Norton
NORTON: Military helicopter base
Operated by: Fleet Air Arm
Location: Just W of Dartmouth on the A3122
Period of operation: 1960s and 70s only?
NOTES: This is very interesting - I only discovered this in 2017 when searching for a private airstrip near Dartmouth - and chapter and verse is available on the Devon Airfield Index web-site - with pictures.
Basically it appears that a quite substantial hangar and control tower was constructed here in the early 1960s in order to familiarise cadets at the Britannia Royal Navy College with helicopter operations. The College itself is roughly a mile away to the NW.
It appears a Westland Wasp was based here with a pilot and ground crew although it seems uncertain when the facilty was closed. The hangar was dismantled in 1999 but it seems the control tower still exists opposite the entrance to the Sainsburys supermarket car park.
There are also rumours that a short N/W grass runway was also used in the early days, possibly by Royal Navy Tiger Moths based at ROBOROUGH (PLYMOUTH AIRPORT)? If anybody can kindly offer more advice and information, this will be much appreciated.
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