Airfield search

Cranwell (including Cranwell North)

Major
Also known as: Cranwell Aerodrome / Cranwell North Aerodrome / Cranwell South / Cranwell South Aerodrome / HMS Daedalus / RAF Cranwell / RNAS Cranwell
County: Lincolnshire
Current Status: Aviation
Date: Opened 1 April 1916
Current Use: Active
Used By: RAF (main user) / RNAS (main user) / FAA / AAC / Civil
Landing Surface Types: (Cranwell North) unpaved; (Cranwell South) unpaved, later paved
Aircraft Roles: Army aviation / Communications / General aviation / Naval aviation / Trainer (main role)

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

  • Brunei Starbucks
  • Cranwell, Brauncewell and Byards Leap Parish Council
  • Cranwell Aviation Heritage Centre
  • Cranwell HIVE
  • RAF Cranwell Apprentices Association
  • RAF Cranwell Golf Course
  • Rauceby (North and South) Parish Council
  • St. Andrew's Church, Cranwell
  • St. Michael and All Angels' Church, Cranwell

Main unit(s) present:

  • No 1 Electrical & Wireless School
  • No 1 Officers Advanced Training School
  • No 1 Radio School
  • No 1 Signals School
  • No 2 CFS
  • No 2 FIS
  • No 2 SoTT (Boys)
  • No 3 FTS
  • No 3 (Coastal) OTU
  • No 6 Radio School
  • No 7 AEF
  • No 8 Radio School
  • No 11 SFTS
  • No 12 Group
  • No 12 (Training) Group
  • No 17 FTS
  • No 17 SFTS
  • No 19 FTS
  • No 21 Gp Comms Flight
  • No 21 (Training) Group
  • No 26 (Signals) Group
  • No 45 Sqn
  • No 56 TDS
  • No LVII Sqn
  • No 57 TDS
  • No 58 TDS
  • No 59 Wing
  • No 201 TDS
  • No 202 TDS
  • No 213 TDS
  • No 674 Sqn AAC
  • No 703 Sqn
  • Air Warfare School
  • Aircrew Transit Unit
  • Airship Pilots School
  • Band of the RAF College
  • Basic FTS
  • Bourne Flying Group
  • The Cadet College
  • Central Flying School
  • Cranwell GC
  • East Midlands UAS
  • Electrical & Wireless School
  • Flying Training School
  • HQ Air Cadets
  • Navigator and Airman Aircrew School
  • Officer and Aircrew Cadet Training Unit
  • Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre
  • Officers Advanced Training School
  • RAF Aerobatic Team (The Red Arrows)
  • RAF (Cadet) College
  • RAF College
  • RAF College Air Sqn
  • RAF College SFTS
  • RAF Cranwell Flying Club
  • RAF Disclosures
  • RAF Flying Club Cranwell
  • Recruiting and Selection
  • Royal Auxiliary Air Force Band
  • Seaplane Training Sqn
  • Tedder Academy
  • Wireless Operators School
001RAF Cranwell MQs.BMP

A brochure for the sale of airfield buildings at Cranwell. Courtesy of Welbeck Estate Group

002College Hall - 1 July 2007.png

College Hall at Cranwell, 1 July 2007. © Richard Flagg

003Barrack Block - 17 September 2009.png

Barrack Block at Cranwell, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

004Initial Officers Training Mess - 17 September 2009.png

Initial Officers Training Mess at Cranwell, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

005Admiralty Type F Aircraft Shed - 17 September 2009.png

Admiralty Type F Aircraft Shed at Cranwell, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

006Aircraft Shed - 17 September 2009.png

An aircraft shed at Cranwell, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

007Type C Aircraft Shed - 17 September 2009.png

Type C Aircraft Shed at Cranwell, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

008Looking south west over Cranwell Airfield from the Control Tower - 17 September 2009.png

Looking south west over Cranwell from the control tower, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

009Looking north over Cranwell North Airfield - 27 November 2007.png

Looking north over Cranwell North, 27 November 2007. © Richard Flagg

010Control tower.png

The control tower at Cranwell, 17 September 2009. © Richard Flagg

Winston Churchill inspecting the RAF Cadet College at Cranwell, c. 1920-1921. Courtesy of British Pathé

Pass-out day at Cranwell, 1925. Courtesy of British Pathé

'Air Sense!', footage of Cranwell, 1931. Courtesy of British Pathé

Squadron Leader O R Gayford and Flight Lieutenant S E Nicholetts taking off from Cranwell to set the World Record long distance flight in their Fairey-Napier Long-range Monoplane, 1933. Courtesy of British Pathé

Footage of Cranwell, 1935. Courtesy of British Pathé

King George VI visits Cranwell, 1937. Courtesy of British Pathé

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Plans of Cranwell, 1918. Courtesy of Ed Andrews

Satellite(s):

Barkston Heath / Fulbeck

Relief Landing Ground(s):

Barkston Heath / Caistor / Coleby Grange / Digby / Folkingham / Fulbeck / Spitalgate / Swinderby / Syerston / Wellingore / Wigsley II

Decoy Airfield(s):

Willoughby Walks

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