Airfields in the County of Norfolk, England

Aviation in Norfolk

The County of Norfolk has had a long and close association with aviation.
During the First World War Boulton & Paul started manufacturing aeroplanes in Norwich in 1915, flying them from Mousehold Heath. Narborough was the biggest aerodrome in the country and Pulham was a major airship base. The RNAS had airfields around the coast as a defence against Zeppelin raids.
In the inter-war years developement continued on some of the permanent RAF stations such as Bircham Newton, Marham, Watton and West Raynham, and Mousehold Heath became Norwich Airport.
The Second World War saw about 30 new airfields being constructed, many for use by USAAF 8th Air Force. and RAF Bomber Command. Coltishall's fighters were part of the Duxford "Big Wing" during the Battle of Britain. In the latter part of the war 100 Group was at the forefront of the development and use of electronic counter measures.
During the Cold War Sculthorpe became the biggest nuclear arsenal in Europe and Thor missiles were deployed at North Pickenham and Feltwell. Some of the first V bombers were based at Marham and West Raynham was a Bloodhound missile base.
The Kestrel, the forerunner of the Harrier did much of it's development flying in Norfolk.
The Falklands War saw Marham's Victor tankers in the thick of the action and Marham and Coltishall deployed their aircraft in the Gulf Wars.
RAF Horsham St Faith is now Norwich International Airport and has impressive passenger and maintenance facilities. Many former military bases now host general aviation activities.
Ken Wallis, the doyen of autogyros, is based in Norfolk, at Reymerston Hall.
I hope that this website will give you all the leads that you need to find out more about aviation, past and present, in Norfolk.

Frank Shaw, Dereham, Norfolk

If you have Google Earth installed you can click this link to zoom into all the airfield sites visible in Norfolk. Clicking the link downloads a file called "n_airfields.kmz" which automatically opens Google Earth.
The aerial photos have recently been updated and are now much better quality, but quite old.

Museums

2nd Air Division Memorial Library, Norwich

93rd Bomb Group Museum, Hardwick

100th Bomb Group Museum, Thorpe Abbotts

448th Bomb Group Museum, Seething

RAF Bircham Newton Heritage Room

Blickling Hall (RAF Oulton)

City of Norwich Aviation Museum

Hardwick Warbirds

Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Bungay

Royal Air Force Air Defence Radar Museum, Neatishead

Flying Clubs & GA Airfields

Norwich International Airport

The"8 Ball" Soaring Association - Shipdham

Anglian Air Centre

Anglia Flight - Norwich

Breckland Strut - Popular Flying Association

Dave Clarke Microlight Aircraft - Great Massingham

Lejair - Hang Gliding

Ludham Airfield

Marham Aero Club

McAully Flying Group - Little Snoring

Norfolk Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club

Norfolk Gliding Club - Tibenham

Norfolk & Norwich Aero Club

Northrepps International Airport - Cromer

Premier Flight Training - Norwich Airport

Seething Airfield

Shipdham Aero Club

Sterling Aviation - Norwich Airport

Touchdown Aero Centre - Old Buckenham

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Manufacturers & Maintenance

Anglia Sailplanes

The Boulton Paul Association

Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd

KLM UK Engineering

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Airlines

Air Anglia

Air UK

KLM UK

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Ballooning

Breckland Balloons

Broadland Balloons

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Links - Aviation

British Military Airfield Histories

The Mighty 8th - A Synopsis

Norfolk Couty Council - eMap Explorer (Includes the 1946 aerial survey, useful for airfield researchers)

RAF Bomber Command

Links - General

Frank Shaw - A Potpourri of My Life and Times

RAF Changi Association

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Books

Bartram, Len RAF Langham 1940-1948

Birtles, Philip (1999) World War 2 Airfields Buy it

Bowman, Martin W (1995)Low Level from Swanton Buy it

Bowyer, Michael JF (2000) Action Stations Revisited Buy it

Brew, Alec (2001) Boulton Paul Aircraft Buy it

Corser, Sqn Ldr WJL (1995) Airfield Focus - Marham Buy it

Doherty & Ward (1989) Snetterton Falcons

Delve, Ken (2005) Military Airfields of Britain - East Anglia BUY IT

Fairhead, Huby (1995) The History of Mousehold Heath Aerodrome

Falconer, Jonathon (1993) RAF Bomber Airfields of WWII Buy it

Fox, George H 8th Air Force Remembered Buy it

Freeman, R (1992) Airfields of the Eighth - Then and Now Buy it

Gunn, P (2002) Bircham Newton - A Norfolk Airfield in War and Peace Buy it

Hancock, Ian The Lives of Ken Wallis

Jacklin, D (2004) Up in all Weather - The Story of RAF Docking Buy it

Jefford, CG (2001) RAF Squadrons Buy it

Kinsey, Gordon (1988) Pulham Pigs

Laming, Tim (2000) UK Airports and Airfields - A Spotters Guide Buy it

McKenzie, Roderick (2004) Ghost Fields of Norfolk Buy it

Narborough Airfield Research Group (2000) The Great Government Aerodrome Buy it

Pope, Stephen (1993) Airfield Focus - Swanton Morley Buy it

Walker, Peter M (1997) Norfolk Military Airfields

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