RAF Hullavington

RAF Hullavington was a Royal Air Force station in Hullavington, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Location

 * Grid Ref: ST900810

History
Opened on 9 July 1937 as a Flying Training School.

During World War Two top officers from allied nations came to Hullavington to share ideas and ways of using aircraft. An effective Met. Office was also stationed at Hullavington. An aircraft which left every day at dawn flew at various heights in order to send data back for the Met. Office to assess the weather.

Unit badge
The RAF Hullavington Badge shows a red Wyvern holding aloft a beacon. The motto is in English, 'Service to Many'.

Units posted to the station
The station has performed many different roles; these are summarised with dates below:

Royal Air Force

 * 1937-1957 Flying Training Schools (from Apr 1942-Jul 1949 Empire Central Flying School)
 * 1938-1959 No. 10 Maintenance Unit RAF
 * 1958 No. 114 Squadron RAF
 * 1949-1954 Air Navigation School
 * 1954-1957 No. 2 Flying Training School RAF with the Hunting Percival Provost Mk 1 and BAC Jet Provost mk 1
 * 1957-1962 Air Electronics School
 * 1962- ?    Basic Air Navigation Training School
 * 1971-1976 16 Parachute Heavy Drop Company Royal Army Ordnance Corps (Disbanded 1 Sep 1976)
 * 1967-1992 Parachute Packing Unit/Parachute Servicing Flight
 * 1965-1995 Balloon Operations Squadron
 * 1986-1995 No. 4626 (Aeromedical Evacuation) Squadron RAuxAF
 * 1992–2013 625 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School) Squadron RAF VR/T
 * 1993–Present 621 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School) Squadron RAF VR/T

Royal Air Force Regiment

 * 1982-1990 No 5 Wing RAF Regiment
 * 1983-1988 No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment
 * 2 & 15 Sqn RAF Regiment(1986 - Station close)

Air Transport Auxiliary

 * No. 8 Ferry Pilot Pool Nov 1940 - Mar 1941)
 * No. 1427 (Ferry Training) Flight(18 May - 05 Sep 1942)

Defence Codification Data Centre
The Defence Codification Data Centre (DCDC) lodged in a purpose-built computer suite at RAF Hullavington from its establishment in 1966 until its dispersal to Glasgow in 1986, where it merged with its parent body, the Defence Codification Authority.

Current usage
In 1970 RAF Hullavington hosted the World Aerobatic Championships.

Today the barracks of the site (east of the airfield) is used as the home of 9 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps and it was renamed in 2003 Buckley Barracks after the VC winner John Buckley.

The airfield, West of the main barracks, is still referred to as "Hullavington Airfield" after its RAF origins. In 1992 and 1993, two Volunteer Gliding Schools moved in operating mirror circuits using the 'Viking' - a modified version of the civilian Grob Twin Astir II. These being 625VGS and 621VGS. The VGS fly Air Cadets and are run by Flight Staff Cadets, Civilian Volunteers and RAF VR/T Officers.

The VGS operate conventional winch-launched gliders every Saturday and Sunday, and throughout courses which they run in public holidays. Solo flights are very common, and soaring is seen done by the instructors and graded pilots in the summer. Despite the Squadrons solely operating gliders, the airfield is NOT a public one, and is still considered military. The aircraft very rarely operate outside of 1500 ft, but occasionally on a good day they will soar up to 6000 ft. Other pilots flying through the area should be away of winch cables as high as 2000'.

Throughout the week, the airfield is used by mainly the Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force for parachute drop training, and by the 9th Supply Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps as storage space using the airfield's hangars.