Carlisle Airport
Carlisle Lake District Airport or Carlisle Airport is located 5 NM east northeast of Carlisle, Cumbria, England.Carlisle has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction, up to a maximum takeoff weight authorised of 12.5 tonnes.The airport is located on a hill side above the River Irthing. The airport has been the location for some prehistoric excavationsSince 30 May 2009, the airport has been owned by the Stobart Group on a 150 year lease, expiring 2150.HistoryRAF Crosby-on-EdenIn the early 1930s, Cumbria County Council opened Kingstown Municipal Airport, at the time outside the borough boundaries which later became the RAF Kingstown and is now Kingstown or Kingmoor Industrial estate. With the outbreak of war in 1939, RAF Kingstown's runway was too small for bombers, so the Royal Air Force developed a new airstrip at Crosby-on-Eden. The new facility came into operation in February 1941 for training operations, designating the station RAF Crosby-on-Eden.Originally housing No.59 Operational Training Unit the station provided day training for Hawker Hurricane pilots, which was replaced by OTU17 Group Coastal Command in August 1942 for training long-range fighter crews on Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter conversion squadrons, as well as air firing and night flying. In August 1944 the station came under the command of 109 OTU, a transport command of Douglas Dakotas. The station was renamed 1383 TCU 1/8/45. However, the station had no post war use or need, and was closed in 1947 with the airfield returning to Carlisle City Council to continue as a municipal airport.
