| Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: none – ICAO: none | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Private | ||
| Operator | Banbury Gliding Club | ||
| Location | Brackley | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 505 ft / 154 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
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Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 06/24 | 1,054 | 353 | |
Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield is an airfield on the west side of Hinton-in-the-Hedges near Brackley, Northamptonshire, England. The airfield is made up of several runways, one of which is tarmac. It consists of several well-drained short-mown grass runways which are oriented: 06/24, 09/27 and 15/33. The field is flat and plays home to many activities, from power flying to glider flying. The skydiving centre is open 6 days a week (closed Mondays) and skydiving takes place weather permitting.
During the British Grand Prix at nearby Silverstone, it is used as a park and ride.
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As with many airfields in the surrounding area Hinton was built in 1940 by the RAF Bomber Command during World War II. and closed to military activity in 1945.[1]
The gliding club is owned by Banbury Gliding Club.[2] It has been flying at Hinton in the Hedges for over 20 years and operate mainly at weekends and Bank Holidays but is open some Fridays during the summer when the weather is kind!. It is situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the A422 road. There is no landing fee at the airfield.
The gliders that operate at the airfield are:
There are also many privately owned gliders and single propeller aircraft that operate at the airfield. The K21 is used for first-time flyers, the K13 is used as a trainer, and the Ka6 is used for solo pilots, as is the fibreglass Astir (G-CGBJ) used for more experienced pilots. The gliding BGA turning point is HIN.
The skydiving aircraft takes students up to about 13,000 feet (4,000 m). It takes off and lands on the main hard runway which is oriented 06/24. The club has two tug planes - a Pawnee and a Super Cub.
On Thursday, 6 May 2010, the day of the UK's 2010 General Election, a PZL-104 Wilga, carrying the then former UKIP leader Nigel Farage crashed whilst attempting to land at Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield after aborting a flight over Buckingham with a UKIP banner attached to the tail. The banner became tangled in the control surfaces on the empennage which prompted the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.[3][4] The pilot and Mr Farage were both injured and taken to different hospitals.[5] In December 2010, the pilot, Justin Adams, was arrested as he was alleged to have threatened to kill Mr Farage and similarly threatened the CAA investigator Martin James.[6]