That is what it says in silver letters as you go through the magnificent wrought iron gated entrance of what used to be RAF Church Fenton. The last time I came, sparkling black Tucarno’s were coming in one by one from Linton to do rollas and LGA’s on runway 24. Each young pilot concentrating hard to be selected for transfer to everyone’s dream of a place on the fast jet course at Valley. What wonderful days they were ! I had parked up in the old viewing area opposite the hangars, now slowly turning back to nature. The twin radio navigation towers stand like grey ghosts yearning to be heard. The grass was much shorter on the airfield in the old days and everything was painted brightly, things look understandably a little tired now ! A local turned up and we exchanged half an hour of educated aviation chat. He said they had held a great small air show here in the initial time of privatisation. Alas we both concurred that since Shorham the chances of having small airshows were well and truly over !
Before I came I had the perception that the plan for the airport was to attract small commercial and business jet traffic into 24/06. The centre of Leeds being a taxi ride away. However all I saw was private light aircraft using mainly the shortened 34 due to the 16 end being a new van car park. Oh yes, a eurocopter squirrel dropped in for fuel to. The chat from the tower at times was a little flying clubie and not the formal atc stuff heard at an airport. It was good however to find them on the old raf fenton vhf frequency. It also appears that building and ground works are happening around the old mess and barracks. The barracks look to have newish windows in ? Perhaps they are being turned into offices or flats ? That is so much better than demolishing the heritage don’t you think ! Then there’s the use of hangar 1 to house sets for the ITV studios filming of “Victoria” all good commercial cultural utilisation would be a P.R.way of putting it. There is also a newish building near to the tower which could be the new airport terminal ?
But basically on a positive note”it’s all generally good” and we should be greatful to the present owner Mr Chris Makin of Makin Enterprises as the field could have been turned into a dust generating quarry or something equally as bad perhaps ?
I wish them all the best for the future and I will follow developments with great interest.
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Leeds East Airport
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