Former RAF Upper Heyford

 Second World War 1939-1945, First World War 1914-1918, draw only border, closed / former military, historical layer / disappeared object, former air force base

RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England.

The station was first used by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 but was not brought into use for flying until July 1918 by the Royal Air Force. During the inter-war years and continuing through the Second World War until 1950 Upper Heyford was used mainly as a training facility. During the Cold War, Upper Heyford initially served as a base for United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) strategic bombers and later United States Air Forces In Europe (USAFE) tactical reconnaissance, fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft in the UK.

Principal tenant units when used by the USAF
3918th Strategic Wing
66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
20th Tactical Fighter Wing

Upper Heyford was unique among bases in the United Kingdom as only the flight-line area required military identification to access. The rest of the base, save the commercial facilities, was accessible to military and non-military alike. Upper Heyford was also unique in that the airspace around the base (from the surface to 3500') was protected by a mandatory radio area (UHMRA) in which private pilots were required to be in contact with the base controllers on frequency 128.55 when flying past or overhead.

On 15 December 1993 the flight line at RAF Upper Heyford was closed. On 1 January 1994 the 20th Fighter Wing inactivated at RAF Upper Heyford and was transferred without personnel or equipment to Shaw AFB, South Carolina, where it inherited the personnel and F-16s of the inactivated 363rd Fighter Wing.At that time RAF Upper Heyford came under the 620th Air Base Wing until 30 September 1994 when the base was returned to the Ministry of Defence.

The airfield side has been converted into a large industrial estate, Heyford Park, while much of the domestic side is in mothballs awaiting future development. 300 houses on this side have however been sold and this part of the base is open and easily accessible.

RAF Upper Heyford is a mixture of buildings, some dating from the 1930's but the most prominent feature are the 56 hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) scattered all over the base. These were built in 1980 as part of NATO's policy of hardening essential bases. They are largely located on the opposite side of the airfield to the domestic and technical accommodation and are arranged in squadron groups.

Some of the buildings are used as an automotive storage compound for new and used vehicles. Other functions include police driving activities such as training. There is a boat builders called Kingsground Narrowboats located at building 103, this building is the oldest on the base and used to be the fire department originally, outside the boatbuilding workshop there are still parking spaces road marked as 'FD'. The majority of the residential buildings are now let out as rented accommodation and some of the shops and services have been re-opened to service the community.

www.raf-upper-heyford.org/