Kemble, now Cotswold Airport, used to be a huge RAF maintenance base and was home to the Central Flying School along with the Red Arrows in the 1960s for 16 years.
It has hosted several excellent air shows in the past and has also held many fly-in events. The air shows usually featured many vintage jets and the Hawker Hunter in particular due to the history of the airfield.
The last major air show was held in 2011 however a smaller 'Best of British' event was held in 2012. There are no plans for any future major air shows but they do hold regular fly-in events.
BAC Strikemasters at Cotswold Airshow (Kemble) 2010
Kemble History
Royal Air Force Kemble was used as a huge training and maintenance base. No.5 Maintenance Unit was formed at Kemble in 1938. In 1940, No4 Service Ferry Pool arrived from Cardiff to help with the distribution of aircraft from manufacturers to Kemble and then to deliver them on again after modification by the MU to their respective operational units. The main runway was constructed during 1942 and extended a year later.
In the 1950s, Kemble received Jet aircraft including 550 Sabres which were prepared and sent to the RAF in Germany. The Hunter also arrived in force and became the mainstay of work through the 1980s which gave Kemble the nickname "Hunter MU". The Central Flying School along with the Red Arrows arrived in the 1960s and stayed for 16 years until the RAF handed the base over to the USAF for rectification work on A-10 Thunderbolts. The Americans left in the early 1990's and Royal Air Force Kemble finally closed in March 1992.
Royal Air Force Kemble finally closed with a ceremony that involved the Red Arrows returning to their old base on a very cold and wet day. In the hangars on Main Site only a few aircraft remained. All military flying ceased at Kemble airfield in March 1993 and the MOD realised that it could raise some much-needed cash by leasing some of buildings to private tenants.
local businessman Ronan Harvey who had moved his company into buildings at Kemble, eventually purchased the airfield from the MOD in March 2001. His intention was to keep the site as an airfield - an unusual stance at a time when most airfields are being turned into industrial parks. Kemble Airport is now enjoying a new era as a CAA licensed airfield with two established flying clubs and other operators. AV8 restaurant has opened on the site of the old Fire Section and Kemble Airport has just been awarded the title of "Airport of the Year" by Flyer magazine. All this is testament to the hard work of the many volunteers who have worked tirelessly since 1995 in making Kemble a centre of excellence for all types of aviation activities.
The Delta Jets fleet were based here which regularly fly their Hunters at Airshows. An amazing array of historic aircraft could also be seen at Kemble along with the Bristol Aero Collection Museum and the very popular airshows and fly-ins that are were held at regular intervals throughout the year.
On 1st September 2009 Kemble changed its name to Cotswold Airport to reflect its ever expanding facility, services and position in the European market. Cotswold Airport is now home to Chevron Aircraft Maintenance Ltd and the operating base of Air Salvage International. The airfield is also used for Formula One straight line testing, and one of the largest race tracks for Remote Control Cars in the UK. However, the future of the airport is uncertain with proposals for a "sustainable village" with shops and leisure facilities to be built on the 420-acre ex-RAF base.