Shoreham Airport

Shoreham Airport Shoreham (Brighton City) Airport
IATA: ESH – ICAO: EGKA
Summary
Airport type		Private
Operator		Shoreham Airport
Serves		South of West Sussex
Location		Lancing, West Sussex
Elevation AMSL		7 ft / 2 m
Coordinates		50°50′08″N 000°17′50″W
Website		www.shorehamairport.co.uk
Map
EGKA Location in West Sussex
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
02/20	1,036	3,399	Asphalt
07/25	877	2,877	Grass
13/31	408	1,339	Grass
02/20 Unlicensed	700	2,297	Grass
Statistics (2009)
Passengers			1,500 (Approx)
Source: UK AIP at NATS

Shoreham Airport (IATA: ESH, ICAO: EGKA), also known as Shoreham (Brighton City) Airport, owned by Albemarle Shoreham Airport Limited following the sale of the airport by Brighton & Hove City Council and Worthing Borough Council in July 2006, is an airport located 1 NM (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) west of Shoreham-by-Sea at Lancing in the Adur district of West Sussex, England. Founded in 1910, it is the oldest licensed airfield in the UK. It is situated immediately to the south of the A27 road, between Brighton and Worthing, and immediately to the north of the West Coastway railway line.

Shoreham has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P884) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.

History

Foundation

The aerodrome was first used in 1910 and was officially opened on 20 June 1911. The first flying school opened in 1913.

World War I

During World War I the aerodrome was used by the Royal Flying Corps.

Inter-war period

The aerodrome became an airport for the adjacent towns of Brighton, Hove, and Worthing in the 1930s. A new terminal building was opened on 13 June 1936. The terminal building is still in use and was designated as a Grade II listed building in 1984.

World War II

During World War II the airfield operated a variety of military aircraft including Westland Lysanders that were later replaced by Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, Boulton Paul Defiants and a pair of Bristol Beaufighters. It was an air-sea-rescue base with Supermarine Walrus aircraft joining other wartime activities in the nearby harbour.

The airfield was bombed several times and a Messerschmitt Bf 109 was shot down by ground fire during one such attack, crash-landing near the terminal building.

A B-17 Flying Fortress crash-landed at the airfield after being damaged during a raid on Germany. The consequent damage to the old guardhouse on the north side of the airfield can still be seen.

Post-World War II

The landing area was entirely grass until a tarmac runway was built in 1981.

In 1949 F G Miles Engineering Ltd moved to Shoreham from Redhill Aerodrome and soon occupied the repaired Municipal Hangar.

Beagle Aircraft Ltd (British Executive & General Aviation Ltd) was formed at Shoreham on 7 October 1960 and design drawings were begun a few weeks later for a new prototype twin-engine light transport aircraft. Built as the Beagle B.206X at Beagle's Rearsby factory near Leicester, this promising new type was completed at Shoreham and first flown by John Nicolson on 15 August 1961. Beagle Aircraft Ltd was nationalised in late 1966 and taken over by the British Motor Corporation but later entered receivership in late 1969 and soon closed down.

In 2006 due to mounting debts the airport was sold by the local authority to a property company on a 150-year lease. It was intended that the airport would provide increasing commercial flight activity for the conurbation on the coast nearby, particularly the city of Brighton & Hove.

The pre-war Municipal Hangar was Listed Grade II in July 2007.

On April 14, 2008, it was announced that the parent company had gone into liquidation, and airfield managers blocked all flights amid fears that the required insurance cover had been cancelled. The airport reopened after it was sold to a new company.

Present

The airport is used by privately owned light aeroplanes, flying schools, and for light aircraft and helicopter maintenance and sales. A number of operators provide sight-seeing and pleasure flights, including the experience of flying in two T-6 Harvard World War II training aircraft.

RAFA Shoreham Airshow

Once every year in the late summer, the airport is host to the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Shoreham Airshow. The airshow has flying and static displays by a variety of aircraft such as fast jets, military helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, and historic aircraft. A variety of ground displays by local organisations including the local flying clubs, the armed forces, and classic cars and vehicles. The show has raised over £1.5 million for the Royal Air Forces Association over 21 years.

On 15 September 2007 a World War II-vintage Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft involved in the RAFA Air Display crashed near Lancing College. The pilot Brian Brown was killed in the crash, the first fatality in the history of the Airshow. The next year's show in 2008 featured a special tribute to Brown.

The 2007 show raised in excess of £150,000 for the Royal Air Forces Association, a record achievement.

Facilities

Shoreham Airport

There is one terminal building at Shoreham, with a central reception and information desk, together with flight indicator boards announcing all arrivals and departures. Articles on sale in the main terminal include airport souvenirs. The airport has two licensed restaurants; the cafeteria in the main terminal building is open to the public (including those not otherwise involved with the airport or any flight), and sells local real ales, whilst the other restaurant is frequented largely by students and employees at the educational and commercial premises on site. The airport houses Northbrook College's engineering department — a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Aerospace and Aviation. A number of aerospace and aviation commercial businesses have offices and workshops on the airport site and along the perimeter road.

The Shoreham Airport Visitor Centre features two rooms with exhibits about the airport's history and area aviation history. The displays include photographs, models, airplane parts, artifacts and memorabilia. The centre's volunteers provide guided tours of the airport, and the site also features a library and archive of related historic materials.

Ground Transport

Rail

A halt on the West Coastway Line was opened in 1910, just in front of the main building of the airport. In 1935 it changed name from Bungalow Town Halt to Shoreham Airport, but was closed in 1940.

Airlines and destinations

No airlines serve Shoreham (Brighton City) Airport, however various charter airlines are based at the airport. Skysouth served Caen, Deauville, and Le Touquet before ceasing operations in February 2009, while Blue Islands served Shoreham from Alderney until February 2008, when they pulled out of the route, saying that it was not profitable.

Airlines	Destinations
Brighton City Airways	Amsterdam, Brussels-Charleroi, Jersey, Paris-Pontoise [all proposed]

Sussex Police Air Operations Unit

The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The unit has been equipped since February 2000 with a MD Explorer, registered as "G-SUSX". The unit is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police Constables, together with pilots, paramedics, and ground support staff. The aircraft always flies with a crew of three (one civilian pilot, one police officer, and one paramedic) and can reach any part of Sussex (around 1,500 square miles) within 20 minutes.

Shoreham Airport RFFS

The Shoreham Airport Rescue and Firefighting Service provides a professional fire-fighting capability at the airport during operating hours. Headed by a Senior Airport Fire Officer, the service's two watches (Blue Watch and Red Watch) man four fire appliances. The service has operated at the airport continuously for over 90 years.

Shoreham Airport's aircraft fuelling service is operated as a department of the Rescue and Firefighting Service. There are three large mobile fuel bowsers for delivering both Avgas and jet fuel to aircraft, including a service (accompanied by fire applicances) for fast delivery of fuel to police and coastguard emergency helicopters without disengaging their engines. Fuel technicians are attached to the firefighting Watches (Red Watch and Blue Watch) and work the same shift pattern, although they have their own Fuel Services Manager.

Film appearances

Due to its listed period buildings and facilities, Shoreham Airport is regularly used by film-makers seeking to portray a small town airport, or even for historical reconstructions of scenes from the 1930s onwards. The airport has appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring David Suchet. External shots of the airport were also used in the film The Da Vinci Code, however the name of the airport was changed. The airport was used in the feature length documentary 'Angel Without Wings'.

The airport's paved runway, with the River Adur in the foreground.

External links

• Shoreham Airport (official website)
• Shoreham Airport Visitor Centre (official website)
• Shoreham Airshow (Official Website)