RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire is the largest RAF station in the UK. It is the main base today for the RAFs Air Mobility Force – including transport, logistics, parachuting, and air refueling operations. Today it is the home to the Airbus A400M, C-17 Globemaster, and Voyager (A330 MRTT) aircraft, but historically has seen many more types.
Opening in 1937, with extensive wartime operations
The Royal Air Force airfield at Brize Norton opened in August 1937 as a base for flying training. Notably, this was before the Second World War, when many of the other bases were developed.
Use expanded during the war, with both logistical and operational roles. Flight training operations remained at Brize Norton, and were joined by several other squadrons. This initially included the Bristol Blenheim bomber aircraft and the Hawker Hurricane fighter.
Love aviation history? Discover more of our stories here.
Later on, aircraft at the base included the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle (used mostly for transport, glider operations, and parachuting) and the Handley Page Halifax bomber. These aircraft supported many wartime missions, including Operation Market Garden, D-Day operations, and the airborne landings at Arnhem. The Albemarle is pictured below at Brize Norton with an Airspeed Horsa glider.
Use by the United States Air Force
Military operations from Brize Norton obviously declined after the war, but other use for training and transport expanded, with several squadrons moving in. Brize Norton’s role changed dramatically in the early 1950s, with the United States basing aircraft there. It became a cold war base for US bombers, with the US Air Force taking operational control of the base in December 1952. This role saw significant infrastructure upgrades to the airport, including lengthening the runway to 9,000 feet (1,740 meters) and improvement of taxiways.
Aircraft based at Brize Norton (usually on rotations) during this time included Convair B-36 Peacemaker bombers, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Boeing B-47 Stratojet, KC-97 Stratofreighter, KC-135 Stratotankers, and the B-52 Stratofortress (pictured below).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:B-52_Takeoff_Tinker_05.jpg
Expansion from the 1960s
Control of the base returned to the UK RAF in April 1965. The base was developed as a strategic transport airfield to support the operation of some of the large aircraft entering service at that time. The first UK squadrons to return to Brize Norton operated the Short Belfast turboprop freighter, the Vickers VC-10 jet transport aircraft (pictured below), and the Bristol Britannia.
The 1980s saw other squadrons formed (or re-formed) and other aircraft types at the base. This included the Boeing C-135 Stratotanker, C-130 Hercules, further Vickers VC-10 aircraft converted for air refueling operations (some ex-British Airways), and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar (taken on largely to support operations and expansion in the Falklands Islands).
Brize Norton’s miltary roles today
Brize Norton is firmly established today as the main strategic and air transport base in the UK. This tole was particularly expanded after the closure of RAF Lyneham in 2012. Lyneham had also been a major transport base, home to the entire C-130 Hercules fleet, amongst other aircraft.
Today, Brize Norton houses all the RAFs fixed-wing transport fleet, across several operational squadrons. This includes the Airbus A400M Atlas, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, and the Voyager KC2/KC3 transport and tanker aircraft. The long-serving Hercules C-130 was retired in 2023.
These aircraft perform all of the passenger and equipment transport, refueling, and parachuting of the RAF. There are also several specialized units, including the parachute training school and the Falcons parachute display team.
Partial civilian use
Brize Norton stands apart from any other UK RAF base with a joint civilian role. It is the only military base that allows civilian flights and transportation, with regular flights to the Falklands Islands. These are operated by a private UK company (AirTanker) using the A330 Voyager aircraft.
Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today.
These flights usually operate two times per week, and each flight has a quota of tickets available for civilians wanting to visit the islands.
Other companies have operated this air link in the past – including UK airline Flyglobespan (in 2008 and 2009), and after it collapsed Air Tahiti Nui and Titan Airways for a short time.
Would you like to discuss more about RAF Brize Norton, its history, operational roles, or aircraft based there? Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.