RAF Hutton in the Forest

The airfield was closed due to the end of World War II. As a temporary wartime airfield built primarily for training, it was surplus to the requirements of the peacetime Royal Air Force. The massive reduction in military forces and training needs following the war led to the decommissioning of hundreds of similar airfields across the United Kingdom.

The site has largely been returned to its pre-war use as agricultural land. The main runways have been removed, although their outline and the airfield's general layout are still clearly visible from the air. Many of the perimeter tracks and some aircraft hardstandings remain and are now used as farm tracks. A number of original wartime buildings, including hangars and various structures from the technical and domestic sites, still stand. Part of the former technical site has been repurposed into a light industrial area known as the Hutton in the Forest Business Park.

RAF Hutton in the Forest was a significant World War II training base. It opened in June 1941 under RAF Training Command. Its primary role was to train night fighter crews, a crucial element of Britain's air defence against Luftwaffe night bombing raids. The main unit based at the airfield for most of its operational life was No. 2 Operational Training Unit (OTU). This unit trained complete crews (pilots and radar/navigator operators) on aircraft such as the Bristol Blenheim, Bristol Beaufighter, and later the de Havilland Mosquito. The airfield was built to the 'Class A' standard, featuring three concrete runways, which allowed it to handle the heavier twin-engine aircraft used for night fighting. Its contribution was vital in supplying a steady stream of qualified crews to front-line squadrons of RAF Fighter Command.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Hutton in the Forest as an airport. The removal of the runways, the conversion of the land back to agriculture, and the partial development of the site for industrial use make any potential reopening logistically and economically unfeasible.