RAF Balado Bridge

Post-WWII military drawdown. The airfield was built as a temporary wartime measure and became surplus to the requirements of the peacetime Royal Air Force. The land was sold off by the Air Ministry in 1957.

The site has multiple uses and has not been abandoned. A significant portion of the former airfield has been continuously active for aviation since 1957 as Portmoak Airfield, the home of the Scottish Gliding Centre, one of the UK's largest and most active gliding clubs. Another part of the site was famously used to host the 'T in the Park' music festival from 1997 to 2014. Additionally, a large BT Satellite Earth Station was established on the site, though its operations have been significantly scaled back with modern technology. Some of the original runways and taxiways are still visible and used by the gliding club.

RAF Balado Bridge was opened in 1942 during World War II. It served as a satellite airfield for the main base at RAF Grangemouth. Its primary role was as a training facility, specifically for the No. 9 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit ((P)AFU). Pilots who had completed their initial training came here to train on more advanced aircraft, principally the Miles Master, before being assigned to operational squadrons. The airfield was constructed with the standard three-runway layout typical of the era to allow for take-offs and landings in various wind conditions. After the war, its military use rapidly declined and it was placed on 'Care and Maintenance' status in 1945 before its eventual sale.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen RAF Balado Bridge as a public or commercial airport for powered aircraft. It is currently a thriving and fully operational gliding site (Portmoak Airfield), and its future is focused on its continued use for gliding and other local activities. A return to its former military or a new commercial powered-flight role is highly unlikely.