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White Waltham Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome located at White Waltham, southwest of Maidenhead,〔 in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. This large grass airfield is best known for its association with the Air Transport Auxiliary from 1940-1945 and also has a significant history of pre-war flying training, war-time and post-war RAF use and post-war use as flight test centre by the Fairey and Westland aircraft companies.In the mid 1950s it was HQ RAF Home Command. It is now privately owned and is the home of the West London Aero Club, the largest flying club in the United Kingdom. ==Operational history== The airfield was set up in 1928 when the de Havilland family bought of grassland to house the de Havilland Flying School. In 1938 the airfield was taken over by the government, and during the Second World War was the home of the Air Transport Auxiliary between its formation in early 1940 and disbandment on 30 November 1945.〔Sturtivant, P.67〕 The ATA staged a unique Air Display and Air Pageant at White Waltham on 29 September 1945 which was opened by Lord Beaverbrook and featured a memorable static park of Allied and German aircraft and the flying included Alex Henshaw displaying a Seafire Mk45. After the war, the airfield was also used by Fairey Aviation and later Westland Helicopters, which assembled and tested aircraft built at their Hayes factory. These included the Fairey FB-1 Gyrodyne (1947), Fairey Jet Gyrodyne (1954), Fairey Ultralight (1955), Fairey Rotodyne (1957) & Westland Scout (1960) & Westland Wasp (1962). The prototype Fairey Gannet was first flown from Aldermaston but production aircraft were completed and first flown at White Waltham too and an example is currently stored at the airfield. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was taught to fly at White Waltham in 1952, flying a de Havilland Chipmunk belonging to HQ RAF Home Command Communications Squadron (HCCS) of the Royal Air Force (RAF). This squadron was based at the airfield from 1950 until 1959.〔Sturtivant, P.192〕 The airfield stayed under RAF control until 1982, when it was purchased by the current owners. Until 2007 it was the base of Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance helicopter.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 West London Aero Club )〕 Approximately 150 light aircraft are based at the airfield, which with three runways is reportedly the largest grass airfield in civilian use in Europe. The airfield holds Civil Aviation Authority Public Use Aerodrome Licence Number P773, that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flight training. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「White Waltham Airfield」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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