RAF Errol

Royal Air Force Errol or more simply RAF Errol is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Errol in Perth & Kinross, Scotland, on the north bank of the Firth of Tay approximately halfway between Perth and Dundee.

RAF Errol
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorRoyal Air Force
LocationErrol, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Elevation AMSL16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates56°24′20″N 003°10′48″W
Map
RAF Errol
Location in Perth and Kinross
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4,555 1,388 Tarmac
3,431 1,046 Tarmac
3,470 1,035 Tarmac

History

The airfield opened in January 1943.[2] Errol housed No. 305 Ferry Training Unit RAF as a special air training conversion unit for the Soviet crews receiving deliveries of Armstrong Whitworth Albemarles. This joint operation continued until April 1944, despite cancellation of Albemarle deliveries in September, 1943. The RAF station originally featured a control tower, 6 hangars, and three runways arranged in an 'A' shape which are still visible today from the air. The military role of Errol airfield ended in 1948, shortly after the end of World War II.

Units

The following units were here at some point:[3]

  • No. 9 Gliding School RAF
  • No. 9 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF
  • No. 260 Maintenance Unit RAF
  • No. 271 Squadron RAF
  • 810 Naval Air Squadron
  • No. 1544 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
  • No. 1680 (Transport) Flight RAF

Post war

In 1988 the airfield was purchased by Morris Leslie Group as a site for auctioning plant. The site serves as their headquarters, and they created a mixed-use business park on the Errol side of the airfield.[4] As of 2007 a haulage company and a garden supplies wholesaler are in residence.

Many of the buildings around the airfield are now derelict or in a state of poor repair. Only one runway appears to be in service for light aircraft for activities such as skydiving.

Vintage car rallies and other events requiring large flat open spaces take place at the airfield throughout the year. A weekly car boot sale is held every Sunday, which, in the summer months, is one of the largest in Scotland.

References
  1. Bones Aviation Page: A Catalogue of UK Airfields
  2. ControlTowers.co.uk (1 May 2007). "RAF Errol".
  3. "Errol". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  4. https://www.morrisleslie.com/group/our-story/our-history/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.