Lasham Airfield
| Lasham Airfield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Operator | Lasham Gliding Society | ||||||||||
| Serves | Lasham, Hampshire, England | ||||||||||
| Location | Alton | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 618 ft / 188 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°11′14″N 001°02′01″W / 51.18722°N 1.03361°WCoordinates: 51°11′14″N 001°02′01″W / 51.18722°N 1.03361°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 EGHL
|
|||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Lasham Airfield (ICAO: EGHL) is an aerodrome located 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north-west of Alton in Hampshire, England, in the village of Lasham.
It was built in 1942 and was a RAF Station during the Second World War, many significant operations being flown from it. The RAF ceased operations at Lasham in 1948, but a military aircraft company, General Aircraft Ltd, continued to fly from the airfield. From 1951 the main activity at Lasham airfield became recreational gliding.
The airfield is now owned by the largest British gliding club, also one of the world's largest, Lasham Gliding Society (LGS). It is also the location for 2Excel Engineering Ltd., a company that maintains large jet aircraft.
Pilots of powered aircraft visiting the airfield require prior permission and a briefing on its hazards: in particular dense concentrations of thermalling gliders (up to 100 gliders can be in the vicinity at once), winch cables up to 3,000 ft (910 m) above the ground, and occasional movements of large jet airliners. Over-flying aircraft are requested to not fly below 3,618 ft (1,103 m) QNH. The airfield frequency is 131.025 MHz.
The airfield was constructed in 1942. Initial operations (from November that year) were by 38 Wing, Army Co-operation Command.
Maps of the area before and after the airfield was constructed are displayed in the main corridor of the clubhouse of Lasham Gliding Society on the North side of the airfield off Avenue Road. Also displayed are photographs and other details of aircraft and personnel of the squadrons that flew from Lasham and are listed below.
In mid-1943, the airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command. Squadrons equipped with Hawker Hurricanes, Hawker Typhoons and Spitfires operated from Lasham. Later in 1943, it became a base for the bombers of No. 2 Group RAF, part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The squadrons of 2 Group used the de Havilland Mosquito and North American B-25 Mitchell.
...
Wikipedia