In 1928, the first aerodrome at Sywell was prepared by
members of the newly formed Northamptonshire Aero Club.

From the mid 1930s, as the Royal Air Force rapidly expanded,
Sywell played a key role with the establishment of a large
flying school by Brooklands Aviation.

During the Second World War, activities at Sywell included
repairs to 1,841 Wellington bombers and completion and flight
testing of some 260 Lancaster Mk2 four-engined bombers.

Approximately 2,500 wartime pilots were trained at Sywell.

The aerodrome was also the centre for training ‘Free French’
pilots who had escaped from occupied France.

After the war, basic and reserve RAF training continued,
together with the overhaul of RAF Wellington, Mosquito,
Dakota, Valetta and Varsity aircraft.

By the 1960s Sywell had returned to the quieter role of civilian
aerodrome with Club and private flying although, for a few
years, passenger services operated to the Channel Islands.

Sywell’s potential in other business areas is now being
realised, with farming of the areas not required for flying,
use of redundant hangars for warehousing and engineering
and incorporation of the original terminal building and
RAF messes into a restaurant and hotel complex.