Royal Air Force East Fortune, or more simply RAF East Fortune, is a former

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

station located just south of the village of

East Fortune East Fortune is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, located 2 miles (3 km) north west of East Linton. The area is known for its airfield which was constructed in 1915 to help protect Britain from attack by German Zeppelin airships during t ...

. It is a short distance east of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. RAF East Fortune was used as a fighter station during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and later used by a night fighter operational training unit 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 opposin ...

. The motto of the station is "

Fortune Favours the Bold "Fortune favours the bold", "Fortune favours the brave" and "Fortune favours the strong" are common translations of a Latin proverb. The slogan has been used historically by people in the military in the Anglosphere, and it is used up to the pres ...

". Following the Second World War, the runways were taken over for local private aviation use. The former RAF buildings have been used for the

National Museum of Flight The National Museum of Flight is Scotland's national aviation museum, at East Fortune Airfield, just south of the village of East Fortune, Scotland. It is one of the museums within National Museums Scotland. The museum is housed in the original ...

since 1976. The airfield is a

Scheduled Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

History

The establishment of East Fortune as a flying station pre-dates the formation of the Royal Air Force. RAF East Fortune was first designated as a fighter and

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

airfield in 1915 and became a

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

station in August 1916. By early 1918, East Fortune was one of 66 Training Depot Stations (TDS). The purpose of the TDS was to train pilots for operational squadrons, and were often grouped together in threes. East Fortune was TDS station No. 208. In July 1918, after the Royal Air Force was inaugurated, No. 22 (Training) Group RAF was activated at East Fortune and later moved to Stirling. No. 22 (Training) Group RAF is one of the few active Groups still operating within the RAF. In 1918, a prototype

Sopwith Snipe The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of th ...

was trialled at East Fortune. After acceptance, this aircraft was introduced to the Torpedo Aeroplane School at the base, which was opened in August 1918. The British airship

R34 R34 may refer to: * R34 (New York City Subway car) * R34 (South Africa) * HM Airship ''R.34'', a rigid airship of the Royal Air Force * , a destroyer of the Royal Navy * Nissan Skyline (R34), a mid-size car * Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34), a sports ca ...

made the first-ever return flight across the Atlantic and the first east–west crossing by air, flying from East Fortune to

Mineola, New York Mineola is a village in and the county seat of Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from an Algonquin Chief, Miniolagamika, which means "pleasant village". ...

in 1919. The flight took 108 hours and 12 minutes. In February 1920, the airfield and associated buildings were closed and listed for disposal. During the inter-war period, the hangars and airfield buildings were demolished, while the domestic site was sold to the South Eastern Counties of Scotland Joint Sanatorium Board for use as a

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

sanatorium. The airfield was reactivated during the Second World War, the land being requisitioned in June 1940 for use as a satellite airfield for nearby

RAF Drem The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. However, it was subsequently decided to develop RAF East Fortune as a

night fighter A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...

operational training unit (OTU), so on 4 June 1941, No. 60 OTU arrived from

RAF Leconfield Royal Air Force Leconfield or more simply RAF Leconfield is a former Royal Air Force station located in Leconfield (near Beverley), East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site is now used by the MoD Defence School of Transport Leconfield or D ...

. This was an

RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...

unit that gave newly qualified pilots and other aircrew (wireless operator/air gunners or navigators) fresh from

RAF Flying Training Command Flying Training Command was an organization of the Royal Air Force; it controlled flight training units. The command's headquarters were at Shinfield Park, Reading in Berkshire. History Flying Training Command was formed from the elements of ...

specific training and experience in night-fighting before assignment to operational squadrons as two-man (pilot and navigator/radar operator) crews. The OTU employed a mixture of trainer and operational aircraft types for this purpose; initially, crews were trained on the single-engined

Boulton Paul Defiant The Boulton Paul Defiant is a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any fixed forward-firing guns ...

night fighter, with

Miles Master The Miles M.9 Master was a British two-seat monoplane advanced trainer designed and built by aviation company Miles Aircraft Ltd. It was inducted in large numbers into both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second Wor ...

dual-control trainers being used for some pilot training exercises. As the Defiant became obsolete as a night fighter, the OTU switched to the twin-engined

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...

and

Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...

. By 1942 the Blenheim was also increasingly obsolescent as a night fighter, but as they had dual controls and were less challenging to fly than the newer Beaufighter they remained useful as trainers. Crews under training would therefore do most of their flying in Blenheims before converting to Beaufighters towards the end of the OTU course. As the war progressed, the majority of the Luftwaffe's bombers were assigned to the Russian Front and Mediterranean Theatre. As a result, the threat of night attacks on Britain diminished and the need for additional night fighter crews was reduced, so starting in June 1942 part of No. 60 OTU was reassigned to

RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...

daylight strike training using Beaufighters. On 24 November 1942, 60 OTU was disbanded and some of its assets and personnel transferred to Coastal Command as the nucleus of the newly formed No. 132 OTU, a dedicated coastal strike training unit. Initially this unit continued to employ Blenheim and Beaufighter aircraft, but use of the ageing Blenheims subsequently declined and they were eventually replaced by

Bristol Beaufort The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At l ...

s as the unit's dual-control trainers. In late 1944 the OTU began to receive some

de Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or ...

aircraft, and by the end of the war this was the main type used. In addition to its primary training role RAF East Fortune was designated as an emergency diversion airfield for

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...

, and it was available to heavy bombers returning from raids on Germany if adverse weather over England prevented them from landing at their home airfields. In addition to No. 60 OTU and No. 132 OTU, the following units have operated here: * No. 1 Torpedo Training Squadron RAF (July – August 1918) became No. 201 TDS (August 1918 – April 1919) became Torpedo Training School, East Fortune (April 1919 – 1920) * No. 2 Gliding School RAF (October 1942) *

No. 185 Squadron RAF No. 185 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed in World War I and reformed as a bomber and fighter unit in World War II. It then reformed in Malta in the post war period as a jet fighter squadron. History Formation and World War I No. ...

* Detachment of No. 1489 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (September 1942 – ?) * Coastal Command Ground Instructors School RAF (1944 – October 1945) * Fleet Aerial Gunnery School RAF (July – November 1918)

Post-war use

No. 132 OTU disbanded on 15 May 1946, and the domestic site was returned to the Sanatorium Board. Thereafter the airfield saw little or no use by the RAF, although it was allocated to the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

in 1950 as a dispersal base for strategic bombers during the Cold War. To accommodate such aircraft the main runway was extended to cross the B1347 road, but in the event, East Fortune was never used by the USAF and the site was eventually sold by the Air Ministry in 1960. East Fortune enjoyed a brief revival as an airfield during the summer of 1961, when

Turnhouse Turnhouse is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, near Maybury, Gogar, Cammo and West Craigs. The area is south east of Edinburgh International Airport, and Turnhouse is also the name for the former Royal Air Force ...

Airport was closed for construction work. As a result, all civil and air force traffic was diverted through East Fortune, with the airport accommodating the movement of nearly 100,000 passengers. The extended runway at East Fortune was used for this purpose throughout the summer of 1961. After refurbishment, East Fortune Hospital reopened as a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1949. As the number of TB patients was declining, starting in the mid-1950s, spare capacity at the hospital was used for the long-term care of patients with learning disabilities and as a recuperation facility for general medical patients. Subsequently, the hospital primarily provided long-term geriatric care, which became the sole use in 1985 when the last mental health patients left. The hospital gradually declined during the 1990s and finally closed in 1997.

Accidents and incidents

During both world wars, flying accidents during training were common and many airmen were killed or injured on non-operational flights. One of the earliest fatal accidents involving East Fortune occurred on 17 March 1916 when a

Farman HF.20 The Farman HF.20 and its derivatives were a family of reconnaissance aircraft produced in France shortly before and during the First World War. It was a refined version of the Farman MF.11 "Shorthorn" that did away with the type's distinctive l ...

from East Fortune plunged into the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

with the loss of its crew. Unsurprisingly, relatively inexperienced aircrew flying in high-performance, war-weary aircraft, suffered high accident rates. There were particular risks associated with the types of training undertaken at East Fortune during the Second World War, namely night fighter training involving extensive flying during the blackout and coastal-strike training involving extensive low-level flying, which carried the attendant risk of

CFIT In aviation, a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT; usually ) is an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, a body of water or an obstacle. In a typical CFIT scenario, ...

accidents with insufficient altitude to bail out in the event of mechanical failure. Neither the Beaufighter nor the Mosquito were particularly easy to make emergency escapes from, and the Beaufighter was a notoriously difficult aircraft to fly if one of the engines failed. Accordingly, there were many serious accidents involving aircraft operating from East Fortune. Accidents during the Second World War include: * 1941, 15 August, Defiant Mk I N1692 of 60 OTU crashed into a farm building during an attempted forced-landing at West Mains Farm, 5 km southeast of Haddington, killing the pilot. * 1941, 29 August, Defiant Mk I T4042 of 60 OTU crashed on Hunt Law in the Lammermuir Hills whilst on a training flight from East Fortune, killing the pilot. * 1941, 30 August,

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

T8627 of 60 OTU crashed near Scremerston, Northumberland, killing both crew. * 1941, 5 September, Defiant Mk I R1679 of 60 OTU crashed near Edlington Hall, Northumberland, killing both crew. * 1941, 26 September, Defiant Mk I V1138 of 60 OTU crashed on approach 2 miles northeast of RAF East Fortune, killing the observer. * 1941, 16 November, Master Mk III W8528 of 60 OTU crashed at North Berwick, killing the pilot. * 1941, 8 December, Defiant Mk I N1570 of 60 OTU crashed into the Firth of Forth. Both crew missing, presumed dead. * 1941, 30 December, Defiant Mk I N1680 of 60 OTU crashed on the railway near Drem station, killing the pilot. * 1942, 1 January, Defiant Mk I N3432 crashed at Troutbeck, Westmorland on a delivery flight to 60 OTU East Fortune, killing the ferry pilot (who was serving with 96 Squadron). The aircraft flew into high ground in bad weather. * 1942, 4 January, Defiant Mk I N3495 of 60 OTU crashed 1/4 mile northeast of East Linton whilst on approach to RAF East Fortune, killing both aircrew. A severe rainstorm had developed suddenly and all pupils airborne had been ordered to land, but the inexperienced pilot was believed to have been overwhelmed by the conditions and flew into the ground. * 1942, 15 January, Defiant Mk I N3422 of 60 OTU crashed at Berwick Law, North Berwick after a high speed stall during air combat practice. Both aircrew were killed. * 1942, 15 January, Defiant Mk I V1182 of 60 OTU failed to return from an exercise, and was presumed to have ditched or crashed into the Firth of Forth. Both crew missing, presumed dead. * 1942, 8 February, Defiant Mk I N1705 of 60 OTU crashed at Kingston Farm, North Berwick killing both aircrew. Immediately before the crash the pilot radioed that he had collided with something in cloud and was attempting to return to East Fortune. Subsequently, marks were found on high ground on Berwick Law suggesting that a glancing collision with terrain had occurred. * 1942, 24 February,

Mk III W8623 of 60 OTU crashed at East Fortune killing the pilot. * 1942, 18 March, Defiant Mk I N1629 of 60 OTU dived into the ground near Athelstaneford, killing the pilot. * 1942, 23 March, the undercarriage of a 60 OTU Blenheim collapsed at RAF East Fortune, killing an airman working beneath it. * 1942, 8 April, Blenheim Mk IV Z5871 of 60 OTU crashed 1/2 mile south of Long Yester, East Lothian killing both crew. * 1942, 29 September, Blenheim Mk V BA142 of 60 OTU crashed at Howmuir Farm, East Linton, killing the pilot. * 1942, 28 October, Blenheim Mk I L6752 of 60 OTU crashed near Ormiston in bad visibility, killing the pilot. * 1942, 8 December, Blenheim Mk IV Z7443 of 132 OTU crashed near Lauder, killing the pilot. * 1943, 3 January, Blenheim Mk V BA235 of 132 OTU crashed at Woodhall Farm, Innerwick, killing the pilot. * 1943, 14 March, Blenheim Mk V BA107 of 132 OTU crashed in a night forced landing southwest of Athelstaneford, killing the pilot. * 1943, 28 March, Blenheim Mk V BA201 of 132 OTU flew into high ground near Haddington at night, killing the pilot. * 1943, 29 March, Blenheim Mk I L6691 of 132 OTU crashed near Athelstaneford after taking off from East Fortune at night, killing the pilot. * 1943, 2 April, Blenheim Mk I L1119 of 132 OTU crashed 2 miles north west of the airfield after takeoff, killing the pilot. * 1943, 12 May, Beaufighter Mk IIF R2340 of 132 OTU crashed at Crauchie Farm on approach to RAF East Fortune, killing the pilot. * 1943, 28 May, Beaufighter Mk IIF R2283 of 132 OTU crashed after an engine cut out on overshoot at RAF Drem, killing the pilot. * 1943, 14 June, Beaufighter Mk IIF R2278 of 132 OTU crashed near Gilmerton House just south of the airfield after colliding with treetops on overshoot, killing the pilot. * 1943, 17 June, Blenheim Mk IV V5492 of 132 OTU crashed during a forced landing, killing the pilot. * 1943, 19 September, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL852 of 132 OTU ditched in the North Sea off Northumberland following an engine failure. The pilot was rescued by a passing ship but the observer was never found. * 1943, 2 December, Beaufighter Mk VIC EL433 of 132 OTU crashed at RAF East Fortune after the pilot attempted to abort a single-engined landing at the last minute. The aircraft crashed into the airfield's motor transport shed and exploded, killing both aircrew. * 1943, 21 December, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL873 of 132 OTU crashed 3 mile north west of Crail whilst attempting a night forced landing. The pilot survived but the navigator was killed. * 1944, 5 January, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL425 of 132 OTU crashed into the Firth of Forth 2m east of the Isle of May. Neither of the crew were found. * 1944, 27 February, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL449 of 132 OTU crashed at RAF East Fortune during an attempted landing during a snowstorm. Both aircrew were killed. * 1944, 19 March, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL652 of 132 OTU failed to return from a training flight and was presumed to have crashed or ditched in the sea. Both crew were missing, presumed killed. * 1944, 5 May, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL581 of 132 OTU crashed near Gifford after an engine failed shortly after takeoff from East Fortune, Both crew were killed. * 1944, 15 May, Beaufighter Mk VIC EL457 of 132 OTU crashed at Hedgehopehill, 7 miles south of Wooller, Northumberland, killing both crew. * 1944, 29 May, Beaufighter Mk VIC EL240 of 132 OTU crashed near Haddington due to an engine failure shortly after takeoff from East Fortune, killing both crew. * 1944, 15 June, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL855 of 132 OTU crashed into the sea off North Berwick during a gunnery exercise. Neither of the crew were found. * 1944, 27 July, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL776 of 132 OTU crashed into sand dunes at Dirleton gunnery range during a practice attack, killing both crew. * 1944, 8 August, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL824 of 132 OTU ditched in the North Sea 10 miles off Carnoustie following engine failure. The pilot was rescued but the observer was never found. * 1944, 12 August, Beaufighter Mk VIC T5216 of 132 OTU crashed at Belhaven Sands following engine failure, killing the pilot. * 1944, 12 August, Beaufighter Mk VIC X8096 of 132 OTU crashed into the Firth of Forth 3 miles west of the

Bass Rock The Bass Rock, or simply the Bass (), ( gd, Creag nam Bathais or gd, Am Bas) is an island in the outer part of the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland. Approximately offshore, and north-east of North Berwick, it is a steep-sided volcan ...

during a night exercise, killing both crew. * 1944, 14 August, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL813 of 132 OTU crashed into the North Sea 9 miles off Peterhead. Both of the crew were missing, believed killed. * 1944, 20 August, Beaufighter Mk VIC T5219 of 132 OTU crashed near RAF Milfield (Northumberland) following an engine failure. The pilot survived but the navigator was killed. * 1944, 23 September, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL423 of 132 OTU failed to return from a night training flight and was presumed lost at sea with both crew. * 1944, 8 October, Beaufighter Mk VIC EL338 of 132 OTU crashed at RAF East Fortune after hitting a wall during an attempted take off, killing the pilot and injuring the navigator. * 1944, 22 October, Mosquito T. Mk III LR559 of 132 OTU crashed into Beech Hill House, a country house near Haddington, after a fuel tank exploded shortly after takeoff. The accident killed both aircrew and four people in the house, amongst them a niece and nephew of Field Marshal Haig. * 1944, 27 October, Beaufighter Mk VIC JL427 of 132 OTU crashed into the North Sea near Barns Ness lighthouse, killing the pilot. * 1944, 11 November, Beaufighter TF Mk X LX944 of 132 OTU crashed into the North Sea 5 miles northeast of

St Abb's Head St Abb's Head is a rocky promontory by the village of St Abbs in Scottish Borders, Scotland, and a national nature reserve administered by the National Trust for Scotland. St Abb's Head Lighthouse was designed and built by the brothers Davi ...

in bad weather. Neither of the airmen were ever found. * 1945, 22 March,

Beaufort Beaufort may refer to: People and titles * Beaufort (surname) * House of Beaufort, English nobility * Duke of Beaufort (England), a title in the peerage of England * Duke of Beaufort (France), a title in the French nobility Places Polar regions ...

T Mk IIA ML564 of 132 OTU crashed during an attempted overshoot at East Fortune, killing the pilot. * 1945, 15 April, Beaufighter TF Mk X JM220 of 132 OTU crashed into the Firth of Forth near

Fidra Fidra (archaically Fidrey or Fetheray) is a currently uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, northwest of North Berwick, on the east coast of Scotland. The island is an RSPB Scotland nature reserve. Geography Like the other islands near N ...

during exercises at Dirleton gunnery range. Both crew were killed. * 1945, 3 May, Beaufighter TF Mk X NE813 of 132 OTU crashed onto high ground at Wester Dod, Stottencleugh Farm, Oldhamstocks, killing both crew. * 1945, 21 June, Mosquito FB Mk VI NT201 of 132 OTU overshot on landing at East Fortune after a radiator fairing detached. The aircraft collided with a hut and both crew were killed. * 1945, 20 August, Beaufighter TF Mk X RD714 of 132 OTU crashed at RAF East Fortune, killing the pilot. An airman was awarded the

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...

for saving the navigator from the burning aircraft. Many of the airmen who died flying from RAF East Fortune are buried at St Martin's New Burial Ground in Haddington. During East Fortune's brief stint as Edinburgh's temporary airport during 1961, two notable accidents occurred. On a very wet Sunday in April 1961 a BEA

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

airliner landing on a flight from Heathrow overshot the runway and ended up in the grass at the end of the runway after a 180-degree turn. Although the flight was fully laden there were no injuries. A few weeks later, on 26 May 1961, an RAF

Percival Pembroke The Percival Pembroke is a British high-wing twin-engined light transport aircraft built by the Percival Aircraft Company, later Hunting Percival. Development The Pembroke was a development of the Percival Prince civil transport. It had a ...

communications aircraft (serial number WV737) called at East Fortune to drop off two Air Vice-Marshals returning from a NATO meeting in Paris. Having done so, the crew took off for the short flight to

RAF Leuchars Royal Air Force Leuchars or RAF Leuchars was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspac ...

, but almost immediately the aircraft suffered an engine fire and had to be crash-landed near North Berwick. Both members of the crew escaped from the crash alive, although the aircraft was destroyed by fire. An investigation determined that

hydraulic lock Hydrolock (a shorthand notation for hydrostatic lock or hydraulic lock) is an abnormal condition of any device which is designed to compress a gas by mechanically restraining it; most commonly the reciprocating internal combustion engine, the ...

had occurred in the port engine, due to the pilot omitting to undertake the required pre-takeoff procedures.

Current use

In 1976 the Scottish

was opened on the site of the former RAF station's technical site. Each summer the museum hosts an airshow. It is one of the few airfield-based airshows in the UK where fixed wing aeroplanes cannot land at the airfield. The airfield is predominantly used for agriculture but the runways and taxiways are largely intact. A portion of the runways is used for a

car boot sale Car boot sales or boot fairs are a form of market in which private individuals come together to sell household and garden goods. They are popular in the United Kingdom, where they are often referred to simply as 'car boots'. Some scientific ...

each Sunday. The eastern end of the airfield is now used as a motorcycle racing circuit and is home to the Melville Motor Club. The concrete extension of the main runway west of the B1347 road is now used as a runway for

microlight Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...

aircraft and as a scrapyard. This is the only part of the East Fortune airfield that can now handle aircraft, and no larger than a microlight. The former domestic site, the East Fortune Hospital, remains largely vacant. In May 2016, it was revealed that there are plans for part of the site to be redeveloped as a village.

History

Post-war use

Accidents and incidents

Current use

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography