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Warton Aerodrome | |||||||||||
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 Aerial photograph of Warton airfield, the main runway runs NE/SW, hangars and technical buildings are to the southeast, 10 August 1945. | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | BAE Systems | ||||||||||
| Location | Preston | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 55 ft / 17 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 53°44′42″N002°53′02″W / 53.74500°N 2.88389°W /53.74500; -2.88389 | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  EGNO Location in the Borough of Fylde | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Warton Aerodrome (IATA:WRT,ICAO:EGNO) is an airfield located inWarton village onthe Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is 7 miles (11 km) west ofPreston, Lancashire. The western end of the site adjoins the village ofFreckleton.
The airfield is a major assembly and testing facility ofBAE Systems Military Air & Information. It is also part of theLancashire Enterprise Zone.
Warton Aerodrome has aCAA Ordinary Licence (Number P748) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction, as authorised by the licensee (BAE Systems (Operations) Limited).[2]
In 1940 new runways were built at Warton so that it could act as a "satellite" airfield for theRAF Coastal Command station atSquires Gate airfield inBlackpool.[3]
The airfield was first operated as an air depot of theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during theSecond World War, as thousands of aircraft were processed on their way to active service in Britain, North Africa, theMediterranean and mainland Europe. It hosted the402d Air Depot, later the 402d Base Air Depot, from 15 April 1943 - 24 November 1945.[4]
On 14 August 1944Glenn Miller, recently promoted to the rank of major, played a concert to 10,000 servicemen on a platform erected in front of No. 4 Hangar.[5] On 23 August 1944, the accidental crash of a USAAFConsolidated B-24 Liberatorheavy bomber caused theFreckleton Air Disaster, resulting in 61 fatalities, including 38 children and two teenagers.[6]
It then became aRoyal Air Force station.
In 1947,English Electric took over the site, moving its main design office there from the Strand Road site inPreston in 1948.
With the merger of English Electric Aviation and the other aircraft divisions of the major British manufacturers in 1960, it became aBritish Aircraft Corporation (BAC) site. BAC was then nationalised and merged withHawker Siddeley andScottish Aviation to formBritish Aerospace (BAe) in 1977. British Aerospace was privatised in 1981 and was renamedBAE Systems in 1999. As such the airfield has been the flight test centre for various frontline military aircraft including theEnglish Electric Canberra, theEnglish Electric Lightning, theBAC TSR-2, theSepecat Jaguar, thePanavia Tornado, theBAE Hawk (formerly the Hawker Siddeley Hawk) and most recently theEurofighter Typhoon.
Warton was used as the base for all British development aircraft (DA) and Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA) in theEurofighter programme. Warton has been home to the initial Typhoon squadrons of theRoyal Air Force,No. 17 Squadron andNo. 29 Squadron. This was under the so-called "Case White" programme where BAE assumes more responsibility for training and support of the new aircraft than previous RAF types which were introduced under a more "in house" system. BAE states that this allows inevitable problems with any new aircraft to be quickly ironed out by BAE personnel on site. BAE plans to offer this on site service to any export customers.
Warton was also used for development flying of theNimrod MRA4 Maritime Reconnaissance and Attack aircraft until the aircraft was cut in the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010.
The final new build Tornado left Warton in 1998, a GR.1 forSaudi Arabia. Following this the main assembly hall was re-fitted as the final assembly site of theEurofighter Typhoon. BAE estimate that modern manufacturing techniques will allow the 30-week assembly time for a Tornado to be reduced to 16 weeks for the Typhoon.
Warton is the base forBAE Systems'Corporate Air Travel department which operates scheduled services for employees (and those of partner organisations) toFarnborough,Munich,Cambridge,RAF Coningsby, andRAF Marham. The Farnborough and Munich services are provided by Corporate Air Travel'sEmbraer 145 aircraft, with the others contracted out to other operators. Manyad hoc passenger flights also take place operated by various VIP operators.
The site is not open to the public. For many years limited areas were made accessible during open days, on a four-yearly cycle alternating with Samlesbury, which the company held for the families and friends of employees and local residents. These "Families' Days" were free of charge and typically included demonstrations of activities, tours of simulation facilities and impressive flying displays. The last Families' Day was held in 2006.[7]
From November 1994, theLancashire Constabulary operated aEurocopter AS355 helicopter stationed at Warton. Later, it was replaced by a newer, more capable,EC135.
This has now been withdrawn[when?] and is being covered by theNational Police Air Service based atBarton.
The airfield hasEnglish Electric Lightning F.6XS928 on permanent static display[8]
In January 1996 four women, known as the Ploughshare Four, caused more than £1.5m in damage to a Hawk warplane at the site. They were found not guilty of criminal damage atLiverpool Crown Court after a jury deemed their action was reasonable under theGenocide Act 1969. The Hawk was destined forIndonesia where the women argued it would likely be used to kill civilians inEast Timor.[9]
On 29 January 2017 Rev Dan Woodhouse, aMethodist minister in Leeds andSam Walton, aQuaker, were arrested at the site after allegedly trying to disarm warplanes bound forSaudi Arabia.Lancashire Constabulary said they were being held on suspicion of causingcriminal damage. In a statement, Woodhouse said stopping warplanes "would save lives".[10][11] Walton reported that the two carried one of the hammers used by the Ploughshare Four, which had since been confiscated by police.[9] In October 2017 Walton and Woodhouse appeared at Burnley Magistrates court facing charges of criminal damage; both were found not guilty after successfully arguing that they acted for the greater good.[12][13]
Since 2012, the aerodrome has provided one of the two sites of Lancashire Enterprise Zone, the other site being at BAE Systems'Samlesbury Aerodrome.[14] The zone's site at Warton covers 72 hectares (180 acres).[15] BAE Systems,Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Enterprise Partnership coordinate the site's development.[14]
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