Breighton Aerodrome

Breighton Aerodrome is a private aerodrome primarily used for general aviation flying located on the former Royal Air Force Breighton or more simply RAF Breighton, a former Royal Air Force station located near to the village of Breighton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Breighton Airfield (RAF Breighton)
Breighton Airfield and Aeroplane Museum
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Owner	Air Ministry 1940–1964 Private 1964 – present
Operator	Royal Air Force 1940–1964 Private 1964 – present
Location	Breighton, East Riding of Yorkshire
Built	1940 (1940)
In use	1942–1964 (1964)
Elevation AMSL	20 ft / 6 m
Coordinates	53°48′07″N 000°54′49″W
Map
EGBR Location in East Riding of Yorkshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 10/28 2,630 802 Grass 00/00 0 0 Asphalt 00/00 0 0 Asphalt 00/00 0 0 Asphalt

History

The airfield was built between 1940 and 1942 for No. 1 Group RAF,^[1] its first residents were the No. 460 Squadron RAAF.^[2]

From 1959 to 1963, as part of Project Emily, the base was a launch site for three nuclear-armed PGM-17 Thor intermediate-range ballistic missiles, operated by No. 240 Squadron RAF.^[3]

The base closed in March 1964, when the last active unit (which operated the Bristol Bloodhound air-defence missile) withdrew.^[4]

Squadrons

Squadron	Equipment	From	To	To	Notes
No. 78 Squadron RAF	Handley Page Halifax II/III/VI Douglas Dakota	16 June 1943	20 September 1945	RAF Almaza	[5]
No. 112 Squadron RAF	Bristol Bloodhound I	7 November 1960	31 March 1964	Disbanded	[6]
No. 240 Squadron RAF	PGM-17 Thor	1 August 1959	8 January 1963	Disbanded	[3]
No. 460 Squadron RAAF	Vickers Wellington IV Handley Page Halifax II Avro Lancaster I/III	4 January 1942	14 May 1943	RAF Binbrook	[2]

Units

• No. 20 Blind Approach Training Flight RAF (October 1941) became No. 1520 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF (October 1941 - June 1944)^[7]
• Sub site for No. 35 Maintenance Unit RAF (November 1945 - June 1951)^[8]
• Relief Landing Ground for No. 103 Flying Refresher School RAF (June - November 1951)^[9]
• Relief Landing Ground for No. 207 Advanced Flying School RAF (November 1951 - June 1954)^[10]
• No. 460 Conversion Flight RAF (May - August 1942 & September - October 1942)^[11] became 'A' Flight of No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF (October - November 1942)^[12]
• No. 2716 Squadron RAF Regiment^[13]
• No. 2797 Squadron RAF Regiment^[13]

Current use

Mustangs flying during Breighton Airshow

The original runways are covered in buildings but the outline of the runways, taxiways and dispersal stands are clearly visible using satellite imagery.^[4]

A part of the airfield is currently used by the Real Aeroplane Company to house and maintain private and historic aircraft and a home for the Breighton Flying Club which uses a separate grass runway located within the original airfield grounds.^[1]

Five people were injured in a helicopter crash at the airfield on 17 July 2016.^[14]