Netheravon Airfield

Netheravon Airfield is a grass strip airfield on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, England. Established in 1913 by the Royal Flying Corps, it became RAF Netheravon from 1918 until 1963, then AAC Netheravon (Army Air Corps) until 2012. Buildings from 1913 and 1914 survive on part of the site.LocationThe airfield lies on Salisbury Plain, mostly in Fittleton parish, extending south into Figheldean. It is close to Netheravon village and about 5mi north of the town of Amesbury.Its buildings are on two sites. Technical buildings, including as the control tower and hangars, are immediately southwest of the runways. About 1mi further southwest, towards Netheravon, is Airfield Camp (also known as Lower Camp) which has offices, a training school (the Airmen's Institute), an Officers' Mess and barracks.The Ministry of Defence land which surrounds the site is part of the Salisbury Plain Training Area.Royal Flying Corps, 1912–1918Much farmland in the area was bought by the War Office around 1898 for military training. Along with nearby Upavon and Larkhill, the airfield was part of the formative phase of military flying. The Royal Flying Corps was established in April 1912; in May its Central Flying School was formed at Upavon, and its Military Wing was formed from the Air Battalion, which flew aircraft at Larkhill.