Airport type Military In use 1941-1947 00/00 0 Owner Air Ministry | Operator Royal Air Force 00/00 0 Year built 1940 | |
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Location Crosby-on-Eden, Cumbria | ||
RAF Crosby-on-Eden is a former Royal Air Force station located 5.8 miles (9.3 km) north east of Carlisle, Cumbria and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Brampton, Cumbria.
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Civil use
In the early 1930s, Cumbria County Council opened Kingstown Municipal Airport, at the time outside the borough boundaries which later became the RAF Kingstown and is now Kingstown or Kingmoor Industrial estate. With the outbreak of war in 1939, RAF Kingstown's runway was too small for bombers, so the Royal Air Force developed a new airstrip at Crosby-on-Eden. The new facility came into operation in February 1941 for training operations, designating the station RAF Crosby-on-Eden.
Military use
The airfield was originally under the command of RAF Fighter Command housing No. 59 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) which provided day training for Hawker Hurricane pilots.
Coastal Command
The station was handed over to RAF Coastal Command, hosting 17 OTU during August 1942 for training long-range fighter crews on Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter conversion squadrons, as well as air firing and night flying.
Transport Command
In August 1944 the station came under the command of RAF Transport Command with Douglas Dakotas of 109 OTU. 109 OTU was renamed 1383 (Transport) Conversion Unit RAF (1383(T)CU), on 1 August 1945 disbanding at Crosby-on-Eden on 6 August 1946.
Post war
Crosby-on-Eden had little post war use and was closed in 1947 with the airfield returning to Carlisle City Council to continue as a municipal airport as what is now named Carlisle Lake District Airport with ownership passing to the Stobart Group.