El aeródromo de Dunsfold (antiguo código OACI EGTD ) es un aeródromo sin licencia en Surrey , Inglaterra, cerca del pueblo de Cranleigh . Se extiende por tierras de los pueblos de Dunsfold y Alfold .
Fue construido por el ejército canadiense y contratistas civiles como un aeródromo de bombarderos Clase A para el Comando de Cooperación del Ejército . Estuvo comandada por la Real Fuerza Aérea Canadiense de 1942 a 1944 y era conocida como Estación Dunsfold de la Real Fuerza Aérea Canadiense . Bajo el control de la RAF estaba la RAF Dunsfold .
En la posguerra fue utilizado por Hawker Siddeley y luego por su sucesor, British Aerospace .
De 2002 a 2020, se utilizó como sitio principal del programa de la BBC Top Gear .
Los ingenieros canadienses fueron los encargados de la construcción del aeródromo. Anteriormente, estos proyectos habían tardado hasta un año en completarse y este sitio se complicó por los doscientos acres de bosque que primero tuvieron que ser talados. [1] Los zapadores canadienses tenían acceso a equipos de movimiento de tierras a gran escala de América del Norte obtenidos mediante acuerdos de préstamo y arrendamiento . [1] Los canadienses también utilizaron aparatos para empujar tuberías para colocar explosivos debajo de los árboles, facilitando así su rápida eliminación. [1] Como resultado, el aeródromo se completó en sólo seis meses. [1]
Los primeros escuadrones con base en el aeródromo fueron 400 escuadrones del 4 de diciembre de 1942, [2] 414 del 5 de diciembre de 1942 [3] y 430 escuadrones RCAF, del 8 de enero de 1943, equipados con Curtiss Tomahawks y North American Mustang Is . [4] Fueron seguidos por los bombarderos medianos norteamericanos Mitchell II inicialmente del aeródromo No. 139 de la RAF entre el 17 de noviembre de 1943 y el 12 de mayo de 1944 [5] cuando la unidad se convirtió en el Ala (Bombardero) No. 139 de la RAF entre el 12 de mayo y el 16 de octubre. 1944, [6] que consta de 98 entre el 18 de agosto de 1943 y el 18 de octubre de 1944 [7] y 180 escuadrones de la RAF inicialmente entre el 18 de agosto de 1943 y el 12 de abril de 1944, luego entre el 26 de abril y el 18 de octubre de 1944, [8] y 320 escuadrones inicialmente entre el 18 Febrero y 6 de mayo de 1944, luego entre el 18 de mayo y el 18 de octubre de 1944 [9] (formado por personal del Servicio de Aviación Naval Holandés ). Cuando el Ala 139 partió hacia el continente en el otoño de 1944, la Unidad de Apoyo del Grupo 83 llegó con Spitfires , Typhoons y Tempests el 22 de febrero de 1945 [10] cuando se convirtió en el Centro de Disolución del Grupo 83 el 1 de agosto de 1945. [11] Después de la guerra, el aeródromo Fue utilizado por la RAF para repatriar prisioneros de guerra .
Dunsfold fue declarado inactivo por la RAF en 1946, pero luego fue utilizado por Skyways Ltd , con aviones Avro York , Avro Lancaster , Douglas C-54 Skymaster , de Havilland Dragon Rapide y de Havilland Dove . Las operaciones de Skyways incluyeron el apoyo del Puente Aéreo de Berlín . Skyways también renovó antiguos Spitfires y Hawker Hurricanes de la RAF para la Fuerza Aérea Portuguesa .
Las siguientes unidades estuvieron aquí en algún momento: [12]
In 1950, The Hawker Aircraft Company acquired the lease of the site. Dunsfold became internationally known for development of the Hunter jet fighter; limited numbers of Sea Hawks were also produced and Sea Furies were refurbished. Airwork Ltd leased two hangars from 1953 to 1958 for the refurbishment of North American F-86 Sabres and Supermarine Attackers.
In October 1960, the then Hawker Siddeley flight tested its Hawker P.1127 prototype, the development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first VTOL jet fighter bomber. Folland Gnat test flying and production moved to Dunsfold from Chilbolton, Hampshire, in 1961. Final assembly of the Harrier and the Hawk trainer aircraft was at Dunsfold.
Hawker Siddeley became part of British Aerospace in 1977. On 2 July 1986, British Aerospace's deputy chief test pilot Jim Hawkins was killed at Dunsfold when his developmental Hawk 200 crashed. On 24 June 1999, British Aerospace announced the closure of Dunsfold as part of a restructuring; Hawk final assembly had been transferred to Warton in 1988, the BAe Sea Harrier production finished in 1998 and the Harrier 2+ production was moved to Brough in 2000. The gate guardian aircraft – Hawker P.1127 XP984 – was moved to Brooklands Museum on long-term loan.
In 2002, BAE Systems (British Aerospace's successor) sold Dunsfold Aerodrome to The Rutland Group, which formed Dunsfold Park Ltd. From mid-2002 until 2020 the BBC motoring show Top Gear was recorded at the park using a hangar as a studio and parts of the runways and taxiways of the aerodrome as the test track.
The track is also used to host cycle races in the summer months as part of a closed circuit series in the Surrey Cycle Racing League.
From 2005 to 2019, Dunsfold Park was home to Wings and Wheels, an annual air and motor show typically held in late August.[16] The airshow attracted over 25,000 visitors and raised over £80,000 for charities including Help for Heroes and the Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance in 2009.
Dunsfold Park Ltd also organises a drive-in cinema, Dunsfold Drive-In,[17] over the Easter bank holiday as well as a popular and classical concert, Strings & Wings.[18]
On 22 October 2020, a second 747, Boeing 747-400 G-CIVW, joined G-BDXJ, to be situated at Dunsfold for use as a filming location and for specialist training. It previously belonged to British Airways and arrived at the aerodrome from Cardiff Airport.[19][20] On 5 December 2020, a third 747, G-BNLY, was moved from Cardiff to Dunsfold, for use as a filming location and trainer aircraft. This airframe is one of three Retrojet 747s previously used by BA, wearing the 1980's - 1997 Landor Associates livery, and has the name City of Swansea.[21]
Dunsfold Park's existing lawful use is in part as an aerodrome under a series of temporary planning consents which contain restrictions on the levels of aircraft movement and restrict flying to certain times. However, the long-term and permanent underlying use has been a matter of considerable dispute between the owners and the council. In April 2011, Dunsfold Park claimed that the use of the site for aviation was entirely unrestricted on the grounds that the use predated the introduction of the planning acts or alternatively that a 60-year-old planning consent dating from 1951 allowed the unrestricted use of the aerodrome for aviation. The claim led to objections from parties such as all the local parish councils and bodies such as the Council to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth, and concern was expressed by local MPs.
In June 2011, Waverley Borough Council refused Dunsfold Park Ltd's application for a certificate of lawful use as an aerodrome. Dunsfold appealed but the appeal was rejected in April 2012. When rejecting the appeal the inspector made reference to the old planning consent granted in 1951 for "erection, repair and flight testing of aircraft" stating that it was now agreed by all parties that "it was and is a permanent permission" and that the use at Dunsfold would revert to the 1951 consent, in 2018 on expiry of the existing temporary consents. In April 2014, Lord Justice Sullivan, at the High Court, said the 1951 permission for "flight testing" did not amount to consent for unrestricted flying.[22]
In 2006, the owners of Dunsfold Aerodrome proposed the construction of a new settlement with 2,600 homes on the site, a school, health services, public transport and road links to the A281, and an expanded business district. The project was designed to be an exemplar of green and sustainable living.
In late 2007, Dunsfold Park Ltd. applied to have its plans for the new town selected as one of the then Labour government's proposed eco-towns. On 3 April 2008 Dunsfold Park was one of over 40 proposals denied eco-town status by the then housing minister Caroline Flint. The government's summary assessment said that the bid was too small in terms of house numbers, because the proposal at Dunsfold was for only 2,600 houses whereas the minimum size for an eco-town was 5,000. The assessment also said that the public transport offering needed further work.
In May 2008, Dunsfold Park Limited applied to Waverley Borough Council for planning consent for the eco-settlement. It was opposed by local residents, Surrey County Council, four borough councils and 13 parish councils as well as the South East England Regional Assembly and the South East England Development Agency. It received support from Age Concern Waverley, Guildford Labour Party, Farnham Labour Party, Cranleigh Labour Party and the former Lib Dem MP for Guildford, Sue Doughty. It also received support from some environmentalists, including leading national authorities on sustainable living such as Professor Roland Clift and from national Friends of the Earth, for its innovative approach and contribution to sustainable development. Friends of the Earth also supported the development on the basis that re-development as an eco-settlement would remove the threat of aviation expansion at Dunsfold once and for all. However, the proposal was refused planning permission by the local borough council (Waverley) and in 2009 rejected on appeal by the then secretary of state John Denham.
Although the owner says it still hopes to persuade the authorities that eco-settlement remains the best long-term future for the site, it says it is now concentrating on expanding and promoting the underlying aviation potential of the aerodrome, which is still in operational use.[needs update]
In December 2016, planning permission was granted for 1,800 homes to be built on the current site of the aerodrome.[23] As part of the redevelopment, it is proposed that the track and associated aerodrome infrastructure such as the runway drag strip be demolished.[24]
A memorial, funded by public subscription, was erected outside the nearby Alfold Barn pub (on the A281 road between Guildford and Horsham). The memorial and its unveiling on 20 July 1992, exactly 50 years to the day after the first aircraft (an RCAF Tiger Moth) landed at Dunsfold, was organised by the Dunsfold Society. A Tiger Moth and Lockheed P-3 Orion (of present-day 320 Sqn RDNAS) performed fly-pasts.
A museum housing a collection of Second World War Dunsfold memorabilia is maintained on site (open on Wednesdays to the public) by volunteers; the museum was started by the late Reg Day who served with 98 Sqn RAF at Dunsfold in 1943–44.[25]
On January 7, 1944, two RAF bombers collided near Dunsfold and were brought down.[26]
On 20 November 1975, a Hawker Siddeley HS.125 G-BCUX was taking off on a test flight from runway 07. Just as aircraft became airborne, it was struck by birds. The pilots tried to land back onto the runway but the aircraft overran the runway and struck a passing car on the A281 road. The aircraft stopped in a field and was destroyed by fire. All six people inside the car died, and one crew member out of nine passengers and crew was injured.[27]
On 2 July 1986, British Aerospace's deputy chief test pilot Jim Hawkins was killed at Dunsfold when his developmental Hawk 200 ZG200 crashed into farmland just beyond the road outside the airfield's southern boundary.[28]
On 5 June 1998, a Hawker Hunter (G-HHUN) crashed at Dunsfold prior to that weekend's airshow. The pilot, John Davies, was killed.[29]
A Boeing 747-200 which served with British Airways until 2002 as City of Birmingham, G-BDXJ, was purchased by Aces High Limited, a company specialising in supplying aircraft for television and film work, and transferred to Dunsfold. It was modified and used for filming for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale.[30] Some of the scenes set at Miami International Airport were filmed at Dunsfold. The aircraft has also appeared in the background of numerous Science in Action and Top Gear episodes and directly in an episode where it was towed by a JCB Fastrac tractor, and in many other programmes and commercials. It was also towed by a Volkswagen Touareg in a 2006 Fifth Gear episode, the same year that the modified aircraft and Dunsfold Airfield were featured in a television advertisement filmed for the Volkswagen Touareg, demonstrating the vehicle's towing ability. Modifications to the aircraft include the removal of the existing Rolls-Royce engines and replacement with twin mount engines. The aircraft has also featured in Primeval, the 2009 BBC production of The Day of the Triffids, RED 2, and Golda.[31]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)