Netherthorpe Aerodrome is located west by north of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. The aerodrome is in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham close to the village of Thorpe Salvin.
Netherthorpe Aerodrome is part of a local landowner's estate. The aerodrome is operated by Sheffield Aero Club which has three hangars, numbers 1 to 3. Other aircraft, including the club's training aircraft, are parked outside. Aircraft maintenance is available from Dukeries Aviation Ltd, which operates from the single maintenance hangar. Netherthorpe Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P601) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Sheffield Aero Club Limited).
History
The first 'Privateers' and Sheffield Aero Club
The land on which the current aerodrome is located was originally used for flying in 1933 by a small number of private pilots with their own aircraft. They operated the de Havilland DH.60 Moth. They approached Sheffield City Council on Friday 5 April 1935 with the intention of taking advantage of the growing trend in aerodrome development and forming the Sheffield Aero Club (SAC). Following protracted negotiations, funding was found for a clubhouse which was located to the right of the existing runway 24 threshold and to upgrade an existing hangar, located to the left of the existing runway 24 threshold; this was extant until 1996 when it was destroyed by high winds. The landing ground also received upgrade. The convention at the time was to take off and land using the whole mown field with no designated runways. A white circle was whitewashed to identify the centre of the field where take off and landing was conducted through the circle, the identification letters 'NT' were enclosed in the circle. After initial hesitation mitigated by hedge removal to reveal a larger landing area, Air Ministry (AM) approval was granted to allow flying training, operating the de Havilland Moth which was loaned to the club by its chairman, Mr Jakeman, with operations starting on 31 July 1935. BA Swallow G-AEIC moved to Netherthorpe in 1939, owned by the club director Mr Horrox, though it is unclear if this was used by the wider club membership. It was commandeered as a communication aircraft when the Royal Air Force (RAF) arrived at Netherthorpe in 1940. On the declaration of war with Germany on 3 September 1939, an AM telegram was signalled to all flying clubs to cease operations immediately. The aerodrome was closed and studded with wooden spikes to deter landing German aircraft and paratroopers.
Second World War
Following a signal from No. 22 Group RAF, the first RAF personnel arrived at Netherthorpe on 28 June 1940, the aerodrome anti-landing spikes being removed covertly during the night. The advanced air movement of a flight of Westland Lysander Mk II aircraft of No. 613 Squadron RAF of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force arrived from RAF Odiham shortly afterwards. Once up to strength utilising their Lysanders along with their Miles Magister (L8056) and de Havilland Tiger Moth (N9279) communications aircraft together with the aforementioned civilian BA Swallow, 613 was detailed to patrol the east coast up to 5 miles inland and up to 5 miles out to sea in two areas. Area 'A' patrolled from the river Humber to the Wash and Area 'B' from the Humber to Filey. They were to report on any invasion activity which included photographic reconnaissance. The Lysanders would have been fitted with bombs and used their wheel mounted and rear gunner operated twin .303 machine guns to attack the eastern beaches during any German invasion. Post-war analysis shows the invasion beaches were to be on the English south coast and the 613 patrolled areas did not feature on the initial invasion plans of Operation Sea Lion, though this might have changed as the land battle for Britain unfolded. Though heavily engaged with army co-operation, 613 also flew "Jim Crow" sorties searching for downed RAF aircrew, leading RAF High Speed Launches to the stricken flyers. The Lysanders were dispersed in nearby Scratta woods with field hedges removed to provide access to the airfield (behind the modern airfield building).