Goodwood Aerodrome
| Goodwood Aerodrome | |
 | |
|---|---|
| Code | IATA: QUG, ICAO: EGHR |
| County | Sussex |
| Private | |
| Operator | Goodwood Road Racing Company Ltd |
| Location | SU87320745 50°51’36"N, -0°45’38"W |
| Runway(s) | 2,620 feet (Grass) 2,010 feet (Grass) 4,265 feet (Grass) |
| Website | goodwood.com/aerodrome |
Goodwood Aerodrome, also known as Chichester/Goodwood Airport (IATA: QUG, ICAO: EGHR), is on the Duke of Richmond's Goodwood Estate, located one and a half nautical miles north-northeast of Chichester, in the very west of Sussex.
Goodwood Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P781) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Goodwood Road Racing Company Limited).[1]
Wartime use
The airfield was built during the Second World War by the Royal Air Force as a relief landing ground for nearby RAF Tangmere. The site was the former Westhampnett Farm and part of the Goodwood Estate. It was known as RAF Westhampnett.
During the Battle of Britain two fighter squadrons (145 Sqn and 602 Sqn) were based at Westhampnett.
The American Eighth Air Force used the field as a fighter airfield for the 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons of the 31st Fighter Group from RAF Atcham and RAF High Ercall with Supermarine Spitfire Vs beginning on 27 July 1942.
The 31st flew its first sorties with RAF, (total of 1,286 losing 5 aircraft) on 10 September 1942, and flew last mission from Great Britain in late October 1942. The group then moved to Gibraltar and fought with the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa and Italy.
Postwar use
After the war the airfield was returned to the Goodwood Estate and the perimeter track of the airfield has been used since the late 1940s for motor racing and called the Goodwood Circuit. The airfield currently has a large flying school and many historic aircraft.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Goodwood Aerodrome) |