RAF Weston-on-the-Green

Royal Air Force Weston-on-the-Green
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Nr Bicester, Oxfordshire
Elevation AMSL	282 ft / 86 m
Map
RAF Weston-on-the-Green Location in Oxfordshire

RAF Weston-on-the-Green is a former Royal Flying Corps station that was redeveloped after the Great War period. Much demolition took place (including the original 1916/1917 hangars). The former RFC Officers and Sergeant's messes are located on the opposite side of the road, and are now in commercial use. The station is located near the village of Weston-on-the-Green in Oxfordshire, England. The station comes under the control of the nearby RAF Brize Norton. It is used for parachute training for the UK military. The No.1 Parachute Training School RAF is based at RAF Brize Norton and uses Weston-on-the-Green regularly as a drop zone.

Basic military parachute jumping takes place at RAF Weston-on-the-Green from civilian aircraft that are based on the airfield and more advanced jumping takes place from C-130 Hercules aircraft based at RAF Lyneham.

No military aircraft are based at RAF Weston-on-the-Green. The airfield is only manned part-time by RAF personnel.

There was a commercial parachute club, Skydive, however that has moved its base of operations away from Weston. Some of the original buildings still stand, and the Skyvan aircraft originally used is now used during weekdays.

RAF Weston-on-the-Green is one of the few remaining active RAF bases with some original pre-RAF buildings.

The airfield was used for the launch of the first modern hot air balloon in the UK in 1967, called the Bristol Belle.

Oxford Gliding Club

Among the various organisations that use the airfield, Oxfordshire Gliding Club use it now. They operate on the weekends with various club gliders, and about 30 private gliders. The club owns 2 Schleicher ASK 13s, 2 K 8s, one Grob Astir, one DG-505 and a Slingsby T.21. The club uses the hangar in the northern side of the airfield, however the launch point varies according to the wind. The club will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2012. It is one of the oldest clubs in the country.

RAF units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
No. 2 Squadron RAF	1919–1920	Armstrong Whitworth FK.8
No. 18 Squadron RAF	1919	None		Cadre only
No. 90 Squadron RAF	1939	Bristol Blenheim	I
No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF	1943–1945			Based at RAF Kidlington used Weston-on-the-Green as a Relief Landing Ground
No. 15 Flying Training School RAF	1940–1941			Based at RAF Kidlington used Weston-on-the-Green as a Relief Landing Ground
No. 130 Gliding School RAF	1951–1955	Slingsby Cadet	I, II and TX3
No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF	1940	Bristol Blenheim		Based at RAF Bicester used Weston-on-the-Green as a Relief Landing Ground
No. 28 Training Depot Station RAF	1918–1919

References

• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Sturivant, Ray (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air-Britain. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links

• Skydive Weston sky-diving club
• Oxford Gliding Club