RAF Hooton Park airfield

1917 to 1919, No. 4 Training Depot Station, RFC, with Sopwith Scouts, Dolphins and Avro 504's, moved to Sealand when the airfield closed.
1927, Liverpool Corporation held an Air Pageant at Hooton as part of its Civic Week, this lead to the formation of the Liverpool & District Aero Club.
1928 to 1939, Hooton Park became the centre for civil aviation in the north of England. For three years it was also Liverpool's airport, being the first civic aerodrome in the North. 1933, Liverpool Corporation opened Speke Airfield as Liverpool Airport and the Aero Club moved there. Many private aircraft and several small airlines continued to use Hooton.
1936 to 03/09/39, 610 Sqn (County of Chester) Auxiliary Air Force formed here. Originally equipped as a Bomber Sqn with Avro Tutor trainers, Hawker Hind and Hart bombers. 1939, re-equipped with Hurricanes then Spitfires, moving to Wittering for operational training.
09/39, Martin Hearn Ltd repaired and assembled almost ten thousand aircraft here including Anson, Mosquito and American aircraft arriving at the Mersey docks including Harvard, Mustang, Lightning, Thunderbolt, Havoc and Canadian built Hampdens. The first helicopters used by the Allies were also assembled and tested at Hooton in the latter stages of the war.
The RAF had a presence during the war in the No. 3 Hangar; a flight of Coastal Command Avro Ansons on anti submarine patrols over the Irish Sea. Tiger Moth and Hornet Moth biplanes also flew on Coastal Patrols during the winter of 1939/40 to detect enemy submarines. No. 11 Radio School and No. 3 General Reconnaissance School flew from the airfield using Avro Ansons and Blackburn Bothas. As aircraft became redundant they were sent from all over the country to No. 100 Sub Storage Site at Hooton to be scrapped.
1945 to 1957, Martin Hearn Ltd now worked on buses, armoured cars and produced Slingsby gliders. 1947 to 1951, Reformed as Aero-Engineering and Marine (Merseyside) servicing Canadian RCAF jet fighters. Wright Aviation operated a Flying School and a gliding club was formed.
1946 to 1957, 610 Sqn Royal Auxiliary Air Force returned with Mk 14 and 22 Spitfires, replaced in 1951 with Meteors.
1949 to 1957, 663 Air OP. Sqn with Austers.·
1949 to 1957, 611 Squadron (West Lancs) from Woodvale with Meteors.
1960, Site bought by Vauxhall Motors with car production commencing in 1962.
Hangar site now owned by Hooton Park Trust.

RAF Hooton Park airfield
Airfield Today:		Vauxhall Motors, hangar site now owned by Hooton Park Trust.
Tower Type:		Watch Office with Tower (Fort Type) 1959/34 (brick), tower later removed and new Control Room built 4698/43 - see also Driffield and West Raynham
Tower:		Demolished in the early 1960's
Other Buildings:		WW1 Belfast Truss hangars and associated buildings
History:		1917 to 1919, No. 4 Training Depot Station, RFC, with Sopwith Scouts, Dolphins and Avro 504's, moved to Sealand when the airfield closed. 1927, Liverpool Corporation held an Air Pageant at Hooton as part of its Civic Week, this lead to the formation of the Liverpool & District Aero Club. 1928 to 1939, Hooton Park became the centre for civil aviation in the north of England. For three years it was also Liverpool's airport, being the first civic aerodrome in the North. 1933, Liverpool Corporation opened Speke Airfield as Liverpool Airport and the Aero Club moved there. Many private aircraft and several small airlines continued to use Hooton. 1936 to 03/09/39, 610 Sqn (County of Chester) Auxiliary Air Force formed here. Originally equipped as a Bomber Sqn with Avro Tutor trainers, Hawker Hind and Hart bombers. 1939, re-equipped with Hurricanes then Spitfires, moving to Wittering for operational training. 09/39, Martin Hearn Ltd repaired and assembled almost ten thousand aircraft here including Anson, Mosquito and American aircraft arriving at the Mersey docks including Harvard, Mustang, Lightning, Thunderbolt, Havoc and Canadian built Hampdens. The first helicopters used by the Allies were also assembled and tested at Hooton in the latter stages of the war. The RAF had a presence during the war in the No. 3 Hangar; a flight of Coastal Command Avro Ansons on anti submarine patrols over the Irish Sea. Tiger Moth and Hornet Moth biplanes also flew on Coastal Patrols during the winter of 1939/40 to detect enemy submarines. No. 11 Radio School and No. 3 General Reconnaissance School flew from the airfield using Avro Ansons and Blackburn Bothas. As aircraft became redundant they were sent from all over the country to No. 100 Sub Storage Site at Hooton to be scrapped. 1945 to 1957, Martin Hearn Ltd now worked on buses, armoured cars and produced Slingsby gliders. 1947 to 1951, Reformed as Aero-Engineering and Marine (Merseyside) servicing Canadian RCAF jet fighters. Wright Aviation operated a Flying School and a gliding club was formed. 1946 to 1957, 610 Sqn Royal Auxiliary Air Force returned with Mk 14 and 22 Spitfires, replaced in 1951 with Meteors. 1949 to 1957, 663 Air OP. Sqn with Austers.· 1949 to 1957, 611 Squadron (West Lancs) from Woodvale with Meteors. 1960, Site bought by Vauxhall Motors with car production commencing in 1962. Hangar site now owned by Hooton Park Trust.
RAF Hooton Park airfield

RAF Hooton Park airfield
Airfield:		Fighter training, civil aerodrome, Maintenance Command
Opened:		/1917 to /1919
Reopened:		/1928 to /1957
ID Code:		??
USAAF Station:		N/A
Runways:		Grass, 1941 2x - tarmac, 2500 x 50 yds and 1100 x 50 yds
Hangars:		1x - B1, 2x - Bellman, 2x - Robin, 3x - double Belfast Truss
County:		Cheshire
Location:		7 miles SE of Birkenhead
OS Ref:		SJ375792
Links:		www.hootonparktrust.co.uk
©:		Photographs © copyright as stated, via Andy Blair
Hooton Park airfield


c.1960 (© Hooton Park Trust)

1930 (© Hooton Park Trust)	2003 (© Hooton Park Trust)