported that poisonous red back spiders had been discovered in a consignment of parts from Australia. The article expressed fears that these spiders would colonise the surrounding countryside. As a routine response, BAE Systems employed a specialist contractor who quickly managed to eliminate the spiders. The contractors were assisted by the fact that the Australian red back spider has very visible nests, a relatively short two-week gestation period, a reluctance to wander from its nest, and an intolerance to the British climate except at the height of summer. BAE Systems also implemented a number of measures to prevent further incursions of foreign species in subsequent consignments from Australia.
Eurofighter
Warton was used as the base for all British development aircraft (DA) and Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA) in the Eurofighter programme. Warton has been home to the initial Typhoon squadrons of the Royal Air ForceRoyal 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...
, No. 17 Squadron and No. 29 Squadron
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
. This was under the so called "Case White" programme where BAE assumes more responsibility for training and support of the new aircraft than previous RAF types which were introduced under a more "in house" system. BAE insist that this allows inevitable problems with any new aircraft to be quickly ironed out by BAE personnel on site. BAE plans to offer this on site service to any export customers.
Nimrod
Warton was also used for development flying of the Nimrod MRA4 Maritime Reconnaissance and Attack aircraft until the aircraft was cut in the Strategic Defense and Security Review in 2010.Tornado
The final new build Tornado left Warton in 1998, a GR.1 for Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Following this the main assembly hall was re-fitted as the final assembly site of the Eurofighter Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
. BAE estimate that modern manufacturing techniques will allow the 30 week assembly time for a Tornado to be reduced to 16 weeks for the Typhoon.
Private airfield
Warton is the base for BAE SystemsBAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
' Corporate Air Travel department which operates scheduled services for employees (and those of partner organisations) to Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Filton, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
, and RAF Marham
RAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
. The Farnborough
Farnborough Airfield
Farnborough Airport or TAG London Farnborough Airport is an airport situated in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
services are provided by Corporate Air Travel's BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
aircraft, with the others contracted out to other operators. Many ad-hoc passenger flights also take place operated by various VIP operators including the Queen's Flight.
The site is not open to the public, although limited areas are made accessible during Open Days (currently on a four yearly cycle) which the company holds for the families and friends of employees and local residents. These Open Days, which are free of charge, typically include demonstrations of activities, tours of simulation facilities and impressive flying displays.
Police helicopter
Since 21 November 1994, Lancashire ConstabularyLancashire Constabulary
Lancashire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Lancashire in the North West England. The force's headquarters are at Hutton, near the city of Preston...
has operated an Air Support Unit from the site with their G-LASU Eurocopter AS.355N Twin Squirrel Oscar November 21. This aircraft is fitted with special equipment as follows: AGEMA/Leo 400 nose FLIR/Video turret, searchlight, Nitesun, comms systems.