RAF Rufforth

Royal Air Force Rufforth
Handley Page Halifax V of 1663 HCU
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type		Military
Location		Rufforth, North Yorkshire
Elevation AMSL		52 ft / 16 m
Coordinates		53°56′54″N 001°11′04″W / 53.94833°N 1.18444°W / 53.94833; -1.18444Coordinates: 53°56′54″N 001°11′04″W / 53.94833°N 1.18444°W / 53.94833; -1.18444
Map
RAF Rufforth Location in North Yorkshire
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
06/24	5,946	1,812
11/29	4,050	1,234
18/36	4,200	1,280

RAF Rufforth is a former Royal Air Force station located near Rufforth in North Yorkshire, UK.

Construction

RAF Rufforth was built by John Laing & Son Ltd for the Royal Air Force in 1941 (completed 1942), it is located on the south side of the village^[1].

The airfield had one B1 and two T2 hangars and 36 aircraft hard standings and there was accommodation for 1,531 males and 251 females of all ranks^[2].

Operations

Units

• No. 158 Squadron RAF November 1942 - February 1943^[3]
• 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) 7 Group Training Command 1943 - 1945

Aircraft losses

A total of 18 aircraft flying from RAF Rufforth were lost in accidents including one at Bishop Wilton Wold^[4][5].

Post war

A glider on the north end of the runway at Rufforth in 1982

RAF Rufforth was home to a gliding school for several years whilst being part of No. 60 Maintenance Unit, the RAF left in 1974 and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) sold the site in 1981.

Part of the site has been retained for use by microlight and other small aircraft.

Airline TV series

Main article: Airline (1982 TV series)

The ITV fictional drama series "Airline" was partially filmed at the airfield in 1982.^[6][7][8]

Airline was a period drama series set at the end of the Second World War. Its main character is Jack Ruskin (played by Roy Marsden) who as a demobbed RAF transport pilot tries to set up his own airline using a DC3/C-47.

The series also starred Polly Hemingway as Jennie, Peter Witney as Richard Heffer, Sean Scanlan as Mc Evoy and Terence Rigby as Ernie Cade.

The series ran for 9 Episodes.

A DC3 (C47) used in filming during 1982

References

1. ^ Control Towers UK - Rufforth (website accessed: 27/07/10)
2. ^ Royal Air Force - Bomber Command History - RAF Rufforth (website accessed 27/07/10)
3. ^ 158 Squadron history - Bases - For operations with Coastal Command, 7/25 Nov 1942
4. ^ Yorkshire Aircraft- accidents (website accessed: 27 July 2010)
5. ^ York Stories - Memorials: lost crews of World War Two (website accessed: 27 July 2010)
6. ^ Memorable TV- Airline, Ruskin Air (website accessed: 27/07/10)
7. ^ Ruskin Air Services(website accessed: 27/07/10)
8. ^ IMDB Plot Summary for "Airline" 1982 (website accessed:27/07/10)