Redhill Aerodrome

Redhill Aerodrome is an operational general aviation aerodrome located 1.5 NM southeast of Redhill, Surrey, England, in green belt land.

Redhill Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P421) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Redhill Aerodrome Limited).

Early history
The airfield came into use in the 1930s for private flying and it was used as an alternative airfield to Croydon Airport by Imperial Airways.

An Elementary Flying Training School was formed at Redhill in July 1937. Training continued at the start of the Second World War using the Miles Magister. The Fairey Battle was also flown particularly for use with the Polish Grading and Testing Flight.

With the threat of a German attack on the airfield the Flying Training School moved to northern England in June 1940.

RAF Redhill
With the withdrawal of the Flying Training School the airfield became an operational RAF station. First to move in were 16 Squadron operating the Westland Lysander. The Lysanders did not stay long and RAF Redhill had many short-term deployments of mainly fighter squadrons.

In August 1942 the airfield had five squadrons based. By the end of 1943 the fighter squadrons had moved on and the airfield was used by support units until the end of the war.

Flying squadrons during World War II

 * Royal Air Force Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
 * No. 1 Squadron RAF - Hawker Hurricane
 * No. 16 Squadron RAF - Westland Lysander
 * No. 66 Squadron RAF - Supermarine Spitfire
 * No. 116 Squadron RAF - Airspeed Oxford and Avro Anson
 * No. 131 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * No. 219 Squadron RAF - Bristol Blenheim, Bristol Beaufighter
 * No. 231 Squadron RAF - North American Mustang
 * No. 258 Squadron RAF - Hurricane
 * No. 287 Squadron RAF
 * No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron - Spitfire
 * No. 310 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * No. 312 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * No. 340 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * No. 350 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * No. 504 Squadron RAF - Spitfire


 * Royal Auxiliary Air Force Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
 * No. 602 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * No. 611 Squadron RAF - Spitfire
 * Royal Australian Air Force Ensign of the Royal Australian Air Force.svg
 * No. 452 Squadron RAAF - Spitfire
 * No. 457 Squadron RAAF - Spitfire
 * Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign (1941-1968).svg
 * No. 110 Squadron RCAF - Lysander
 * No. 400 Squadron RCAF - Mustang
 * No. 402 Squadron RCAF - Mustang
 * No. 414 Squadron RCAF - Mustang
 * No. 416 Squadron RCAF - Spitfire
 * No. 421 Squadron RCAF - Spitfire
 * Royal New Zealand Air Force Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.svg
 * No. 485 Squadron RNZAF - Spitfire

Postwar
The airfield returned to civilian use in 1947 but was suspended in 1954. In 1959 flying resumed at Redhill when the Tiger Club moved in. The following year Bristow Helicopters started to use Redhill as an operating base and carry out helicopter maintenance for the next 40 years.

The airfield is still operated for private flying and training, with an emphasis on helicopter operators. Pilots can use three grass runways. Information on the aerodrome's state can be found on the operator's, Redhill Aerodrome Limited, website.

Charter and private arrivals and departures can be tracked on the Aerodrome Information website.

The aerodrome has its own Air Traffic Control and fire and rescue services (Redhill Fire Fighting Service ). The fire and rescue service is H2/Cat2 and has two fire appliances built by Land Rover (now Jaguar Land Rover) that carry over 1400 litres of fire fighting fluids between them as well as rescue equipment. The fire crews also operate the bowsers used to refuel aircraft.

The airfield has also been the venue for the flying displays and aviation trade shows, including the annual Redhill Airshow in the past, which was focused around a charitable cause.

On 17 May 2012 it was announced that the owners of Redhill Aerodrome had again submitted a planning application for a hard runway after the previous plan had been rejected in 2011. Opponents at the time, including local MP Sam Gyimah, argued that the runway would "create an unacceptable level of noise and pollution and destroy the landscape". In June 2013 the second application was also refused.

Redhill Airshow
The Redhill Airshow was a "garden party" style event held at Redhill Aerodrome until 2006. The show was one of the highlights of the local area's calendar. The show has seen flypasts by the Red Arrows and displays from the Royal Air Force solo display teams, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight including the Lancaster Bomber as well as popular warbirds such as Spitfire MH434, and Rob Davies' P-51 Mustang.