Seighford
SEIGHFORD: WW2 military aerodrome. Later a company airfield, and then a private airstrip but mainly civil gliding site
Note: All four of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
Note: Pictures by the author and both taken through perspex from a considerable distance.
Military users: WW2: RAF Flying Training Command 23 Group
21 AFU [Advanced Flying Unit]
30 OTU [Operational Training Unit] (Vickers Wellingtons)
23 HGCU (Heavy Glider Conversion Unit)
Operated by:
1965: Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd
1980s to 2000: Mr W O Brown and Staffordshire Gliding Club
Location: S of B5405, NE of Ranton & WNW of Seighford villages, 3nm WNW to NW of Stafford
Period of operation: Military: 1943 to 1947 Civil: From 1948 to - (With a period of inactivity)
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runway(s):
WW2: 18/36 1280x46 hard 04/22 1280x46 hard 12/30 1829x46 hard
1965: 13/31 1838x46 hard
2000: 13/31 500x50 hard (Grass 400 metre extension on 13)
2007: 13/31 412 hard
Note: A large grass area of about 900 metres long (at the longest point) and very wide at around 200 metres, has been used by the Staffordshire Gliding Club for many years on the northern side of the WW2 airfield.
Note: These four pictures were also obtained from Google Earth ©. The 2003 picture clearly shows the 965 metre long runway, 13/31, which was grass at its northwestern end. The 2009 picture clearly shows a racetrack marked out on the south eastern end. Was it possible, even at this stage, that it could still have been used during the week for example, when racing wasn't taking place?
NOTES: SEIGHFORD is sometimes described as the 'Forgotten Airfield' and for good reason. After the RAF closed the airfield in 1947 it was later taken over by Boulton Paul for advanced aircraft development purposes. In those days this would have rendered the airfield in the 'Top Secret' category.
It is claimed that Boulton Paul extended the main 12/30 runway but no proof of this appears to exist?
A CLAIM TO FAME
It is claimed the Boulton-Paul were provided with the Vickers 'Tay-Visount' to develop the first 'fly-by-wire' technology here. They also did a lot of work on English Electric Canberra's and English Electric Lightnings which presumably used this airfield. If so regarding the Lightnings - astonishing stuff! But I doubt Lightnings ever used this airfield?
In October 2021 I was kindly contacted by Mr Douglas Fletcher who tells us that he lived on Stone Road in the early 1960s. He confirms the Canberra's - but no Lightnings.
ANOTHER ERA
In 1976/7 only one aircraft was listed as being based here, the Jodel D.117A G-ASJZ of the Wolverhampton Ultra-light Flying Group.
Dave Welch
This comment was written on: 2018-04-12 08:34:56Jodel G-ASJZ was owned by bill Brown, who farmed most of the land. It was replaced by Jodel G-BMLB. For many years there were two or three Tipsy Nippers based there and one Beech Musketeer which belonged to Mike Fisher, a local TV dealer. Up to 1996 I frequently landed there in my Luscombe Silvaire N1134K, which was based at Wellesbourne.
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