RAF East Fortune

RAF East Fortune

RAF-era buildings still stand on the airfield, now the National Museum of Flight
Summary
Airport type Military
Owner Air Ministry
Operator Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Air Force
Location East Fortune, East Lothian
Built 1915 (1915)
In use 1915-1920, 1940-1947 (1947)[1]
Elevation AMSL 0 ft / 0 m
Coordinates 55°59′06″N 002°42′50″W / 55.98500°N 2.71389°W / 55.98500; -2.71389Coordinates: 55°59′06″N 002°42′50″W / 55.98500°N 2.71389°W / 55.98500; -2.71389
Map
RAF East Fortune

Location in East Lothian

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
00/00 0,000 0,000 Concrete
00/00 0,000 0,000 Concrete
00/00 0,000 0,000 Concrete

Royal Air Force Station East Fortune or more simply RAF East Fortune is a former Royal Air Force station, just south of the village of East Fortune, a short distance east of Edinburgh in Scotland. It was used as a fighter station during World War I and for training and night fighters during World War II. The motto of the station was "Fortune Favours the Bold".[2]

In the post-war era the runways have been taken over for local private aviation use, while the former RAF buildings have been used for the National Museum of Flight since 1976.

History

Airships 'R34' and 'R29' in a shed at East Fortune (IWMART4086)

The foundation of East Fortune as a flying station pre-dates the creation of the RAF; East Fortune was established as a fighter and airship airfield in 1915 and becoming an RNAS station in August 1916.[3] By early 1918, East Fortune was one of 66 Training Depot Stations (TDS). The function of the TDS was to train for flying and squadrons were often grouped together in threes at the TDS stations. East Fortune was TDS station No. 208.[4]

In April 1918, when the Royal Air Force was inaugurated, No. 22 (Training) Group RAF was supposed to be formed at East Fortune. The group was established in July of the same year before moving to Stirling.[5] No. 22 (Training) Group RAF is one of the few active Groups still operating within the RAF.

In 1918, a prototype Sopwith Snipe was trialled at East Fortune and after acceptance, the type was introduced to the Torpedo Aeroplane School at the base, which was opened in August 1918.[6]

In 1919 the British airship R34 made the first ever return flight across the Atlantic and the first east-west crossing by air, flying from East Fortune to Mineola, New York.[7] The flight took 108 hours and 12 minutes.[3]

In February 1920, the airfield and associated buildings were closed and listed for disposal.[8] During the inter-war period, the domestic site at RAF East Fortune became the site of a sanatorium. In May 2016, it was revealed that there are plans for this part of the site to be redeveloped as a village.[9]

During World War II, RAF East Fortune was a flying training establishment, initially for night-fighter operations, changing to training for daylight operations from 1942, and eventually becoming a station for a group of de Havilland Mosquito aircraft. It was also made available as an emergency landing option for bomber aircraft.[10]

Current use

After the war the site ceased to be used by the RAF. The runway was extended across the B1347 to take American bombers during the cold war but was never used for this purpose. During the summer of 1961 Turnhouse Airport was closed for construction work and all civil and air force traffic was diverted through East Fortune with the airport recording just shy of 100,000 passengers.[7] The extended runway at East Fortune was used for the summer of 1961 and on a very wet Sunday in April 1961 a BA Viscount from Heathrow overshot the runway and ended up in the grass at the end of the runway after a 180 degree turn. The aircraft was fully laden but there were no injuries. Also in 1961, a Hampden Percival crashed at North Berwick soon after take off from East Fortune. One of the port engines caught fire and exploded. Everyone escaped from the crash alive.[11]

The concrete extension of the East Fortune runway is now used as a runway for microlight aircraft. In 1976 the Scottish Museum of Flight was opened on the site of the former RAF station.[3]

The museum is now called the National Museum of Flight. It occupies the southern part of the old airfield.[7] The northern side is given over to a car-boot sale each Sunday. The western side, across the B1347 is the microlight airfield. This is the only part of the East Fortune airfield that can now handle aircraft, and they can be no larger than a microlight. The east side of the old airfield is now used as a motorcycle racing circuit, and is home to the Melville Motor Club.

Each summer the museum hosts an airshow.[12] It is one of the few airfield-based airshows in the UK where fixed wing aeroplanes can't land at the airfield.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "RAF East Fortune airfield". www.controltowers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  2. ↑ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1st publish. ed.). London [u.a.]: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 86. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  3. 1 2 3 "East Fortune - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK". www.abct.org.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Robertson, Bruce (1978). The RAF : a pictorial history. London: Hale. p. 15. ISBN 0-7091-6607-9.
  5. ↑ "RAF - Number 22 (Training) Group History". www.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Edwards, Richard (2012). "Thomas Sopwith and the Camels of Kingston". Heroes and landmarks of British military aviation : from airships to the jet age (1. publ. ed.). Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Aviation. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-84884-645-6.
  7. 1 2 3 "National Museum of Flight - Discover the museum". National Museums Scotland. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Philpott, Ian (2013). "9: Airfields, landing grounds and seaplane bases". The birth of the Royal Air Force. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. p. 273. ISBN 978-1-78159-333-2.
  9. ↑ Richie, Cameron (20 May 2016). "Plans to create new village on site of former hospital". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "East Fortune Aerodrome". eastlothianatwar.co.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 145236". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "East Lothian flight museum celebrates with airshow". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "Flightline UK - East Fortune Airshow 2008". www.airshows.org.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
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