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'Fantastic' 80th anniversary at RAF Fairford

BBC A P51 Mustang long-range fighter plane sat on the runwayBBC
A P51 Mustang long-range fighter plane on display

The US Air Force base at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has held a special heritage day to celebrate its 80th anniversary.

Guests from the local community, including schoolchildren, saw displays of vintage aircraft and military vehicles.

The base, now home to US personnel, was opened in 1944 in preparation for D-Day.

Col Bill Smith, deputy commander at the 501st Combat Support Wing, US Air Forces Europe, said: “There’s lots of history here, we’re definitely standing on the shoulders of giants, and it’s great to be a part of that heritage.”

A US Air Force colonel in green camoflauge uniform with Fairford air base in the background
Col Bill Smith said there was a great turnout for the heritage day

Other demonstrations at the base, which was handed over to US forces in 1950, included birds of prey and military dogs.

Local history societies were also invited and brought vehicles like Ford and Willys Jeeps for the displays, to sit alongside a P51 Mustang long-range fighter plane and other aircraft.

Rob Abbott, from the 4th Wiltshire’s Living History Group, said it was fantastic to be there and to see children interested in the period of history around the Second World War.

He said: “The base is a massively important part of our local makeup, it’s always been here.

"A lot of us work on or around the base, and have acquaintances here, and it’s great to support our American friends so the special relationship stays special - as it should do!”

A man with a grey hooded top and a green wooly hat stands next to an American World War Two jeep which is in green camouflage colour
Rob Abbott, from the 4th Wiltshire’s Living History Group, took part in the celebrations

The runway at RAF Fairford is more than 3,000 metres long, and can take aircraft of any weight.

It was used by the US Air Force to deploy B52 bombers on raids to Iraq in 2003.

B-1 Lancer bombers are regularly seen at Fairford, as are B-2 Spirits, also known as Stealth Bombers.

It also played a key role in the development of Concorde, which was tested at Fairford between 1969 and 1976.

The first flight of Concorde 002 took off from Filton airfield in Bristol and landed at Fairford on 9 April 1969.

RAF Fairford is the only US bomber forward operating location in Europe, and is continuing to be used as a base for missions including exercises with NATO and Allied countries.

A silver two-seater training aircraft from the 1940s with yellow flashes on the wings, called a T-6 Texan, also known as a Harvard
A North American T-6 Texan aircraft, also known as the Harvard

Col Bill Smith said the base also has an important role locally.

“It’s about maintaining the relationships and continuing to have those interactions with the local communities," he said.

“The only thing I had to get used to when I came here was the weather. But I have loved being here at Fairford, and the opportunities to get out and travel and see some of the history here in the UK has far outweighed anything we’ve experienced from the bad weather.”