Ramsgate Airport was a civil airfield at Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom which opened in July 1935. It was briefly taken over by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, becoming RAF Ramsgate. The airfield was then closed and obstructed to prevent its use. It reopened in 1953 and served until final closure in 1968. The site has now been redeveloped as an industrial estate.
History
1935–40
Ramsgate was selected to be the site of a Landing Ground during the First World War, but no work was carried out. Built at a cost of £26,000, Ramsgate Airport opened on 1 July 1935, on a site. With the opening of the airport, Hillman's Airways inaugurated a service to Belgium. As Ostend Airport was not then ready, services were initially to Le Zoute Airfield, Knokke. Four services per day were operated.
The airport was operated for the local council by Ramsgate Airport Ltd, which was registered as a private limited company on 20 July 1935 with capital of £5,000 in £1 shares. The directors were a Mr F Gwatkin, Richard Seaman and Whitney Straight. Ramsgate Airport Ltd was a subsidiary of Whitney Straight's Straight Corporation as the first of what would become a chain of 12 airports.
The official opening ceremony was performed by the Mayor of Ramsgate, who was then flown to Belgium in a de Havilland Dragon by Neville Stack. A representative from Crilly Airways also attended the dinner to celebrate the opening of the airport. Customs facilities were provided within a month of the airport opening. In October 1935, plans were made to extend the airport, with a control tower and a hangar amongst the facilities to be provided.
In February 1936, the site measured . Fuel and customs facilities had been provided and a temporary hangar erected. By March 1936, the Thanet Aero Club had been formed as the Straight Corporation's replacement for Ramsgate Flying Club which had started in August 1934. The new club operated a de Havilland Hornet Moth. Mignet HM.14 "Flying Flea" aircraft had been grounded following a crash at Penshurst in May 1936, The ban had been lifted following wind tunnel tests which resulted in modifications to the wings. A race was held on 3 August in which seven aircraft took part, with a £100 prize at stake. An eighth aircraft was flown by Henri Mignet, who performed various aerobatics. The aircraft bore the inscription "Flying Flea flies in England. I thank the Air Ministry". Following the race, Short Scion aircraft flew pleasure flights. From 29 August – 26 September, an Aviation Camp was held at Ramsgate. It was sponsored by the National League of Airmen.
A tented holiday camp with its own clubhouse was set up on the airfield. For the 1936 and 1937 summer seasons it was called the Ramsgate Aviation Holiday Camp, and it was renamed the Ramsgate Flying Centre for the following two years. It offered guests free pleasure flights and a free flying lesson.
On 3 July 1937, the official opening of Ramsgate Airport was performed by Director-General of Civil Aviation Sir Francis Shelmerdine. The airport terminal/clubhouse was designed by art deco architect David Playdell-Bouverie and incorporated the control tower at its centre. From 17 to 31 July, 611 (West Lancashire) (Bomber) Squadron, Royal Air Force held a camp at Ramsgate. In August, an air race was held at Ramsgate. The race was won by Paul Elwell in Taylor Cub G-AESK. Alex Henshaw was third in Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF and Geoffrey de Havilland was seventh in De Havilland T.K.2 G-ADNO. Sixteen aircraft participated in the race. Thirteen of them were British, with two German and one Latvian entry.
At Easter 1938, a week-long aviation camp was held at Ramsgate. This was followed by another held from 4 June – 17 September. In July, Southern Airways Ltd, another Straight Corporation company, started a twice-daily service between Ilford, Essex and Ramsgate.
In April 1939, the annual aviation camp was organised by the Civil Air Guard. An intensive two-week course enabled pilots to obtain their "A" licence at a cost of £10 3s. In previous years it would have cost £25 13s to obtain an A licence.
In 1940, Ramsgate was used as a satellite of RAF Manston during the Battle of Britain. In August, during one of the many raids on Manston, Ramsgate was also attacked and the field cratered. With the need for Ramsgate as a satellite airfield diminishing following the end of the battle, the airfield was closed and obstructions placed on it to prevent its use. Post-war, the site was used for agricultural purposes.