Aldridge Airport started life a small, local airfield back in 1919, possibly earlier, so it has hosted all forms of aviation for over 100 years.

It had terminal buildings, a control tower, multiple runways and hangers for maintaining and building aircraft.

In 1938, famous aviator, Amy Johnson, gave a glider display to 6,000 members of the public, in what were called at the time a “Flying Circus”. Her display ended when she clipped a hedge and crashed her glider. She wasn’t seriously hurt!

In World War II it was a commissioning and maintenance airfield for the RAF, where Helliwells and others would assemble and commission American built aircraft such as Havards and Havoc light bombers, and also repair and maintain battle-damaged panes from the RAF.

A few years ago, to celebrate sport, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games gave Severn Trent Water some money...

Severn Trent Water then contacted various local authorities asking if they had any land to donate for woodland planting.

Without consulting any park users, Walsall Council said “Yes, you can plant trees on Aldridge Airport”.

On the 9th of March 2022, without warning, Severn Trent started planting 19,000 bushes and trees on approximately 60% of Aldridge Airport.

This will ultimately end aviation on the site after over 100 years of continuous use by full size aircraft and models flyers.

Greenacres Model Aero Club have called Aldridge Airport home since at least 1947, but all that great aviation history will come to an end as the newly planted tress start to mature…