Western Air Virtual & Flying Club

The airfield was originally a Royal Air Force station known as RAF Church Fenton. It was declared open on 1 April 1937 and on 19 April the first station commander Wing Commander W.E. Swann assumed command. Within two months No. 71 Squadron RAF had arrived with the Gloster Gladiator.

It saw the peak of its activity during the years of the Second World War, when it served within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Humber estuary industrial regions.

After the war it at first retained its role as a fighter base, being among the first to receive modern jet aircraft, namely the Gloster Meteor[2] and the Hawker Hunter.[2] In later years, its role was mainly flight training. No. 7 Flying Training School was based here between 1962 and 1966 and again between 1979 and 1992, equipped with Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost T3 trainers.

Runway	06	Length	5,979ft	Width	141ft	Elevation	28ft	Surface	Bituminous	Heading	55
Runway	16	Length	5,472ft	Width	149ft	Elevation	28ft	Surface	Bituminous	Heading	156
Runway	24	Length	5,979ft	Width	141ft	Elevation	28ft	Surface	Bituminous	Heading	235
Runway	34	Length	5,472ft	Width	149ft	Elevation	28ft	Surface	Bituminous	Heading	336