Spanhoe
SPANHOE: Military aerodrome later gliding site and private airfield
Note: These pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
First picture: The south and eastern part of the airfield can still be clearly seen, but the part to the NW has gone.
Military users: WW2: 9th USAAF 52nd Troop Carrier Wing 315th TCG
34, 43, 309 & 310 Sqdns (Douglas C-47 Skytrains & C-53 Skytroopers)
Gliding: 1964 to 1967: Perkins Gliding Club
Operated by: 1980s to - : Windmill Aviation
Location: E of Harringworth & Shotley villages, 2nm W of A43, 4nm E of Uppingham. 6nm SW of RAF WITTERING
Period of operation: Military: 1943, (some say 1944) to 1947 Civil: 1980s to 2000 certainly
Runways: WW2: 07/25 1829x46 hard 02/20 1280x46 hard
14/32 1280x46 hard
1990: 09/27 520x13 hard
2000: 09/27 640x13 hard/grass
NOTES: It appears that the 315th Troop Carrier Group took part in missions to Normandy for the D-Day invasion, and the ill-fated mission to Arnhem and the Rhine Crossing missions too.
PERKINS GLIDING CLUB
The Perkins Gliding Club was originally formed by one hundred employees of the Perkins engine factory in Peterborough signing up for glider training and therefore subsidised as a sport activity by the company. They flew from POLEBROOK from 1955 to 1958, then WESTWOOD from 1959 to 1963 before moving here in 1964. From here they moved to CROWLAND (LINCOLNSHIRE) from 1968 to 1977, then WITHAM on the HILL (LINCOLNSHIRE) from 1977 to 1980. See WITHAM on the HILL for more info.
Home to the Taylorcraft Plus D G-AIXA circa 1990.
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