Manchester's New Airport - Ringway

1930s & 1940s

Following the vote in 1934 to choose between Barton Aerodrome and Ringway where Ringway won by 1 vote, work on site in November 1935. The first hangar was opened in June 1937 for use by Fairey Aviation. The first aeroplane to land at Ringway was on 17th May 1937. This was a de-Havilland Hornet Moth G-ADND and flown by Duncan Menzies who was a Fairey Aviation test pilot. He had intended to land at Barton Aerodrome, but because of fog could only find the incomplete Ringway aerodrome.

Ringway Airport was officially opened on 25th June 1938 and by the summer of 1939, the airport saw scheduled air services to London and Amsterdam and other domestic destinations including Western Super-Mare, Croydon and Doncaster. In its first 14 months to August 1939 before the outbreak of World War 2, the airport handled a grand total of 7,625 passengers.

Ringway played a major role during the war. Tarmac runways were laid, and 10 new hangars were built, including three for Avro and additional ones for Fairey Aviation. Construction of a Royal Air Force station, including two large hangars, workshops, barrack blocks and accommodation, began during spring 1939, with phased completion during early 1940.

The largest RAF presence being the Central Landing School (CLS) which established on 21st June 1940 as a result of Prime Minister Churchill's direction to create a corps of parachutists. The practice dropping zone was nearby Tatton Park.

CLS was the first UK military parachute school and became known as No.1 Parachute Training School. Over 60,000 men and women learned how to parachute at RAF Ringway including Special Operations Executive (SOE) personnel.

Parachute packing was of critical importance and at Ringway this was undertaken by the Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

Also on site was No.14 Ferry Pilots Pool of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) whose aircrews delivered many thousands of military aircraft to operational units which had been built, modified or repaired at Ringway, Woodford, Barton and at other northwest aircraft factories and airfields.

(Monochrome Photograph showing) - A Hawker Hind of No.613 (City of Manchester Squadron) at Ringway.

(Monochrome Photograph showing) - Parachute troops on parade in front of a Whitley bomber at Ringway in Jan 1941.