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RAF Weston-on-the-Green

Coordinates: 51°52′45″N 001°13′35″W / 51.87917°N 1.22639°W / 51.87917; -1.22639
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RAF Weston-on-the-Green
Part of RAF Brize Norton
Near Bicester, Oxfordshire in England
Airfield at RAF Weston-on-the-Green
RAF Weston-on-the-Green is located in Oxfordshire
RAF Weston-on-the-Green
RAF Weston-on-the-Green
Shown within Oxfordshire
Coordinates51°52′45″N 001°13′35″W / 51.87917°N 1.22639°W / 51.87917; -1.22639
TypeMilitary Parachute Drop Zone
Area132 hectares
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byNo. 2 Group (Air Combat Support)
Site history
Built1916 (1916)
In use1916–present
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: WOTG
Elevation86 metres (282 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
05/23 1,060 metres (3,478 ft) Grass
09/27 1,140 metres (3,740 ft) Grass
Helipads
Number Length and surface
01 30 metres (98 ft) Concrete

RAF Weston-on-the-Green is a Royal Air Force station that was redeveloped after the Great War period. Much demolition took place (including the original 1916/1917 hangars). The former RFC Officers and Sergeant's messes are located on the opposite side of the road, and are now in commercial use. The station is located near the village of Weston-on-the-Green in Oxfordshire, England.

RAF Weston-on-the-Green is one of the few remaining active RAF bases with some original pre-RAF buildings.

History

The airfield was used for the launch of the first modern hot air balloon in the UK in 1967, called the Bristol Belle. The airfield is the 3rd largest grass airfield still in operational use in the UK. It was previously used for the Hotspur gliders and Bristol Aircraft.

Current use

The station comes under the control of the nearby RAF Brize Norton, home of No.1 Parachute Training School RAF. The grass airfield at Weston is used regularly as a drop zone for military static line and freefall parachute training for the UK military, using C-130 Hercules aircraft based at RAF Brize Norton.[1] No military aircraft are based at RAF Weston-on-the-Green and the airfield is manned only part-time by RAF personnel.

Sport skydiving also takes place at RAF Weston-on-the-Green under the auspices of the Royal Air Force Sports Parachute Association using civilian aircraft based on the airfield.[2]

There was, until 2011, a commercial parachute club, Skydive Weston, based at the field. However that was forced to move its base of operations away from Weston by MoD cuts.[3] Some of the original buildings still stand, and the Skyvan aircraft originally used is now used during weekdays.

Oxford Gliding Club

Among the various organisations that use the airfield, Oxford Gliding Club use it now. They operate on the weekends with various club gliders, and about 30 private gliders. The club owns one Schleicher ASK 13, one Schleicher ASK 21, 2 K 8s, 2 Grob Astir, one DG-505 and a Slingsby T.21. The club uses the hangar in the northern side of the airfield, however the launch point varies according to the wind. The club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2012. It is one of the oldest gliding clubs in the country.

Current aircraft based at WOTG

Aircraft type Use/organization Registration
DG-505 Oxford Gliding Club G-CJSX
Schleicher ASK 21 Oxford Gliding Club G-DEGZ
Grob Astir Oxford Gliding Club G-DDMH, 544
Schleicher ASK 13 Oxford Gliding Club G-DCGO
Schleicher K 8 Oxford Gliding Club G-DEED on loan from Bicester GC, G-DHFW
Slingsby T.21 Oxford Gliding Club WJ306

RAF units and aircraft

[4]

Unit Dates Aircraft Variant Notes
No. 2 Squadron RAF 1919–1920 Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 [5]
No. 18 Squadron RAF 1919 None Cadre only.[6]
No. 90 Squadron RAF 1939 Bristol Blenheim I [7]
No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF 1943–1945 Based at RAF Kidlington used Weston-on-the-Green as a Relief Landing Ground
No. 15 Flying Training School RAF 1940–1941 Based at RAF Kidlington used Weston-on-the-Green as a Relief Landing Ground
No. 130 Gliding School RAF 1951–1955 Slingsby Cadet I, II and TX3
No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF 1940 Bristol Blenheim Based at RAF Bicester used Weston-on-the-Green as a Relief Landing Ground
No. 28 Training Depot Station RAF 1918–1919

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ "RAF parachutist plunges to death". The Guardian. 19 April 2003. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Finding a Drop Zone". RAF.
  3. ^ "Skydiving club is left high and dry". Oxford Mail.
  4. ^ Sturtivant 2007, p. 00.
  5. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 23.
  6. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 30.
  7. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 51.

Bibliography

  • Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Smith, David (February 1983). "Airfield Archaeology: No. 6: Weston on-the-Green". FlyPast. pp. 48–49. ISSN 0262-6950.
  • Sturtivant, R. RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air Britain, 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
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