Opened in late 1942, RAF Hartfordbridge was active throughout the war, providing a base for Squadrons of Spitfires and Mosquitos involved in reconnaissance and fighter defense operations as well as a home for the Free French Squadron (Lorraine).

 

RAF Hartfordbridge, with its excellent all-weather record, welcomed many notable arrivals including King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower and Field Marshal Montgomery.

At the end of the War, newly renamed RAF Blackbushe was transferred to RAF Transport Command and was used as a base for many Dakotas involved in the 1948 Berlin Airlift as well as flight training purposes, listing HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as a successful student.

 

In 1960 Blackbushe Airport passed into civilian ownership, initially as a home airfield for a collection of historic Spitfires prior to being acquired by British Car Auctions who redeveloped the facility into a thriving centre of private, business and executive aviation.

 

In addition to its long association with aviation, Blackbushe has also hosted motor sport sprints and even a famous open-air Rock Concert in July 1978 "The Picnic at Blackbushe" when Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton performed in front of over 200,000 fans.