Shoreham Airport

Foundation

The first aviator to fly there was Harold Piffard in 1910; a memorial garden celebrates his flight. The aerodrome was officially opened on 20 June 1911. The first flying school opened in 1913.

First World War

During the First World War the aerodrome was used by the Royal Flying Corps. It was the departure point for some of the earlier flights (Blériots and BEs) to join the conflict across the Channel.

Inter-war period

The aerodrome became an airport for the adjacent towns of Brighton, Hove and Worthing. It was officially opened on the 13th June 1936 under the name 'Brighton Hove and Worthing Joint Municipal Airport' . The new terminal building was built in 1936 and was designed by Stavers Tiltman in the Art Deco style. The terminal building is still in use and was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1984.

Second World War

During the Second World War the airfield operated a variety of military aircraft including Westland Lysanders that were later replaced by Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, Boulton Paul Defiants and a pair of Bristol Beaufighters. It was an air-sea-rescue base with Supermarine Walrus aircraft joining other wartime activities in the nearby harbour.

The airfield was bombed several times and a Messerschmitt Bf 109 was shot down by ground fire during one such attack, crash-landing near the terminal building.

A B-17 Flying Fortress crash-landed at the airfield after being damaged during a raid on Germany. The consequent damage to the old guardhouse on the north side of the airfield can still be seen.

Post-Second World War

The landing area was entirely grass until a tarmac runway was built in 1981.

In 1949, F G Miles Engineering Ltd moved to Shoreham from Redhill Aerodrome and soon occupied the repaired Municipal Hangar.

Beagle Aircraft Ltd (British Executive & General Aviation Ltd) was formed at Shoreham on 7 October 1960 and design drawings were begun a few weeks later for a new prototype twin-engine light transport aircraft. Built as the Beagle B.206X at Beagle's Rearsby factory near Leicester, this promising new type was completed at Shoreham and first flown by John Nicolson on 15 August 1961. Beagle Aircraft Ltd was nationalised in late 1966 and taken over by the British Motor Corporation but later entered receivership in late 1969 and soon closed down.

In 2006, due to mounting debts the airport was sold by the local authority to a property company on a 150-year lease. It was intended that the airport would provide increasing commercial flight activity for the conurbation on the coast nearby, particularly the city of Brighton & Hove.

The pre-war Municipal Hangar was Listed Grade II in July 2007.

Present

The airport is used by privately owned light aeroplanes, flying schools, and for light aircraft and helicopter maintenance and sales. A number of operators provide flying lessons, sight-seeing and pleasure flights, including the experience of flying in two T-6 Harvard World War II training aircraft.

On 2 May 2014, Brighton City Airport Ltd (BCAL) took ownership of Shoreham Airport and operations, taking over from Albemarle.

Wild Life Festival

Since June 2015 Wild Life Festival, a live music event developed by Disclosure and Rudimental has been held at Brighton City Airport.

RAFA Shoreham Airshow

The airport used to host to the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Shoreham Airshow (for around 25 years). On 22 August 2015, a Hawker Hunter jet fighter taking part in the airshow crashed onto the A27 road just outside Shoreham Airport, killing 11 people.

Facilities

There is one terminal building at the airport, together with flight indicator boards announcing all arrivals and departures, a live runway camera and a licensed restaurant called The Hummingbird Restaurant and Cafe. The airport houses Northbrook College's engineering department — a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Aerospace and Aviation. A number of aerospace and aviation and non-aviation commercial businesses have offices and workshops on the airport site and along the perimeter road. The largest operator is Flying Time Aviation, providing Integrated Commercial Pilot training, with a fleet of Diamond Aircraft DA40s and DA42s.

The Shoreham Airport Visitor Centre features exhibits about the airport's history and area aviation history, a library and archive of related historic materials and guided tours of the airport.

Rail

A halt on the West Coastway Line was opened in 1910, just in front of the main building of the airport. In 1935 it changed name from Bungalow Town Halt to Shoreham Airport, but was closed in 1940.

Airlines and destinations

Various air taxi companies are based at the airport. Brighton City Airways operated out of the airport to Paris Pontoise airport but ceased operations in 2013 after encountering problems setting up a point of entry at the French airport.

In March 2017, it was confirmed that Air Alderney has plans to operate flights to and from Alderney from September 2017.

South East Air Support Unit

The South East Air Support Unit formerly operated from Shoreham Airport. Previously Sussex Police Air Operations Unit, the unit moved in summer 2007 to Dunsfold Park, west of London Gatwick Airport, before moving to its present base at Redhill Aerodrome in autumn 2013.

Shoreham Airport RFFS

The Shoreham Airport Rescue and Firefighting Service provides a professional fire-fighting capability at the airport during operating hours. Headed by a Senior Airport Fire Officer, the service's two watches (Blue Watch and Red Watch) man four fire appliances. The service has operated at the airport continuously for over 90 years.

Shoreham Airport's aircraft fuelling service is operated as a department of the Rescue and Firefighting Service. There are three large mobile fuel bowsers for delivering both avgas and jet fuel to aircraft, including a service (accompanied by fire appliances) for fast delivery of fuel to police and coastguard emergency helicopters without disengaging their engines. Fuel technicians are attached to the firefighting watches and work the same shift pattern

Film appearances

Due to its listed period buildings and facilities, Shoreham Airport has been used by film-makers seeking to portray a small town airport, or even for historical reconstructions of scenes from the 1930s onwards. The airport has appeared in the Netflix sensation, The Crown, several episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot; "The Adventure of the Western Star", "Death in the Clouds" and "Lord Edgware Dies". External shots of the airport were also used in the film The Da Vinci Code and Woman in Gold. The airport was used in the feature-length documentary Angel Without Wings and A Dark Reflection.