RAF Spanhoe with Threshold Aero

RAF Spanhoe, situated in Northamptonshire and opened in 1943, was used by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force During WW2. Designated by the USAAF as AAF-493, it carried the station code of ‘UV’.

Spanhoe was home to the 315^th Troop Carrier Group, who arrived between 4^th-7^th January 1944. On station were 34^th TCS (NM), 43^rd TCS (UA), 309^th TCS (M6) and the 310^th TCS (4A) all flying the C-47 Skytrain.

Spanhoe was closed in 1946 after an incredibly short lifespan of just 3 years, I would hate to think what the construction cost outlay on that was. It was subsequently returned to farmland, for the most part at least. On 12^th August 1960 a Vickers Valiant BK1 Serial XD864 of 7 Squadron from RAF Wittering crashed at Spanhoe after it stalled, killing all 5 crew members. Onboard were, Flight Lieutenant Brian J Wickham, Flight Lieutenant W R Howard, Flight Lieutenant Harry G Bullen, Flight Lieutenant Johnny Ireson and Sargent Roy H Johnson. They are buried together at All Saints Church in Wittering.

From 1964 to 1967 the remaining section of the airfield was requisitioned by Perkins Engines Gliding Club. It was during the 1970s that much of the airfield was taken up to dig for Iron Ore. Spanhoe today is an active airfield and houses many great private flying aircraft and the site still has some of its original Nissen huts asa reminder of its past. Amongst its residents we have:

A mixture of Austers of various types

XW635

XP241

LB286

G-APVG

G-AMTA

to a rarer Morane Saulnier Alycon

and a Percival P.28 Proctor 4, that i've been told is the only airworthy variant of its type, although this did fly in from Headcorn in Kent.

There were plenty of others standing by on the airfield too.

But there was a couple that stood out.

This is a Beechcraft 18 Expeditor 3N that was built in 1951 and delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force on 21st December 1951. By 1959 it had been transferred to the Canadian Department of Transportation where it served until June 1969 when it was sold to the Field Aviation Company and shortly thereafter the Capital Air Surveys Ltd. In April 1983 it had made it's way to British shores with the Scottish Aircraft Collection Trust Ltd under the serial G-BKRN but in 1983 the certificate for airworthiness had expired. At some point in 1986 it was transported in a sorry state to Cranfield where it remained until 1996 when restoration was undertaken after a move to Bruntingthorpe. I believe this aircraft has been at Spanhoe since October 2021.

G-RUNT, a Cassutt Racer IIIM, built in 1982, it is without doubt the smallest cockpit I have ever sat in. Hats off to Lee for being able to get out after a flight!

G-BUPV, is a 2T Sport Trainer built in 1932 by Great Lakes in Canada. History is a little hard to find on this so if anyone knows please do reach out.

Today's shoot was organised by Threshold Aero and coincided with the airfield's aerojumble event. Personally I really enjoyed my day at Spanhoe, it reminded me of how an airfield used to look, not a commercial district for a myriad of business' but a haven for those in love with flying and the freedom it offers. Sometimes the old ways are best!