Tattenhill
TATTENHILL: Military aerodrome now civil aerodrome
Note: This picture (2017) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified.
TATTENHILL PICTURES IN AUGUST 2003
Military user: WW2: RAF Flying Training Command 21 Group
AFU (Advanced Flying Unit)
Operated by: 1975: Allied Breweries (listed as being a private strip)
1980s to 2000s: Tatenhill Aviation
Flying club/school: East Staffordshire Flying Club, Tatenhill Aviation
Maintenance: 2001: Tatenhill Aviation
Location: E of A515, S of B5234, NE of Newchurch village, 5nm W of Burton-on-Trent
Period of operation: Military 1941 to 1947 (Listed as used for agriculture in 1985) Restarted for civil use in ?
Note: These maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: 09/27 1463x46 hard 04/22 914x46 hard
18/36 1006x46 hard
1990: 08/26 1200x30 hard 04/22 900x30 hard
2000: 08/26 700x28 hard 08/26 700x50 grass
04/22 900x30 hard
Contrast this with information in another flight guide:
2001: 08/26 700x30 hard 08/26 700x30 grass
04/22 900x45 hard
Note: Evidentally, after making the last entry above, runway 04/22 fell into disuse for around ten years after 2006 or thereabouts. However, in late 2016 it was announced that Tattenhill Aviation together with volunteers from East Staffordshire Flying Club were working to reopen this runway.
NOTES: It would seem a tad surprising that much of the WW2 hard runways have survived here as so many WW2 airfields, especially in an area like this, (which has had a couple of major new roads built nearby since WW2), were smashed up to provide hardcore for road building foundations etc. In 2003 many of the original WW2 and post WW2 facilities, (like the hangar and control tower), were scheduled to be destroyed.
In 1977 just two aircraft were listed as being based here, a massive contrast to the busy situation today. These were the Beech B.65-A80 Queen Air G-ASXV of Ind Coope Ltd and Beech 58 Baron G-BBJF of Allied Breweries (UK) Ltd. Yet another example of a WW2 aerodrome surviving simply because of local business interests. Both Ind Coope and Allied Breweries (later amalgamated) were huge companies concerned with producing mainly beers in those days and by todays standards why weren’t these aircraft based at CASTLE DONNINGTON/EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT which surely offered better ‘all-weather’ facilities? Thankfully this wasn’t the case so the aerodrome survived to now become a thriving GA centre.
Jimmy
This comment was written on: 2015-07-28 12:35:36I'm sure my Grand Father served here a long time ago. Thanks great site.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Glad to be of service. Cheers, Dick
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