RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester MENU

Page updated: January 23, 2024

RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester MENU

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RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester MENU

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RAF Little Rissington's construction started in 1936 as a flying training school. Opened n 1938 with No.6 Flying Training School (FTS) from RAF Netheravon. Added to the training school was an aircraft storage unit taking up the South Eastern side of the airfield with No.8 Maintenance Unit (MU) formed in February [Originally No.8 Aircraft Storage Unit December 1938]. A large grass airfield was laid out and the Air Ministry had special grasses that they had worked out would be best for an airfields surface. By 1941 runways were laid with the main 050 (Concrete and tarmac) 1565yrds x 50yrds. The accomodation was perminent and there were four 'C' type sheds and one Aircraft Repair Shed (ARS) on the main airfield and D type x 2, E type x 6, Robins x 8, Blister 10 x 65ft & 7 x 69ft, 3 x Bellman. There were 1317 Officers and men 373 WAAF. RAF Chipping Norton & RAF Windrush were its satellites

The MU side continued largely manned by civilians until 1957.
The pilot training side starting in 1938 with the Harvard as it main single engined trainer, but as there were not enough to go around, Audax, Hart & Fury suplemented. Then by June Anson and Oxford twin engined aircraft were used. Another unit here and on many airfields was the BATFl (Blind Aproach Traing Flight) a small unit, usually using Oxfords to teach and refresh pilots in Blind Approach to runways at night and in bad weather. Units came and went and by 1946 Central Flying School came in from RAF Upavon, where it had been formd in 1913 with the RFC. In the 1950's Jets arrived with Meteors, Jet Provest & Gnats. Gliding has always been a big user of the airfield and still does to this day. Closed in 1976 with the coming of the Army. 1980 and the Americans took over many buildings and hangars as an emergancy hospital in those hot Cold War years. It was closed in 1992. I have visited several times but in 2011 & 2014 I managed to see quite a lot of whet was left before the developers got in.

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Harvard

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Hawker Audax.

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Hawker Fury.

RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester MENU

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RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester MENU

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RAF Little Rissington, Gloucester MENU

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RAF Little Rissington from Officers Mess to hangars. Old site.

RAF Little Rissington Officers Mess

RAF Little Rissington Watch Office



Meteor.

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Jet Provest.

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Gnats in line.