Airfields on the Air 2026

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Airfields on the Air is a RAFARS event. Their website describes the event as:

The dates are the first and second weekends of April, but an AOTA SES can be put on any other time of the year if you wish. All that is needed to put a Station on air is either a current or dis-used RAF Military Establishment which was used during the wars or perhaps may still be in current use.

In 2026, the first weekend in April is the Easter weekend, so we have eschewed this particular operating opportunity and opted to set up GB0WZL at Middlezoy Aerodrome, part of the former RAF Weston Zoyland, over the weekend of 11^th/12^th April 2026.

2026 will be the fourth year we’ve operated GB0WZL from the former RAF Weston Zoyland, now Middlezoy Aerodrome. Over the last 3 years we have enjoyed varying propagation (last year was particularly challenging but this was offset by the fact that we had time to watch and record the take-off of a wartime Auster which can be seen on our You Tube Channel).

In just 3 years we have racked up 380 contacts, although our haul of other registered participating Airfields stations has not been quite so massive. Historically we have worked:

• RAF Beccles (2024)
• RAF Bury St Edmonds (2023)
• RAF Chickerill (2023)
• RAF Chipping Ongar (2024, 2025)
• RAF Downham Market (2023)
• RAF Halton (2025)
• Headcorn Aerodrome (2024)
• RAF Hornchurch (2024)
• RAF Husbands Bosworth (2024, 2025)
• RAF Llandow (2023)
• RAF Martlesham Heath (2024)
• RAF North Weald (2024, 2025)
• RAF Stapleford Tawney (2023)

A list of the participating stations can be found on the RAFARS AOTA page linked to above. But, at the time of writing the list includes:

We’re going to assume that the entry by Bracknell ARS is a mis-type and that they, too, will be operational over the second weekend with us. Which leaves us with a question. Which of these participating stations do we want to try to work over the weekend of 11/12 April 2026?

Well, we’d be happy to work any of these stations or others that register in the next couple of weeks but if we wanted to target anything we’d probably like to work:

• RAF Luton would be amusing, although we doubt the Amateur Radio operation has anything to do with the Bluesky channel of the same name.
• RAF Southend and Vulcan Trust would be another great contact for fans of the V bombers.
• RAF Carew Cheriton as the only current Welsh airfield and the first activation of this site would be particularly special.

Whatever happens, we’re sure it’ll be a great weekend and we look forward to working as many people as possible.