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Henlow

Major
Also known as: Henlow Aerodrome / RAF Henlow
County: Bedfordshire
Current Status: Aviation (main position) / Museum
Date: Opened 1918
Current Use: Active
Used By: RAF (main user) / Civil
Landing Surface Types: Unpaved, later metal, later unpaved
Prominent People: Bill Shankly
Aircraft Roles: Air observation post / Aircraft ferrying / Aircraft modification/repair (main role) / Anti-aircraft co-operation / Army aviation / Communications / Fighter / General aviation / Military development/support / Trainer

The following organisations are either based at, use and/or have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 01/09/2011):

  • Clifton Parish Council
  • Henlow HIVE
  • Henlow Parish Council
  • RAF Signals Museum
  • St. Andrew's Church, Henlow
  • St. Mary's Church, Henlow

Main unit(s) present:

  • No 1 Air Stores Park

  • No 1 AACU 'W' Flight
  • No 1 AACU 'X' Flight

  • No 1 AACU 'Y' Flight

  • No 1 AACU 'Z' Flight

  • No 2 Air Stores Park

  • No 2 RAF Depot

  • No 2 Salvage Centre

  • No 3 Air Stores Park

  • No 3 FP

  • No 3 Salvage Centre

  • No 4 Repair & Salvage Unit
  • No 4 Salvage Centre

  • No 5 (Eastern) ARD

  • No 5 Repair & Salvage Unit
  • No 6 Air Stores Park

  • No 6 Repair & Salvage Unit
  • No 7 Air Stores Park

  • No 12 Repair & Salvage Unit
  • No 13 MU

  • No 13 SoTT

  • No 14 SoTT

  • No 19 Sqn

  • No 20 Air Stores Park

  • No 21 Aircraft Depot
  • No 23 Sqn

  • No 43 Gp Comms Flight

  • No 43 Sqn

  • No 49 MU

  • No 80 Sqn

  • No 106 EGS / E106 EGS

  • No 106 GS

  • No 241 Sqn
  • No 511 Aircraft & MT Repair Unit
  • No 511 Forward Repair Unit
  • No 616 GS

  • No 616 VGS

  • No 661 Sqn
  • No 1959 Reserve AOP Flight

  • No 1961 Reserve AOP Flight

  • No 2709 Sqn RAF Regiment
  • No 2727 Sqn RAF Regiment
  • Aviation Medicine Flight
  • The Band Of The Queen's Division
  • Defence Cultural Specialist Unit
  • Defence Flying Complaints
  • Digital Forensic Flight
  • Henlow Flying Club
  • Home Aircraft Depot

  • HQ RAF Police Professional Standards Dept
  • Inland Area Aircraft Depot

  • Joint Arms Control Implementation Group

  • Parachute Test Unit (Ministry of Supply)

  • Pilotless Aircraft Section

  • Provost Marshal's Dog Inspectorate
  • Queen Bee Flight

  • Parachute Test Section/Flight
  • Radio Engineering Unit

  • Rapier Cold Trials Unit

  • RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
  • RAF Meteorological Flight
  • RAF Officer Cadet Training Unit
  • RAF School of Aeronautical Engineering (Officers)

  • RAF Technical College
  • Service Complaints Investigation Team
  • Signals Development Unit

  • Specialist and Security Police Wing
  • Support Chain Information Services
001DSC_0016.jpg

Personnel at Henlow. Courtesy of New Zealand Bomber Command Association/Brown

002DSC_0020.jpg

A damaged aircraft at Henlow. Courtesy of New Zealand Bomber Command Association/Brown

003geograph-2971323-by-David-Howard.jpg

The entrance to Henlow, 31 May 2012.

004Coupled General Service Flight Sheds (Building 186) - 2 August 2013.png

Coupled General Service Flight Sheds (Building 186), 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

005Coupled General Service Flight Sheds (Building 188) - 2 August 2013.png

Coupled General Service Flight Sheds (Building 188), 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

006Runway 09:27. Looking west - 2 August 2013.png

Runway 09:27 looking west, 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

007Coupled General Service Flight Sheds (Building 189) - 2 August 2013.png

Coupled General Service Flight Sheds (Building 189), 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

008Hangar (Site of) - 2 August 2013.png

Site of a hangar, 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

009Sommerfeld Track - 2 August 2013.png

Sommerfeld Track at Henlow, 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

010Gate Guard. Hawker Hunter F.1 (WT612) - 2 August 2013.png

Gate Guard at Henlow, a Hawker Hunter F.1, 2 August 2013. © Richard Flagg

011geograph-4618920-by-JThomas.jpg

An accommodation block at Henlow, 15 August 2015.

012geograph-5441849-by-Marathon.jpg

Aircraft of Henlow Flying Club at Henlow, 24 June 2017.

013Hangar (Building 190) - 28 October 2017.png

Hangar (Building 190), 28 October 2017. © Richard Flagg

014Runway 14:32. Looking north west - 28 October 2017.png

Runway 14:32 looking north west, 28 October 2017. © Richard Flagg

015Landing Circle - 28 October 2017.png

Landing Circle at Henlow, 28 October 2017. © Richard Flagg

Footage of Henlow, 1933. Courtesy of British Pathé

Decoy Airfield(s):

Astwick

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