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1936 (© via John Levesley atchistory.wordpress.com)
RAF Gatwick airport
Airfield Today:
Gatwick airport
Tower Type:
'The Beehive' terminal building built 1936, connected to the railway station by underground walkway
Tower:
Now a listed and protected building
Other Buildings:
Not known
History:
Opened as a civil airport in 1930, major building work carried out in 1936.
01/10/1937 to 01/09/1939, No. 19 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School with Tiger Moths, Harts and Magisters. Transferred to No. 18 E&RFTS at Fairoaks.
05/1940 to 01/1945, Airfield used by several Army Co-operation Command Squadrons on training duties and operational sorties. Operational fighter bomber and photographic sorties also flown.
01/1945 to 05/1945, used by SHAEF disarmament unit.
05/1945 to 08/1945, used temporarily by several RAF Squadrons.
/1946 to 03/1956, used by several civillian companies including Airwork servicing Fairey Gannets, Sea Hawks, Sea Hornets and Seafires. 09/06/1958, after extensive rebuilding became Londons second airport.
RAF Gatwick airport
CG TransSaharienne DC-3 in front of The Beehive March 1949 (© C. Abbott, via Peter Jones)
Beehive in the background December 1949 (© Peter Jones)
RAF Gatwick airport
Airfield:
Operational Fighter
Opened:
01/08/1930
Closed:
N/A
ID Code:
??
USAAF Station:
N/A
Runways:
Grass, then 3x - steel track, single runway built 1956
Hangars:
1x - Bellman, 6x - Blister
County:
Surrey
Location:
28 miles S of London
OS Ref:
TQ270404
Links:
©:
All photos © copyright as stated
RAF Gatwick airport
Airwork Douglas DC-3, bacame G-AMXX
De Havilland Dove
1949 (© Peter Jones)
RAF Gatwick airport
2001 (© Mark Stanley)
RAF Gatwick airport
RAF Gatwick airfield + control tower = www.controltowers.co.uk © robert truman 2002 -
- RAF Gatwick Beehive terminal building - updated 05/01/2018 -