RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station near Stamford, Lincolnshire. Although this is the nearest town its runways cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. It has been suggested that RAF stations be merged into this article or section. ... Stamford is a town on the River Welland in Lincolnshire, England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ...
Wittering's use as a military airfield dates back to 1916. The Central Flying School was at Wittering until 1935, when it became a fighter base. 1916 (MCMXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 - The Royal Army Medical Corps first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...
Although known as the 'Home of the Harrier', Wittering is currently home only to 20 Sqn, the Operational Conversion Unit for the Hawker-Siddeley Harrier. It is also home to a number of ground support units, including 5131 (BD) squadron. This role will continue with the move of several support units such as 2 MT Squadron and 5001 MU Squadron to Wittering from RAF Stafford and elsewhere. An Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. ... See also BAE Sea Harrier The Hawker-Siddeley Harrier and the AV-8A are the first generation of the Harrier series, a successful close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with V/STOL capabilities. ... RAF Stafford is a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stafford in Staffordshire, England. ...
Originally opened as an RFC training base in 1916 as Stamford airfield, it was renamed RAFWittering in 1918 and by 1924 had become home to part of the Central Flying School, which had moved in from Upavon.
In 1941, its western boundary was extended to take in the nearby RAF Collyweston and a much larger RAFWittering emerged.
Wittering is a large base and as well as giving Harrier crews and support teams plenty of different types of surface to practice on, it has also been used as a stores concentration area for northern England, where large scale overseas operations have required support.
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