Panshanger Aerodrome was a former
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
aerodrome
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
located on the most eastern tip of
Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...
,
Hertfordshire, England, west of
Hertford,
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and the other main towns are Ware, Bunti ...
.
Wartime history
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, a decoy aerodrome for the de Havilland factory at Hatfield was built on land at Holwell Hyde, just south of Panshanger airfield, and the Royal Air Force occasionally made use of it for training. Panshanger airfield itself was more regularly used by the Royal Air Force for training purposes and a large ''Bellman'' type hangar was erected to accommodate the aircraft based there. This structure still exists, albeit in a dilapidated condition.
No. 1 Elementary Flying School, equipped with
Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...
biplane trainers was active at the aerodrome from September 1942. No. 127 Gliding School was operational at Panshanger from August 1943 until closure in May 1948.
After the war, No. 1 Reserve Flying School was based at Panshanger from May 1947 until its closure in May 1953. It was managed by
De Havilland Aircraft
The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited () was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of north London. Operations were later moved to Hatfield in He ...
.
Postwar operations
![Miles M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Miles_M.38_Messenger_2B_G-AGPX_Panshanger_04.06.53_edited-2.jpg)
From 1946, the airfield was used by flying clubs for training and recreational flying, and also by private owner pilots. A small arched hangar with canvas end closures was in use by 1953.
During its time of operation, Panshanger
Aerodrome
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
had a
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. Its areas of responsibility include:
* Supervising the issuing of pilots' licences, testing of e ...
Ordinary Licence (Number P782) that allowed flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee. The aerodrome was not licensed for night use.
The aerodrome was once home to the North London Flying School (a trading name of East Herts Flying School), which offered Fixed-Wing PPL, instructor and aerobatics training. The school used
Piper
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* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
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* Piper Chapman, lea ...
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
aircraft for most of its training, although it also owned a
Piper J-3
The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...
(Cub), an
Extra
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300L and a
Piper PA-32R
The Piper PA-32R is a six-seat, high-performance, single engined, all-metal, fixed-wing aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Florida. The design began life as the Piper Lance, a retractable-gear version of the Piper Cherokee Six. ...
(Saratoga) for other training and hire purposes.
![PanshangerStrip](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/PanshangerStrip.jpg)
De Havilland apprentices were offered subsidised flying training at Panshanger from 1949 to 1952 on Tiger Moths and Chipmunks.
Aerodrome under threat
The aerodrome had been under threat from a planning proposal to build 700 houses on the site following the expiry of the lease. Many hundreds of local residents, pilots, aviation organisations and members of the North London Flying Club were against the proposal which ended its public consultation on 31 January 2014. A HM Government e-Petition against the plans was set up but failed to attract enough signatures to move to debate
A 'Save Panshanger' websit
and Facebook pag
were also set up in support of the aerodrome's operations.
Aerodrome closure
The aerodrome closed on 20 September 2014 following the expiry of the lease from the land owner, who intended to re-designate the use of the land for other purposes. The flying school and restaurant also closed.
There have been efforts to have it re-opened, with campaigners aiming to convince the council that the aerodrome was a great economic and social asset.
A potential reprieve reported 28 July 2016. After strong representations, the local Council hope to pursue a mixed use option, with general aviation activities alongside a smaller number of new houses on part of the airfield site
References
External links
North London Flying SchoolGoogle Street View imagery
{{authority control
Airports in England
Airports in Hertfordshire
Defunct airports in England