Chiltern Park Aerodrome
Chiltern Park Aerodrome | |||||||||||||||||||
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 The wind sock that was at Chiltern Park | |||||||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Chiltern Aerosports | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Woodcote, Oxfordshire | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 24 September 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 180 ft / 55 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°33′10″N 001°06′02″W / 51.55278°N 1.10056°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.chiltern.aero | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
  Chiltern Park Location in Oxfordshire | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Chiltern Park Aerodrome was a private airfield near Woodcote and Ipsden in Oxfordshire.[1] It was within RAF Benson's Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone.[2]
The airfield was established in 1988,[3] and it catered for gyroplanes, microlights, helicopters, and gliders, as well as general aircraft.[4] In 2011 it became the weekend home of London Parachute School.
The airfield was ordered to close in June 2021, with the official closing date being 24 September after 33 years of operation. The closure of the airfield was ordered by a local farmer and his wife, who own the land on which the airfield was sited, and live close by. The couple complained about the venture growing "too big over the years", and that the noise of the aircraft "disturbs families living nearby".[5] Since 2022, the aerodrome has been reverted to farmland.
The Booker Gliding Club formerly operated at the airfield, as they weren't able to operate at their home airfield of Wycombe Air Park due to legal disputes between the leaseholder of the airfield and the council.[6]
Activities at the Aerodrome[edit]
The aerodrome was home to the London Parachute School, where they utilised the airfield for skydiving training in the form of tandem jumps.[7] They operated in conjunction with Booker Gliding Club who used the airfield for gliding 7 days a week when the weather was suitable.
Gallery[edit]
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The grass runways of the airfield in 2008 -
A light aircraft on the former airfield -
A light aircraft crossing the road between the airfield and farm -
The airfield's former safety fleet
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References[edit]
- ^ Action for Airfields (2003). "ALERT: Chiltern Park 12/02/01". A4A. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
- ^ "Diary" (PDF). Benson Bulletin. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
- ^ Chiltern Park Aerodrome (2010). "Airfield Info". Chiltern Airsports Ltd. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
- ^ Henley Standard (2021). "Landowners force airfield closure". Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ Jane Moore (2021). "Booker Gliding Club Newsletter" (PDF). Booker Gliding Club. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ London Skydiving (2021). "Tandem Skydiving". London Skydiving. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
External links[edit]
Media related to Chiltern Park Aerodrome at Wikimedia Commons
