RAF Northolt

Royal Air Force Northolt, located in South Ruislip, Greater London, England, is a Royal Air Force station that also handles private civil flights. It is the oldest RAF base, having opened in May 1915 for the Royal Flying Corps, and has the longest history of continuous use of any RAF airfield. Before the Second World War, it was the first station to receive the Hawker Hurricane. During the Battle of Britain, RAF Northolt played a role in the defence of London, with fighter squadrons, including No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, engaging enemy aircraft. It later became the first base to have squadrons operating Supermarine Spitfire aircraft within German airspace. The Polish War Memorial, dedicated to Polish airmen who died in the Second World War, stands near the airfield.

After the war, Northolt was used for commercial civil flights during the construction of Heathrow Airport, becoming a major base for British European Airways and, for a time in 1952, the busiest airport in Europe. Civil flights ceased in 1954, and the station reverted to sole military use. By the 1980s, private aircraft movements outnumbered military ones, with civil flights limited to 28 per day. The station has been extensively redeveloped since 2006 under Project MoDEL, consolidating various London-based Ministry of Defence operations, including the British Forces Post Office and the Air Historical Branch.

RAF Northolt is currently operated by the Royal Air Force under No. 2 Group (Air Combat Support). Main air units stationed there include No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, which operates Dassault Falcon 900LX aircraft (known as Envoy IV CC1), and No. 600 (City of London) Squadron (Royal Auxiliary Air Force). Other units include No. 63 Squadron (King's Colour Squadron) RAF Regiment, HQ RAF Music Services, 621 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squadron, No. 1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit, and the Service Prosecution Authority. In 2019, the runway underwent a £23 million resurfacing project. The station has also been used for security exercises, such as for the 2012 Summer Olympics, when Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft were temporarily deployed. It also serves as the overnight base for the London Air Ambulance.