Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome

Infobox Airport
name = Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome
nativename =


IATA =
ICAO =
type = Private
owner =
operator = C Walton Ltd
city-served =
location = Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire
elevation-f = 467
elevation-m = 142
coordinates = coord|52|29|13|N|001|07|50|W|type:airport|display=inline
website = [http://www.bruntingthorpe.com/ www.bruntingthorpe.com]
metric-rwy = Yes
r1-number = 06/24
r1-length-f = 9,842
r1-length-m = 3,000
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 06R/24L
r2-length-f = 2,953
r2-length-m = 900

r2-surface = Grass
footnotes = Sources: Airport website [http://www.bruntingthorpe.com/ Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds] , official site] and DAFIF WAD|Bruntingthorpe|source=DAFIF]

Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground Airport codes|N/A|N/A is a privately owned airport in Leicestershire near the village of Bruntingthorpe. It was opened as RAF Bruntingthorpe in 1942.

Overview

The facility became privately owned in 1972, developing into grounds suitable for high-performance car testing. Various circuits are available, from convert|4.2|mi|km to convert|0.9|mi|km loop, or the former runway, just under 2 miles (3 km) long. Bruntingthorpe also includes storage, security, and a covered hangar.

A Cold War aircraft museum also exists on-site, holding over a dozen jets used in various roles during the era. The museum is open on Sundays, and the aircraft will sometimes be brought out and run down the runway for special occasions. The most notable aircraft at the aerodrome is the Avro Vulcan XH558, that has been restored to airworthy condition. The first flight of the restored aircraft took place at Bruntingthorpe on 18 October 2007. [cite news
url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/19/nvulcan119.xml
title=Vulcan rules the skies again after £6m facelift
publisher=Telegraph.co.uk
date=2007-10-20] It is planned to fly the Vulcan at airshows in the UK for the next 15 years before being retired to the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

As well as car testing, Bruntingthorpe offers storage of cars and aircraft, film production facilities, and military/civilian defence testing. Within the airport is a repair facility for Ferraris and Maseratis. The site benefits from Planning Consent for Proving and Testing of Vehicles; but the consent has limiting conditions at weekends, namely cars should not exceed 70 mph nor six in number. Enforcement Notices have been issued (EN 282 and 105) to enforce the conditions following breaches in respect of week end use and other non-permitted uses, such as Track Days and Drivers' Dream Days.

Accident

Bruntingthorpe has been used several times to showcase cars for Five's Fifth Gear and in October 2007 racing driver Jason Plato was rushed from the circuit following a serious fire in a Caparo T1 at an estimated convert|150|mph|km/h|abbr=on|lk=on during filming.

United States Air Force Use

The United States Air Force used Bruntingthorpe from 1957 until 1962 as a heavy bomber base.

The facility was transferred from RAF control to the Strategic Air Command and a new longer runway was built in 1959 when the 100th Bomb Wing moved in operating the Boeing B-47 Stratojet.

Beginning in August 1959 the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing's 19th TRS from RAF Alconbury operated the Douglas RB-66B.

RAF Bruntingthorpe was closed when the USAF left in 1962.

See also

* Strategic Air Command in the United Kingdom
* United States Air Forces in Europe

References

External links

* [http://www.tvoc.co.uk/ Vulcan to the Sky Trust]