Cotswold Airport

Cotswold Airport

Cotswold Airport control tower
IATA: GBA – ICAO: EGBP
Summary
Airport type Private
Owner Ronan Harvey
Operator Kemble Air Services Limited
Location Cirencester
Elevation AMSL 436 ft / 133 m
Coordinates 51°40′05″N 002°03′25″W / 51.66806°N 2.05694°W / 51.66806; -2.05694 (Kemble Airport)Coordinates: 51°40′05″N 002°03′25″W / 51.66806°N 2.05694°W / 51.66806; -2.05694 (Kemble Airport)
Website www.cotswoldairport.com
Map
EGBP

Location in Gloucestershire

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 2,009 6,561 Asphalt
08/26 560 1,837 Grass
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]

Cotswold Airport (IATA: GBA, ICAO: EGBP) (formerly Kemble Airfield) is a private general aviation airport, near the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire, England. Located 4.5 NM (8.3 km; 5.2 mi) southwest of Cirencester, it was built as a Royal Air Force (RAF) station and was known as RAF Kemble. The Red Arrows aerobatics team was based there until 1983, and it is used for the storage and recycling of retired airliners, as well as flying schools, clubs and industry.

Cotswold Airport is in a good position for flying training as it is clear of controlled airspace allowing free movement for training aircraft. It is also centrally positioned between Cheltenham and Gloucester and Swindon, with good road and rail links.

History

RAF Kemble

Construction work for RAF Kemble began in 1936, and the first operational unit to arrive at the station was No. 5 Maintenance Unit on 22 June 1938. In 1940, No. 4 Service Ferry Pool moved to the station from Cardiff, and Kemble became one of the main bases for the aircraft ferrying operations of the Air Transport Auxiliary in this region of the British Isles. Around the same time, Kemble was also the home of No. 1 Overseas Aircraft Preparation Unit (OAPU).[2]

The RAF Kemble main entrance area in 1967 with a pre-war hangar in the left background and a Spitfire as gate guardian

From 1966 until 1983, Kemble housed the Red Arrows, the RAF's aerobatic display team, which operated Folland Gnats and BAe Hawks. After the Red Arrows moved to RAF Scampton, the station was used by the US Air Force as a maintenance facility, initially for A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft, followed by Northrop F-5s, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles, Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers.[2]

Following the end of the Cold War, the US Air Force left the station and it was returned to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The British Army made use of the site to store surplus vehicles and equipment, and military flights ended at the station in March 1993.[2]

Civilian use

The MoD initially leased buildings on the former station before selling the site to Ronan Harvey, a local businessman, in March 2001.[2]

In 2009 Kemble Airport was renamed Cotswold Airport. This view looks east.

There was a threat of closure because of a mistake the Cotswold District Council made relating to planning permission when it was sold by the Ministry of Defence. However, this is no longer the case, and the planning status of the airfield has been changed to that of airport. In July 2007, the airfield was again threatened by the council due to complaints from local residents of noise pollution.

In June 2008, the threat of closure eased after the Cotswold District Council allowed flying to continue, but in September 2008, North Wiltshire District Council sought to overturn this decision in the High Court as they said the original decision was flawed.

In August 2009, the airport was awarded a CLEUD (Certificate of Lawful Use) as a commercial airport so the future is assured as an airport and development to that end can occur. Resource Group (Formerly Lufthansa Resource Technical Training Ltd) have relocated their EASA Part 147 Approved Basic Training facility to Cotswold Airport with a purpose-built facility opened in spring 2010. This has the effect of bringing numerous jobs to the local area as well as supporting local infrastructure, such as shops and hotels. There are some 50 engineering students at any one time, 365 days a year.

The central area of the airport, looking east. An air show is in progress.

The current airport at the site was renamed Cotswold Airport in 2009, having previously operated as Kemble Airport or Kemble Airfield.

Cotswold Airport has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P863), which allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Kemble Air Services Limited). The airfield has a tarmacadam runway which can and has[3] accommodated large aircraft such as the Boeing 747.

Aston Down airfield lies 3 mi to the northwest and has sometimes been mistaken for Cotswold Airport by visiting pilots. It formerly belonged to the RAF but is now used for gliding by the Cotswold Gliding Club.

Hangars for light aircraft and helicopters

Other uses

Cotswold Airport is home to Chevron Aircraft Maintenance Ltd.[4] Chevron is an Easa part 145 approved aircraft maintenance facility and has been based at the airport since January 2004, carrying out maintenance, storage and dismantling of aircraft.

Cotswold Airport is also the operating base of Air Salvage International (ASI),[5] who are described as Europe's leading aircraft decommissioning company.[6] Air Salvage moved from Alton, Hampshire in late 2009 to Cotswold Airport, setting up base in Hangar J1. During 2010, the company took over 130,000 sqft of hangar space formerly used by Aeronautic and Delta Jets, and has grown substantially thereafter.

Between 1996 and 2012, hangars at the airport housed the exhibits of the Bristol Aero Collection.

The airfield is also used for Formula One straight line testing,[7] and has one of the largest race tracks for radio-controlled cars in the UK.

A Countryfile segment being filmed with Matt Baker at Cotswold Airport

Future of the airport

The airport will be shut in April 2017 to make way for up to 2,000 houses. A proposal was put forward in 2015 for a "sustainable village" with shops and leisure facilities to be built on the 420-acre site.[8]

Cotswold Airport has been used as a film location for a number of television programmes and series, including: Top Gear, Casualty, Ultimate Force, Car of the Year Show, Wheeler Dealers, Classic Car Club, Drop the Celebrity and Fifth Gear.[9]

References

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