RAF Harlaxton

Military Drawdown. RAF Harlaxton was a wartime Relief Landing Ground (RLG) created to support the high demand for pilot training. With the end of World War II, the need for such extensive training facilities diminished, leading to the closure of many temporary and satellite airfields across the UK as part of the post-war reduction of military forces.

The site has been almost entirely returned to agricultural use, primarily for farming. While most of the airfield's features have been removed, faint outlines of the perimeter track and some building foundations can still be discerned from aerial and satellite imagery. A significant portion of the former airfield is now occupied by a large solar farm. The land is privately owned and there are no public memorials or access to the site.

RAF Harlaxton had two distinct periods of operation. It first opened in November 1916 as a Royal Flying Corps training aerodrome during World War I, closing after the war. It was reactivated in 1942 during World War II as a Relief Landing Ground for No. 3 Flying Training School, and later No. 5 Service Flying Training School, both based at the larger RAF Cranwell. Its primary role was to provide a satellite airfield for initial and advanced pilot training, relieving congestion at the main base. Trainee pilots practiced circuits, landings, and take-offs, primarily using Airspeed Oxford twin-engine training aircraft. For a brief period, it also hosted elements of the USAAF's 1st Tactical Air Depot. The airfield was a typical grass-surfaced RLG without permanent runways.

None. The site has been decommissioned for over 75 years, and the land has been fully repurposed for agriculture and renewable energy generation. There is no remaining aviation infrastructure, and there are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for its reopening as an airport.