The old RAF Saltby is used today by Buckminster Gliding Club with gliders and motor gliders being either winched or towed into the surrounding skys.
And the teas good too.
Originally built in 1941, RAF Saltby started its life with only a grass strip and surrounding support buildings, however when the 14 OTU moved to nearby Market Harborough the airfiled was upgraded to an "A" standard with B1, and T2 hangers, a standard runway pattern and dispursed sites accommodating upto 2100 staff members. The site closed in September 1955, 52 years to the month before the memorial was errected.
There appears to be a vast amount of history attatched to the site, aircraft and units attatched to the airfield, however this can be located elsewhere.
The surrounding dispursed sites only display the remains of numerous hut bases and stanton shelters in different states of decay.
Note the water tower in the back ground.
And Gingie Junior wanted a look too.
On another of the dispursed sites the sewage works were found.
Overall not a bad two hours of walking the many sites and talking to some locals about their memories of the once active base, finally a big thankyou to the members of the gliding club, a local farmer and the owner of "Keepers Lodge" for their permission to walk the land, not forgetting my son Gingie Junior and Noel and Chris.
Cheers.
And the teas good too.
Originally built in 1941, RAF Saltby started its life with only a grass strip and surrounding support buildings, however when the 14 OTU moved to nearby Market Harborough the airfiled was upgraded to an "A" standard with B1, and T2 hangers, a standard runway pattern and dispursed sites accommodating upto 2100 staff members. The site closed in September 1955, 52 years to the month before the memorial was errected.
There appears to be a vast amount of history attatched to the site, aircraft and units attatched to the airfield, however this can be located elsewhere.
The surrounding dispursed sites only display the remains of numerous hut bases and stanton shelters in different states of decay.
Note the water tower in the back ground.
And Gingie Junior wanted a look too.
On another of the dispursed sites the sewage works were found.
Overall not a bad two hours of walking the many sites and talking to some locals about their memories of the once active base, finally a big thankyou to the members of the gliding club, a local farmer and the owner of "Keepers Lodge" for their permission to walk the land, not forgetting my son Gingie Junior and Noel and Chris.
Cheers.