The Explore......
I had wanted to explore this place for some time now and finally took the opportunity whilst in the area. Quite a bit of activity was going on with construction workers close by but entered the site stealthily with a non 28 DL member
A Bit of History.....
RAF Church Fenton, is an airport and former Royal Air Force station located south east of Tadcaster. The airport is in the formal process of obtaining licensing from The UK Civil Aviation Authority, to allow regular scheduled charter flights to various European destinations.
Plans for a the airfield were announced in June 1935, it was subject to protest from the local population particularly concerning the waste of valuable farming land and was close to an existing airfield. Despite the protests construction started in early 1936 on the 260 acres. On 1 April 1937 the station was declared open and on 19 April the first station commander Wing Commander W.E. Swann assumed command. Within two months No. 71 Squadron RAF had arrived with the Gloster Gladiator.
It saw the peak of its activity during the years of the Second World War, when it served within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Humberside industrial regions.
During September 1940 it became home to the first RAF "Eagle squadron" of American volunteers being No. 71 Squadron RAF initially with the Brewster Buffalo I for one month before changing to the Hawker Hurricane I. The airfield was also home to both the first all-Canadian and all-Polish squadrons, with No. 242 Squadron RAF for the Canadians and No. 306 Squadron RAF for the Polish.
As technologies evolved, the first night fighter Operational Training Unit was formed at Church Fenton in 1940 and stayed until 1942. Some of the squadrons stationed there flew the famous de Havilland Mosquito.
After the war it at first retained its role as a fighter base, being among the first to receive modern jet aircraft, namely the Gloster Meteor and the Hawker Hunter. Between October 1950 and March 1957 it was the base of No. 609 Squadron RAF, within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and named "North Riding". The unit was equipped with Gloster Meteors.
In later years, its role was mainly flight training. No. 7 Flying Training School was based here between 1962 and 1966 and again between 1979 and 1992, equipped with Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost T3 trainers.
For some years it was home to the Royal Navy Elementary Flying Training School using the Scottish Aviation Bulldog, and again 1979-1992, triggered by the introduction of the Panavia Tornado, being the first station to receive the new turboprop-powered Short Tucano T.1 basic fast jet trainers. From 1998-2003 Church Fenton was the RAF's main Elementary Flying Training airfield.
On with the piccies......
Thanks for lookin' in
.... I hope you enjoyed the report I Will Knot!!
I had wanted to explore this place for some time now and finally took the opportunity whilst in the area. Quite a bit of activity was going on with construction workers close by but entered the site stealthily with a non 28 DL member
A Bit of History.....
RAF Church Fenton, is an airport and former Royal Air Force station located south east of Tadcaster. The airport is in the formal process of obtaining licensing from The UK Civil Aviation Authority, to allow regular scheduled charter flights to various European destinations.
Plans for a the airfield were announced in June 1935, it was subject to protest from the local population particularly concerning the waste of valuable farming land and was close to an existing airfield. Despite the protests construction started in early 1936 on the 260 acres. On 1 April 1937 the station was declared open and on 19 April the first station commander Wing Commander W.E. Swann assumed command. Within two months No. 71 Squadron RAF had arrived with the Gloster Gladiator.
It saw the peak of its activity during the years of the Second World War, when it served within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Humberside industrial regions.
During September 1940 it became home to the first RAF "Eagle squadron" of American volunteers being No. 71 Squadron RAF initially with the Brewster Buffalo I for one month before changing to the Hawker Hurricane I. The airfield was also home to both the first all-Canadian and all-Polish squadrons, with No. 242 Squadron RAF for the Canadians and No. 306 Squadron RAF for the Polish.
As technologies evolved, the first night fighter Operational Training Unit was formed at Church Fenton in 1940 and stayed until 1942. Some of the squadrons stationed there flew the famous de Havilland Mosquito.
After the war it at first retained its role as a fighter base, being among the first to receive modern jet aircraft, namely the Gloster Meteor and the Hawker Hunter. Between October 1950 and March 1957 it was the base of No. 609 Squadron RAF, within the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and named "North Riding". The unit was equipped with Gloster Meteors.
In later years, its role was mainly flight training. No. 7 Flying Training School was based here between 1962 and 1966 and again between 1979 and 1992, equipped with Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost T3 trainers.
For some years it was home to the Royal Navy Elementary Flying Training School using the Scottish Aviation Bulldog, and again 1979-1992, triggered by the introduction of the Panavia Tornado, being the first station to receive the new turboprop-powered Short Tucano T.1 basic fast jet trainers. From 1998-2003 Church Fenton was the RAF's main Elementary Flying Training airfield.
On with the piccies......
Thanks for lookin' in
.... I hope you enjoyed the report I Will Knot!! 
