Little Rissington
LITTLE RISSINGTON: Military aerodrome
Note: First picture by the author. Second picture by Austin J Brown.
Military users: RAF
1938: 6 (P) AFU [Pilot - Advanced Flying Unit] (Hawker Audaxs, Furys, Harts & Avro Ansons)
WW2: RAF Flying Training Command 23 Group
6 AFU (Airspeed Oxfords)
1523 BAT Flt (Oxfords)
8 MU (Aircraft Storage Unit)
Note: This picture from a postcard was kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See, www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
This Spitfire served here as a 'Gate Guardian' from December 1970 to April 1976 when the CFS (Central Flying School) moved to CRANWELL. It was later purchased privately by Doug Arnold for restoration to flying condition and was sold to an owner in the U.S.A.
Post 1945: RN Air Section
RAF CFS (Central Flying School)
637 VGS (Volunteer Gliding Squadron)
1975: RAF CFS (Hunting Jet Provosts, DHC.1 Chipmunks & Vickers Varsitys)
Flying club: 1959 ‘snapshot’. Central Flying School Flying Club, Yam-Sing Flying Group
Gliding: Windrushers Gliding Club
Location: W to SW of A424, SE of Little Rissington village, 4nm NE of Burford
Period of operation: Used for operational military flying from 1938 to 1994
Runways: WW2: 05/23 1431x46 hard 10/28 1052x46 hard
14/32 946x46 hard
2009: 04/22, 09/27 & 14/32 (all hard and same dimensions)
NOTES: Since almost the beginning of their tenure at LITTLE RISSINGTON in 1946 the Central Flying School provided a display team, originally flying the piston-powered Percival Provost. In 1958 when the Jet Provost T.1s arrived, the four-ship team was named ‘The Sparrows’ and in 1960 when the Jet Provost T.3s replaced the T.1s the four-ship team was renamed ‘The Pelicans’. In 1962 the T.3s were replaced by T.4s fitted with a smoke system and painted ‘dayglo – red’ and, in an inspired move, the display team were renamed ‘The Red Pelicans’ and upgraded to a six-ship formation.
And, very good displays they put on too – to the extent that for the 1964 season ‘The Red Pelicans’ became the premier RAF formation display team, replacing the ‘Firebirds’ of 56 Squadron with their English Electric Lightnings. Quite a change! They remained a regular feature of the RAF formation display team scheme until being disbanded in 1973 when the ‘oil crisis’ in the Middle East erupted.
THE RED ARROWS
For a long time I had been under the impression that ‘The Red Arrows’ were initially based here from 1964 but it seems I was mistaken. They were actually formed, it appears, at nearby RAF FAIRFORD, but, their first display was at LITTLE RISSINGTON on the 6th May 1965 for a press day. In 1964 the RAF decided to have just one ‘official’ display team, known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team. But, the ‘Red Arrows’ monika, apparently a combination of the then best known previous display teams – ‘The Red Pelicans’ and the Hawker Hunter team, ‘The Black Arrows’ has stuck.
The ‘Red Arrows’ inherited their Folland Gnats from ‘The Yellowjacks’ and initially it was a seven-ship formation. By 1966 this was increased to nine aircraft and this resulted in the now world famous ‘Diamond Nine’ display routine. It therefore seems that the 'Red Arrows' moved here in 1966.
The ‘Red Arrows’ moved to SCAMPTON (LINCOLNSHIRE) in 1983, by now flying the BAe Hawk which was introduced in 1979. The team then moved to nearby RAF CRANWELL in 1995 when SCAMPTON closed. However, the demise of SCAMPTON was short-lived and ‘The Red Arrows’ returned there in December 2000, where they have remained, until 2017 at least.
GLIDING
Although aeronautical charts have for many years shown that gliding goes on, having flown many times fairly close by I have never seen any gliding activity of any sort taking place. Gliders are however, (mostly being white), usually very difficult to see, even when fairly close - but not when on the ground when they show up well from many miles away. However, in 2018 I discovered that the Windrushers Gliding Club were operating here for quite a long period.
If anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be most welcome. (See also 'Comment' below).
ANOTHER ERA
In 2008 (?) the aerodrome was opened for civil use.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2018-01-11 08:53:21There certainly was gliding at 'Rissy'. Intially 637 VGS, having been booted out of Gaydon, flew Sedburgh and Mk 3 winch launched gliders but re-eqiuipped with the Venture (Slingsby T61) when they became available, probably due to the fact the airfield had hard runways; nearby 625 VGS at South Cerney only had a grass airfield (in spite of the Army making it as difficult as possible to use it) so retained their winch launched gliders and re-equipping with Vikings. In the late 80s, the USAF kindly re-surfaced the main runway intending it to be used as an emergency runway for aircraft from Upper Heyford to lob into if they had a problem after departure and they maintained 2 fire trucks here for the purpose. The USAF had already occupied the domestic site and main hangars as a massive hospital for use during Gulf War 1, displacing 637 from their nice big 'C' type hangar to one of the 'L' types on the south side of the airfield. With the subsequent closure of Upper Heyford the runway was never used by F111s. I was appointed as temporary Admin Officer to 637 for their summer gliding course in 1991. They had just re-equipped (again) with Vigilants (Grob 109b) and their Ventures were pushed to one side of the hangar gathering dust, but still with plenty of airframe hours left so hopefully they are still flying. Not so 637 which I believe was disbanded in 2017 along with many other glding schools.
Paul Boyle
This comment was written on: 2020-05-12 12:29:04I was a pupil at Kingham Hill School,between Stow-on the Wold & Chipping Norton from 1953-59.Early in my first term,September '53 a Meteor jet 2 seater got into difficulty near the school & came down in a plantation near my school house.I actually witnessed the plane overhead thinking that it was very low! I may be the only old boy remaining who saw this. Sadly the pilot & co-pilot both lost their lives.In 2018 the son of the pilot(Squadron Leader Wear)contacted the school to ask if anyone remembered the occasion.The upshot was that he came to the school & I with others took him to the crash site.Last year a commemorative plaque was erected at the site.His name is Geoffrey Wear.Hope this is of interest regarding past history of "Rissy". I also have a tenuous connection to the Red Arrows as I once shared a flat in London with one John Rigby who was the late Ray Hanna's brother in law & I knew both Ray & his son Mark tragically killed in 1999.John Rigby flew with the Arrows on several occasions & took many of the superb air to air photographs of the team Best regards Paul A. Boyle
Ian Macfadyen
This comment was written on: 2020-12-19 22:31:23The RAFGSA Windrushers Gliding Club operated at RAF Little Rissington from 1954 to about 1957.
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