RAF Bottesford

The closure was a result of military strategic changes. Initially scaled down after World War II as part of post-war demobilization, its final closure in 1963 was due to the obsolescence of the Thor Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) system, which it hosted. The entire UK-based Thor program was a stop-gap measure and was phased out as more advanced, less vulnerable missile systems became available.

The site is now in private ownership and has multiple uses. A large portion has been returned to agricultural land. The original runways and perimeter tracks are partially intact and are used by the Bottesford Kart Club for a popular karting circuit and for various car track days and driver experience events. A section of the main runway is maintained as a private, unlicensed airstrip (hence the ICAO identifier GB-0074) for light aircraft. Some original wartime buildings and the concrete Thor missile launch pads remain in various states of preservation or decay, and parts of the site are used for light industrial purposes and storage.

RAF Bottesford has significant historical importance from both World War II and the Cold War. Opened in 1942 as a Class A bomber airfield, it initially served RAF Bomber Command, hosting squadrons like No. 97 and No. 207 flying Avro Lancaster bombers as part of No. 5 Group. In late 1943, it was transferred to the USAAF Ninth Air Force as Station AAF-481. It became home to the 436th Troop Carrier Group, which operated C-47/C-53 Skytrain aircraft, training for and participating in major airborne operations including the D-Day landings in Normandy and Operation Market Garden. After being returned to the RAF in 1945, it was reactivated in 1958 as a key Cold War site, hosting No. 142 (SM) Squadron RAF, which operated three Thor nuclear missiles as part of the UK's strategic deterrent until 1963.

There are no known official plans or realistic prospects for reopening RAF Bottesford as a licensed commercial or public airport. The site is privately owned, has been extensively redeveloped for agriculture, motorsport, and industrial use, and its infrastructure is not suitable for modern aviation standards without massive investment. Its current limited function as a private airstrip is likely to be the extent of its future aviation activity.