RAF Cardington

The closure in 2000 was part of the UK's post-Cold War strategic defence review, which led to the consolidation of military bases and a reduction in the defence estate. The administrative and training units housed at Cardington were either relocated to other RAF stations or disbanded. It was not closed due to a specific accident or immediate economic failure, but rather a long-term strategic shift in military requirements.

The site has been extensively redeveloped and is no longer a military installation. Its use is now divided among several high-profile activities:

- **Shed 1:** Is currently leased by Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) and is used for the development, construction, and testing of the Airlander 10, the world's largest aircraft, marking a return of lighter-than-air aviation to the historic site.
- **Shed 2:** Has been converted into a major film and television studio, known as Cardington Studios. Its vast, unobstructed interior space has been used for filming numerous blockbuster movies, including 'Batman Begins', 'The Dark Knight', 'Inception', 'Dumbo', and 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'.
- **Surrounding Area:** The former RAF base's land has been developed for housing (the 'New Cardington' and 'Shortstown' developments, the latter named after the Short Brothers who built the sheds), a business park, and other commercial uses.

**Note on ICAO Code:** The ICAO code US-0221 is incorrect for this location; it belongs to a private airstrip in the United States. The last known ICAO code for RAF Cardington was **EGWC**.

RAF Cardington holds a unique and significant place in British aviation history, primarily as the heart of the UK's rigid airship program.

- **Origins:** Established in 1917 as a Royal Naval Air Service station for airship construction during World War I.
- **Imperial Airship Scheme:** In the 1920s, it became the Royal Airship Works. The site is dominated by two colossal airship hangars (sheds). Shed No. 1 was built in 1917, and Shed No. 2 (originally from RNAS Pulham) was re-erected alongside it in 1928. Cardington was the construction site for the R101 airship, while its rival, the R100, was built in Howden but based at Cardington for trials. The catastrophic crash of the R101 on its maiden voyage to India in 1930 effectively ended British interest in rigid airships, and this phase of Cardington's life concluded.
- **World War II:** The station found a new purpose as the No. 1 Balloon Training Unit, becoming the main training center for barrage balloon operators for the RAF. The large sheds were ideal for constructing and testing these balloons.
- **Post-War:** After WWII, it hosted various RAF units, including meteorological research (the Cardington 'special' weather balloon), driver training, and administrative support units until its final closure as an RAF station.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen RAF Cardington as a traditional airport (for commercial or general aviation) or as a military airbase. Its future is firmly rooted in its current, repurposed roles. The site is effectively 'active' in an aviation sense through the operations of Hybrid Air Vehicles in Shed 1, but this does not involve conventional runways or public air traffic. The focus for the site's future remains on airship development and its use as a world-class film studio.