Lympne Airport Lympne Airport , was a military and later civil airfield , at Lympne , Kent , United Kingdom , which operated from 1916 to 1984 . During the First World War RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to , and returning from , France but was later designated as a First Class Landing Ground , RAF Lympne . It became a civil airfield in 1919 and saw the operation of early air mail services after the 1918 armistice . It was one of the first four airfields in the United Kingdom with customs facilities . Lympne was also involved in the evolution of air traffic control , with facilities developing and improving during the 1920s and 1930s . A number of record - breaking flights originated or ended at Lympne . During the 1920s Lympne was the venue for the Lympne light aircraft trials from which a number of aircraft types entered production . Air racing was also held at Lympne . Just before the Second World War , Lympne was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm . It was named HMS " Buzzard " and n renamed HMS " Daedalus II " three months later , before being transferred to the Royal Air Force in May 1940 . During the war Lympne was a front - line fighter base , RAF Lympne . It was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and put out of action for a number of weeks . It was too close to the coast to be used as a squadron base , but squadrons were detached there on a day - to - day basis . Lympne was also to have been the landing place for a German aircraft used in a plot to kidnap Adolf Hitler , with preparations made by the Royal Air Force for his arrival . Lympne returned to civilian use on 1 January 1946 . In 1948 , the first air ferry service was inaugurated at Lympne by Silver City Airways . Problems with waterlogging of the grass runway and the refusal of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to upgrade the airfield led to Silver City transferring operations to Lydd ( Ferryfield ) in 1954 . By 1956 , the airport ' s ownership had passed to Eric Rylands Ltd , the Skyways holding company . Skyways operated a coach - air service between London and Paris , flying passengers from Lympne to Beauvais . This service operated until 1974 ( 1955 – 1958 : the original Skyways ; 1958 – 1971 : Skyways Coach - Air ; 1971 – 1972 : Skyways International ; 1972 – 1974 : Dan - Air Skyways ) . Following the cessation of commercial operations in October 1974 , Lympne continued to be used as a General Aviation airfield until about 1984 . The site is now an industrial estate . History . Establishment . Work began on creating a landing ground at Folks Wood , Lympne , in the autumn of 1915 . This site soon proved unsuitable and another site was sought . Lympne was established in March 1916 as an Emergency Landing Ground for the Royal Flying Corps ( RFC ) home defence fighters defending London against Zeppelin s and Gothas . No . 1 Advanced School of Air Gunnery operated from Lympne during January and February 1917 . In January 1917 it was designated as No . 8 Aircraft Acceptance Park for delivery of aircraft to , and reception from , France . On 25 May 1917 Lympne was bombed by Gotha G . IV bombers of " Kagohl 3 " who dropped 19 bombs on the airfield . In 1918 , Lympne was designated a First Class Landing Ground and the Day and Night Bombing Observation School was formed here in May . The RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service ( RNAS ) were merged to form the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) in April 1918 . From 17 July 1919 , No . 120 Squadron RAF flew air mail services between Lympne and Cologne , Germany , using de Havilland DH . 9 aircraft fitted with Beardmore Halford Pullinger engines . This service ended on 1 September 1919 when 120 squadron moved to RAF Hawkinge . Hawkinge and Lympne lay within a few miles of each other and as the Air Ministry could not justify keeping the two bases open following the end of the war , they decided to retain Hawkinge . In August 1919 the RAF moved out of Lympne and it was turned over to civilian use , although 120 Squadron did not depart until 21 October . Civil operations . 1919 – 29 . In May 1919 , Lympne was one of the first four customs and excise " Appointed Aerodromes " in the United Kingdom ; along with Hadleigh in Suffolk , Hounslow Heath in Middlesex and New Holland in Lincolnshire . Although Lympne had a customs clearance point there was no permanent customs officer there ; a telephone call to Folkestone Harbour was needed to clear customs . On 1 May the ban on civilian flying was lifted and a Sopwith Gnu was flown from Hounslow Heath to Lympne carrying a cargo of newspapers during that first day . In September , Sir Philip Sassoon purchased an Avro aircraft in which he commuted between London and his Lympne residence . In October the Air Ministry announced that searchlights would temporarily be displayed to assist aircraft to find certain airfields . Lympne was to be identified by three searchlights arranged in a triangle , their beams shining vertically . In November a Notice to Airmen was issued advising that radio telephony was in use at Hounslow Heath and Lympne , using the 900 - metre wavelength . The practice of using the aircraft registration as a callsign was instigated . In December 1919 two Westland Limousine aircraft bound for the Paris Aero Show were delayed at Lympne by fog . Conditions later improved so that both aircraft were able to fly to Le Bourget , where G - EAJL was dismantled and transported to the Grand Palais where it was exhibited to the public . The other aircraft remained at Le Bourget where it gave pleasure and demonstration flights . The North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co . used a Blackburn Kangaroo on its short - lived Leeds - Lympne - Amsterdam service from 6 March 1920 . The customs facilities at New Holland had been withdrawn on 28 January , necessitating the roundabout route . It was estimated that the extra costs involved in taking this route amounted to one - third of the total costs . " Flight " called for customs facilities to be established to enable direct flights to be made from the north of England to the continent . Starting from 2 August , hourly weather forecasts were broadcast from Lympne and other airfields . A system of ground signals advising pilots of the weather conditions at Biggin Hill and Croydon was also introduced about this time . During August , Aircraft Transport and Travel took over air mail flights , using DH . 9A aircraft . In November a Notice to Airmen was released announcing that searchlights would be in use at Lympne for two hours after sunset to assist pilots in landing their aircraft . Arrangements could be made in advance for this facility to be made available after the notified hours . In December , it was announced that an " aerial lighthouse " was to be installed at Lympne as the one installed at Croydon had proved to be of benefit to pilots arriving after dark . In May 1921 , it was reported that a waiting room for the use of passengers at Lympne was being planned . In June a Notice to Airmen was released saying that , for cost reasons , lights would no longer be exhibited after sunset without prior arrangement . The system of ground signals was amended with effect from 14 July , and in September an " aerial lighthouse " was reported to be under construction . The system of aerial lighthouses on the " London – Paris Airway " was completed in December 1921 . In January 1922 , a high mast for an anemometer was being erected at the south west corner of Lympne Aerodrome . On 13 February , the system of ground signals at Lympne was further extended to include information about the Saint - Inglevert Airfield , just across the English Channel in France . In July , a Notice to Airmen said that all aircraft were to make at least one left - hand circuit before landing at Lympne . By November , the Instone Air Line were operating a service from Croydon to Cologne using de Havilland DH . 18 aircraft , stopping at Lympne to refuel to full capacity . These aircraft then had the necessary range to fly direct from Lympne to Cologne . This arrangement did not last long , with the refuelling stop moved to Tirlemont , Belgium , by the end of the month . On 30 December a Dornier aircraft landed at Lympne . It was the first German aircraft to land on British soil since the end of the First World War . A German airline , Aero - Lloyd was in negotiation with Daimler Airway to start a service between London and Berlin . A Junkers F . 13 called at Lympne on 10 January 1923 to clear customs and then flew to Croydon where it was inspected by Secretary of State for Air Sir Samuel Hoare . In February , it was reported that Lympne had taken part in a test of the newly introduced Mayday radio signal used by aircraft to indicate that they were in distress . Georges Barbot won a prize of F . 25 , 000 from " Le Matin " when he made a flight from St Inglevert to Lympne and back again on the same day , 6 May . He flew the route in a Dewoitine aircraft fitted with a Clerget engine . On landing a bracing wire in the undercarriage of the aircraft broke , but repairs were effected within half an hour . Problems starting the engine then delayed his departure slightly . On 28 October the Light Aircraft Trials were held ( see below ) . In 1923 , Air Union started a service flying newspapers to Lympne using a Farman F . 60 Goliath . From 1 – 31 May 1924 , the Royal Air Force conducted a number of night flying experiments . Pilots were asked to keep an extra lookout whilst the experiments were taking place . On 27 and 28 September , the elimination trials for the Light Aircraft Trials were held . Only eight aircraft passed through to the trials proper . Also in October , it was notified that changes were being made expanding weather information given at Lympne . Amongst the changes were that measurements used were to be changed from imperial to metric . The addition of weather information at Haren , Brussels and Ostend , both in Belgium was notified . In 1924 , Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft were operating cross - channel services for Imperial Airways . Lympne was used by aircraft of Imperial Airways as a refuelling point . The first stop in France was St Inglevert . When an aircraft departed Lympne for St Inglevert , the destination airfield was advised , and if arrival was not notified within two hours , the Coastguard was informed . Communication was by Carmichael Microway UHF transmitters at each airfield . Short Brothers used Lympne for flight testing new aircraft during 1924 . In January 1925 , notification that red edge lights had been installed along the runways and taxiways at Lympne was made . In July 1925 , a new arrangement was introduced whereby aircraft not fitted with radio , flying across the Channel , could have their departure and arrival reported by radio to the authorities . A circuit of Lympne and St Inglevert had to be flown at a height not exceeding on departure for , and arrival from , the continent . Between 1 – 3 August , the Royal Aeronautical Society held a meeting at Lympne . The Grosvenor Challenge Cup , Private Owners ' Cup , Light Aeroplane Holiday Handicap and International Handicap were all competed for . Separate Speed Races were held for single and two - seater aircraft . In August 1925 , the scheme for non - radio aircraft was extended to cover Ostend . One hour was allowed for the crossing to St Inglevert and two hours for the crossing to Ostend , after which the aircraft would be reported as missing . On 25 September , Lympne was one of a number of airfields which began operating a radio direction finding service . As before the 900 - metre wavelength was used . During the General Strike of 1926 , which ran from 3 – 13 May , the " Daily Mail " was printed in Paris and flown from there to Lympne on Handley Page W . 10 Imperial Airways aircraft . Further aircraft chartered by the " Daily Mail " then flew the newspapers to Birmingham for onward distribution . A fleet of de Havilland DH . 60 Moth , de Havilland DH . 9 with some Avro and Westland aircraft were used . The distribution of the newspapers by air was co - ordinated by the Royal Aero Club and a total of was flown by aircraft operating under the Royal Aero Club ' s co - ordination . The Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( AuxAF ) had been formed in 1925 . In late August and early September 1926 601 ( County of London ) Squadron AuxAF held its inaugural camp at Lympne . The squadron was equipped with Avro 504 and de Havilland DH . 9 A aircraft . The Light Aircraft Trials were held between 10 and 14 September . On 1 January 1927 , new regulations came into effect which meant that aircraft carrying 10 or more passengers would have to carry a radio operator in addition to the pilot . In February it was reported that a Notice to Airmen had been issued stating that aircraft coming from the Continent in conditions of poor visibility in which the radio was not functioning correctly should land at Lympne , where repair facilities were available . In April it was reported that a new wireless station was being built at Lympne and in May it was notified that the night light was again in operation at Lympne . In July , a new system was introduced for civil aircraft flying in bad visibility between Lympne and Croydon . They were not to follow the normal Lympne – Edenbridge – Caterham – Croydon route , but instead follow one of three notified alternate routes . Aircraft were to be notified by radio whenever such conditions were declared to be put into effect , or whenever the weather had improved . This was aimed at preventing mid - air collisions between civil aircraft and those operated by the Royal Air Force . From 7 to 21 August , 600 ( City of London ) Squadron AuxAF and 601 ( County of London ) Squadron AuxAF were both at Lympne on their annual camp . The squadrons were flying Avro 504N and de Havilland DH . 9A aircraft . In October , a Notice to Airmen announced that the ground signals at Lympne would be displayed in a different arrangement than previously , standardisation of ground signals worldwide required the change which came into effect on 1 October . In December , a Notice to Airmen informed that in foggy weather the position of Lympne would be indicated by flares fired from the ground , to be seen by aircraft flying in the vicinity . Colour was to be at the discretion of the Civil Air Traffic Officer . The Notice to Airmen was quickly amended to state that the firing of red flares would be reserved to indicate that an aircraft was being instructed " not to land " at the airfield in question . In 1927 a Fokker F . VII of SABENA flew newspapers to Lympne . A meeting was held over the Easter weekend in 1928 by the Cinque Ports Flying Club . Pleasure flights were given for a cost of 5 / - . An unverified report stated that one person was dissatisfied with two circuits of the airfield . The pilot is said to have offered to take him up again , which was accepted . On this second flight various aerobatics were flown and the hapless passenger was said to have been left incapable of expressing himself coherently . Among the pilots attending were Geoffrey de Havilland and his son . Other activities included some air racing and a guess the altitude competition . In May a Notice to Airmen said that the scheme for aircraft reporting that they were crossing the Channel was being extended . Lympne was to remain the reporting place on the English side but , in Belgium and France , the Ostend and St Inglevert airfields were joined by semaphore stations at Village de Baracques , Calais and Cap d ’ Alprech , Boulogne . On 17 May , Lady Heath landed at Lympne after crossing the Channel during her flight to Croydon from Cape Town , South Africa . She was flying an Avro Avian III which had been taken out to South Africa by ship . In August , the AuxAF held their annual Air Defence Exercises . Both 600 ( City of London ) and 601 ( County of London ) Squadrons AuxAF were based a Lympne for the duration of the exercise . They were operating Avro 504N and de Havilland DH . 9A aircraft . Towards the end of the camp Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill and Under Secretary of State for Air Sir Philip Sassoon inspected both squadrons and were entertained at a dinner . On 18 September , Juan de la Cierva departed from Lympne in an Autogyro , making the first flight between London and Paris in this type of aircraft and the first flight across the Channel by autogyro in the process . In November , a Handley Page W . 10 of Imperial Airways diverted to Lympne in a gale with three passengers suffering from airsickness . Once landed the aircraft was briefly lifted from the ground in a gust whilst ground handling staff were taking it to a hangar . Winds of were recorded . In January 1929 , a Notice to Airmen said that when visibility was bad any aircraft not fitted with radios were warned against using the Croydon – Edenbridge – Ashford – Lympne route or any of the alternative routes notified in 1927 . Later that month it was notified that the aerial lighthouse had been replaced by a 6 , 000 candlepower neon light which would be visible at a range of . In July 1929 a plan was proposed where an amphibious aircraft would be based at Lympne for use in search and rescue when aircraft were reported missing over the Channel . On 14 August , the 601 ( County of London ) Squadron AuxAF arrived for their annual camp . In September 1929 arrangements were notified for the abandonment of a Channel crossing by aircraft flying from England to France . In such cases , the aircraft was to perform a second circuit over Lympne which would be acknowledged . It was also notified that a flying boat operated by Compagnie Aérienne Française was to be based at Calais for use in search and rescue work . 1930 – 39 . In February 1930 , a Towle TA - 2 amphibian was a visitor to Lympne . In July 1930 , it was notified that aircraft fitted with radio may report their position by radio when crossing the Channel . For non - radio aircraft the earlier arrangements remained in effect , although some changes were made to the methods of acknowledgement of arrival . Search and rescue arrangements now included motorboats permanently available at Boulogne , Calais , Dover and Dunquerque . Lifeboats were also on standby at the French ports and air patrols were in operation during working hours , operated by Air Union . In August 1930 , the arrangements for non - radio aircraft flying between Croydon and Lympne in bad weather were amended . Pilots had to notify which route they intended to take and the destination airfield was to be notified of this by telephone once the aircraft had departed . That month 601 ( County of London ) Squadron held its annual camp a Lympne . On 1 August 1931 , the 601 ( County of London ) Squadron AuxAF began its annual camp at Lympne . Croydon Airport took over the responsibility for weather forecasting on air routes from the Air Ministry in October . As part of the changes Biggin Hill , Croydon and Lympne now provided weather information on a 24 - hour basis . In March 1932 , the arrangements for flying between Lympne and Croydon in poor visibility were altered . If the cloudbase was less than above sea level , or the visibility was less than , aircraft were prohibited from using the Croydon – Caterham – Penshurst – Lympne route , but were to use either the Croydon – Merstham – Edenbridge or Croydon – Chelsfield – Shoreham – Otford – Wrotham route . Alternatively a rhumb line course could be flown on the Croydon – Chelsfield – Lympne route . Aircraft not fitted with radios had to notify the officer in charge at their departure airport as to which route they intended to take before departure . Royal Air Force aircraft would avoid these routes as far as practicable in conditions of poor visibility . On 25 August the Folkestone Trophy Race was held at Lympne and was won by a Comper Swift . In November , it was reported that new radio equipment was to be installed at Lympne and St Inglevert operating on the 15 - cm waveband at 2 , 000 Megahertz . The new radios were to be used for the announcement of the departure of non - radio aircraft across the Channel . Messages sent by radio were also printed out by a teleprinter , providing a record of the communication . The new equipment was scheduled to come into operation in Spring 1933 . In 1933 , Imperial Airway ' s Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft were replaced by Handley Page H . P . 42 s . On 7 March 1933 , the system for non - radio aircraft proved effective when a de Havilland DH . 60 Moth of British Air Transport failed to arrive at Lympne . The aircraft had ditched in the channel and both occupants were rescued by a steamship bound for Amsterdam , Netherlands . In August , the No . 601 ( County of London ) Squadron again held its annual camp at Lympne . They were visited by the Marquess of Londonderry who was the Secretary of State for Air . The squadron was equipped with Hawker Hart s . Later that month the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race was held and was won by Ken Waller in a de Havilland DH . 60 Moth . In September , a new system was introduced for broadcasting weather forecasts in various areas and on various air routes , including that between Croydon and Lympne . Navigational warnings would also be broadcast . In October , it was notified that the floodlight at Lympne had been put back into operation and the use of flares was therefore discontinued . In November , a squadron of the Egyptian Army Air Force was based at Lympne for a few weeks whilst they trained on their new Avro 626 aircraft . They departed on 18 November for Egypt . By 1933 , Lympne was well prepared for handling diversions . Passengers who cleared customs were taken by car to railway station where they boarded trains to London using 1st class tickets . On 2 December , a Fokker F . XX , PH - AIZ " Zilvermeeuw " of KLM , diverted to Lympne following an engine failure . This was the only diversion KLM had during the whole of 1933 . In January 1934 , a new radio , telegraph and telephone link was installed at Lympne and St Inglevert which came into operation on 26 January . Sir Philip Sassoon officially declared the installation open . The equipment at Lympne was manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables and operated on the 17 - cm wave band . From 13 to 27 July , 606 ( City of Glasgow ) Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne , followed by 601 ( County of London ) Squadron AuxAF from 29 July to 12 August . On the weekend of 1 – 2 September competitions for the Folkestone Aero Trophy and the Wakefield Cup were held . Both competitions were won by pilots flying the de Havilland DH . 60 Moth G - AAMU . Later that month a second batch of ten Avro 626s of the Egyptian Army Air Force departed from Lympne for Egypt . In April 1935 , Air Traffic Control in the United Kingdom was improved by the introduction of a new control zone system . Heston was added as a control zone , relieving Croydon of some traffic . As a result of these changes the wavelength used by Lympne for radiotelegraphy changed from 862 metres to 825 metres . Six new direction finding stations were installed as part of these improvements , including one at Lympne . The improvement meant that Croydon would now be able to communicate by radio with two aircraft at the same time . In August Henri Mignet flew his Mignet HM . 14 " Flying Flea " across the Channel to Lympne , where the aircraft was demonstrated in front of large crowds . Also that month 601 ( County of London ) Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne after having converted from a bomber squadron to a fighter squadron earlier in the year . From 2 to 16 August 1936 , No . 601 Squadron held their annual camp at Lympne . One aircraft exhibited at the 1936 International Air Rally was a 1912 Caudron G . 2 . In November , it was reported that 21 Squadron and 34 Squadron of the RAF were temporarily relocated to Lympne as hangars at RAF Abbotsinch had been damaged in gales . In October 1936 , Lympne was again taken over by the RAF , becoming a base within No . 1 ( Bomber ) Group . Although some improvements were carried out Lympne was initially seen as a temporary station . On 3 November 21 Squadron and 34 Squadron moved in , equipped with Hawker Hind aircraft . On 4 June 1937 , a British Klemm Swallow made a pilot - less take - off from Lympne and flew for some 35 minutes before crashing into a tree . Its resting place was from RAF Hawkinge . On 31 July the Folkestone Trophy was competition was held and was won by Alex Henshaw in a Percival Mew Gull . On 12 March 1938 , Captain Davis , managing director of the Cinque Ports Flying Club , was killed in an accident shortly after take - off from Lympne . On 30 July , the Folkestone Trophy race was held and was won by H Buckingham flying a de Havilland Hornet Moth . 34 Squadron departed Lympne on 12 July , and 21 Squadron departed on 15 August . Lympne was placed under " Care and Maintenance " in October , becoming a Training Command Administration School . In May 1939 , Lympne was transferred to Fighter Command . It was used by the Fleet Air Arm as an outstation for the Air Mechanics School based at HMS " Daedalus " . On 1 July 1939 , Lympne was taken over by the Fleet Air Arm , becoming HMS " Buzzard " . Aircraft at " Buzzard " included Blackburn Shark s and Gloster Gladiator s . On 5 August , the Folkestone Trophy Race was held and was won by Andrew Dalrymple flying a Chilton D . W . 1 A . The Second World War . In September 1939 , the base was renamed HMS " Daedalus II " , but was transferred back to the RAF in May 1940 . Early in the war Lympne was home to Army Co - operation and bomber squadrons . During Operation Dynamo in May 1940 a French Air Force squadron was based at Lympne . It was equipped with Marcel Bloch and Potez fighters . On 15 August 1940 , during the Battle of Britain , Lympne was bombed by Stuka dive - bombers of II " Gruppe " , StG1 . All the hangars were hit and those aircraft belonging to Cinque Ports Flying Club that had not been evacuated to Sywell were destroyed in the fire . Lympne was evacuated and only available as an Emergency Landing Ground until mid - September . In 1941 , Lympne was to be the destination for the landing of an aircraft carrying Adolf Hitler in a daring kidnap plot . A man by the name of Kiroff had given information to the British Military Attaché in Sofia , Bulgaria , that he was the brother - in - law of Hans Baur , the personal pilot of Hitler . He stated that Baur was planning to defect using Hitler ' s Focke - Wulf Fw 200 with him on board . The RAF made plans to receive the aircraft at Lympne and 25 March was the date that the defection was expected to occur . Baur did not defect and spent the war as Hitler ' s personal pilot . A few weeks later Rudolph Hess defected to Scotland . Also in March 1941 , 91 Squadron moved in , equipped with Spitfires . Additional dispersals and fighter pens as well as three new blister hangars were built during 1941 . Typhoons were based at Lympne from March 1942 to February 1944 to counter the threat posed by the Luftwaffe ' s newly introduced Focke - Wulf Fw 190 s and a runway was extended across Otterpool Lane to accommodate the Typhoons . In November 1944 , Lympne was downgraded to Emergency Landing Ground status . Consideration was given to building four runways at Lympne , with the longest being , but it was noted that serious demolition work would be required and a number of roads would need to be closed . Return to civil use . 1946 – 50 . On 1 January 1946 , RAF Lympne was handed over to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and became a civil airport once more . The Cinque Ports Flying Club re - established itself in facilities left by the RAF and re - opened on 12 July . The club possessed two Tiger Moths and an Auster . The first post - war air races were the Folkestone Trophy and the Lympne High Speed Handicap held over the weekend of 31 August and 1 September . The Folkestone Trophy was won by John Grierson flying a Supermarine Walrus ( G - AHFN ) . The Lympne High Speed Handicap was won by W Humble flying a Hawker Fury I . Charter airline Air Kruise ( Kent ) Ltd was established at Lympne by Wing Commander Hugh Kennard and in September it was reported that the company had received the first civilian Miles Messenger aircraft . Air Kruise also operated Dragon Rapides . On 1 December 1946 , Group Captain A . Bandit departed Lympne in a Miles Gemini bound for Wondai , Australia . This was the first solo flight to Australia since the end of the war . Bandit reached Truscott Airfield , Western Australia , on 6 January 1947 to complete the first post - war England – Australia flight . Air races were held at Lympne on 30 and 31 August and four national records were set ( see below ) . In July 1948 , Silver City Airways started an aerial car ferry service from Lympne to Le Touquet using Bristol Freighter aircraft . At the Lympne Aero Races Lettice Curtis set a new women ' s world speed record whilst competing in the High Speed Handicap race flying a Spitfire XI . The Cinque Ports Flying Club folded on 1 October , its successor being the Kent Coast Flying Club which was set up by Hugh Kennard and had a Miles Magister ( G - AKJX ) . Kent Gliding Club took up residence , and Skyfotos also made Lympne its base for aerial photography . Aircraft operated by Skyfotos included an Auster Autocrat ( G - AIZZ ) and a Piper PA - 22 Caribbean ( G - AREN ) . In May 1949 , it was reported that Lympne had made a loss of £17 , 000 and that the Air Ministry was looking to dispose of it , although it was thought that should a sale not materialise it would continue in operation . In August 1950 , Air Kruise started a scheduled service between Lympne and Le Touquet using Dragon Rapides . This service was operated under an associate airline agreement with British European Airways . 1951 – 60 . In December 1951 , Lympne was closed to all aircraft exceeding due to the runway being waterlogged and Silver City Airways transferred their service to Southend Airport until Lympne reopened in February 1952 . Blackbushe Airport was also used whilst Lympne was closed . On 1 May 1952 , a passenger tax was introduced in the United Kingdom . The rate was 5s for passengers arriving from Europe and 7s 6d for those arriving from outside Europe . At the same time landing fees at Government - owned airports were halved where the aircraft was operating an international flight of less than . Silver City Airways would benefit from this concession . Also in May it was reported that Air Kruise were extending the Lympne – Le Touquet service to Ramsgate , as Ramsgate Airport was to be re - opened . In July , the members of Folkestone Town Council visited the Ministry of Civil Aviation in London to discuss the purchase of Lympne Airport . In February 1953 , Lympne was again waterlogged and Silver City Airways operated out of Southend and Blackbushe . The company stated that they were willing to purchase Lympne , but the decision of Folkestone Town Council was still awaited for . By May , Folkestone Town Council had decided not to purchase Lympne and Silver City Airways again expressed an interest in purchasing the airport at a reasonable price . In November , it was announced that Air Kruise had been given permission to operate a scheduled service from Lympne and / or Ramsgate to Birmingham . The service was to be seasonal between April and September , with permission to run the service lasting until 1960 . Air Kruise moved its operations to Ramsgate Airport in 1953 . In March 1954 , Air Kruise applied for permission to operate Dakota s on routes between Lympne and Le Touquet , Calais and Ostend . On 29 April , the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation offered Lympne for sale by auction in London . Bidding reached £88 , 000 but the reserve was £100 , 000 and the airport was not sold . On 28 August , Silver City Airways trialled a Westland - Sikorsky WS - 51 helicopter on cross - Channel flights . Permission had been granted for the use of these aircraft for freight operations and it was intended to introduce them on 1 April 1955 . On 3 October , Silver City Airways operated their last flight out of Lympne as operations were being transferred to the new Lydd ( Ferryfield ) Airport which had opened on 6 July 1954 . A total of 33 , 487 car ferry flights had been made from Lympne since the service had started in 1948 . As of 1 November , Lympne closed as a public airport , although private flying was allowed as long as no passengers were carried for hire or reward . In 1955 , Air Kruise moved to Lydd ( Ferryfield ) and Lympne was re - licensed in 1955 . On 30 September 1955 , Eric Rylands , a former co - owner and managing director of the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation ( LAC ) who had bought Skyways from the previous owners in March 1952 ( together with LAC ' s other owner , David Brown ) , started a coach - air service between London and Paris . Passengers were taken by coach from Victoria Coach Station to Lympne , flown to Beauvais and then taken by coach to Paris . Check - in and coach departures in Paris were at the Hôtel Moderne Palace on Place de la Republique in Paris 12 . Aircraft and coaches each held 36 passengers . Passengers returning to the UK could order duty - free goods at Paris and the orders were telephoned to Beauvais for distribution on the flight . The off - peak fare was £7 14s 0d and 47 , 000 passengers were carried in the first year . Three Dakotas were used initially and later increasing to four . A trial run took place on 21 September and Skyways holding company , Eric Rylands Ltd , bought Lympne from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in 1956 . In January 1957 , Skyways ordered a new Decca type 424 radar for installation at Lympne . In summer 1957 , a service was started between Lympne and Vichy , the first service between the UK and Vichy since Hillman ' s Airways before the war . This was part of Skyways London – Lympne – Lyons – Nice route . Valence was also served by air . In May 1958 , a route to Nice via Lyon was introduced . A temporary service to Brussels via Antwerp operated that year to serve the Brussels International Exhibition . In December , it was announced that an experimental scheme to allow British and Irish subjects to make day - trips abroad without needing a passport was to be introduced on a limited number of routes , including Lympne – Beauvais . An identity card would be issued in lieu of a passport and the experiment was to run from Easter to the end of September 1959 . On 15 March 1959 , RAF Detling closed and the land was sold back to its pre - war tenants , who did not wish for any flying to take place . As a consequence the Kent Gliding Club relocated temporarily to Lympne . In June , Skyways signed a letter of intent to purchase a number of Avro 748 aircraft . " Flight " magazine stated that the number involved was " about four " . Skyways were the first airline to make a public announcement of support for the then yet - to - fly airliner . In autumn 1960 , Lympne was closed for a few days due to waterlogging of the runway . 1961 – 70 . On 3 May 1961 , Skyways signed a contract for the purchase of three Avro 748s at a cost of £750 , 000 . On 6 November , the process of final certification of the Avro 748 began . A programme of 160 hours of flying , simulating airline service , took place over the following 19 days and included a break for maintenance on 16 November . The programme also allowed Skyways pilots to gain further experience towards the 50 hours in command they needed before they could fly the aircraft in service . The aircraft was returned to Avro at the end of the trials as it was not scheduled to be delivered to Skyways until 1 March 1962 . On 15 March 1962 , a bomb disposal officer was killed at Lympne when the pipe mine he was attempting to make safe exploded . The Army temporarily suspended their bomb disposal operations as a result . Skyways supplemented their Dakotas with an Avro 748 ( G - ARMV ) which operated its first revenue - earning flight on 17 April 1962 . In July , it was reported that Skyways had extended the passenger terminal at Lympne . In November , Skyways was taken over by Euravia , excluding Skyways Coach - Air which remained a separate company . In 1963 , three Avro 748s were in service and two of Skyways Coach - Air ' s Dakotas were converted to freighters . During the winter of 1962 – 63 , the 748s continued to operate a normal service out of Lympne . In October 1964 , Skyways Coach - Air moved out of its London offices and all operations were now at Lympne , although a sales office was retained in London . The Cinque Ports Flying Club was restarted in 1964 by Barry Damon and had 120 members by 1968 . The club aircraft were a Beechcraft Bonanza , Beechcraft Musketeer s and a Bölkow Monsun . In March 1965 , a NOTAM was issued of changes had been made into the arrangements for light aircraft crossing the Channel . These changes were partly to avoid conflict with traffic flying into Lydd ( Ferryfield ) . Non - radio aircraft could use the route between Hythe and Ambleteuse . Non - radio aircraft were advised to call at Lympne before crossing . On 11 July , one of Skyways Coach Air ' s Avro 748s crashed on landing at Lympne . Following the 1965 accident , which had been caused by the nose - wheel of the aircraft digging into soft ground , a concrete runway was constructed . It was reported in January 1968 that planning permission had been granted and the new runway came into use on 11 April 1968 . Skyways Coach - Air leased an Avro 748 from Leeward Islands Air Transport in 1968 for a two - year period to replace the aircraft lost in the 1965 accident . A new terminal building opened in June 1969 . Sheila Scott performed the ceremony , arriving in her record - breaking Piper Comanche G - ATOY " Myth Too " . On 10 June , the airport was renamed " Ashford Airport " , identifying the airport with the nearby town of Ashford which was scheduled for rapid growth . To mark the occasion a plaque was unveiled by Leader of the Opposition Edward Heath . 1971 – 84 . A financial crisis at Skyways Coach - Air in 1970 resulted in a management buy - out in 1971 . Under the name Skyways International , services were operated from Lympne to Beauvais , Clermont - Ferrand and Montpellier . In 1971 , to celebrate the management buyout of Skyways Coach - Air and subsequent renaming as " Skyways International " , an air rally was held at Lympne . Ray Hanna attended in a Spitfire . Skyways International was bought by Dan - Air in February 1972 , with operations continuing under the [ interim ] " Dan - Air Skyways " name . In October 1974 , commercial activities ceased at Lympne and Business Air Travel , Dan - Air and Skyfotos left . In 1982 , the airfield was in use by the Ashford Parachute Centre with a Super Cub in residence in July 1983 . The Eagle Parachute School also used Lympne before leaving for Headcorn . In 1983 , Luscombe Aircraft was based at Lympne producing their Luscombe Rattler , a military version of the Luscombe Vitality . The Cinque Ports Flying Club moved to Lydd in 1984 . Light Aircraft Trials . Light Aviation Trials were held at Lympne in 1923 , 1924 and 1926 sponsored by the " Daily Mail " . The 1923 competition was for aircraft with maximum engine capacity of . This increased to in 1924 and was replaced by an engine weight limit of in 1926 . The rules for 1924 and 1926 required two - seat , dual - control aircraft . Aircraft that entered production after competing at the Light Aviation Trials include the Avro Avian , Blackburn Bluebird and Westland Widgeon , although these had larger engines . The 1924 competition was won by the Beardmore WB XXIV Wee Bee powered by a Bristol Cherub engine . The 1926 competition was won by a Hawker Cygnet . Air racing . Pre - war air races . Air racing at Lympne began in 1923 . On 25 June 1923 the Grosvenor Cup was held at Lympne . There were ten entrants , of which nine competed . The cup was competed for over a course that started and finished at Lympne . The route being Lympne – Croydon – Birmingham – Bristol – Croydon – Lympne , a total distance of . The race was won by Walter Longton , with Fred Raynham second and Bert Hinkler third . Major Foot was killed when his aircraft crashed at Chertsey , Surrey , on the Bristol – Croydon leg caused by the structural failure of the port wing . Lympne was a checkpoint during the 1928 King ' s Cup Race and two local newspapers , the " Folkestone Herald " and " Kent Evening Echo " offered a cup to the fastest private pilot on the leg from Southampton to Lympne . It was won by Sqn Ldr H . Probyn in a Westland Widgeon , who beat Norman Jones in a de Havilland DH . 60 Moth by four seconds . Competitors The Light Aircraft Trials included a speed section over a triangular course of Lympne - Postling - Brabourne - Lympne . The Folkestone Aero Trophy was held at Lympne in 1932 and the Wakefield Cup races in 1933 . The final air race before the Second World War was the Folkestone Aero Trophy on 5 August 1939 . This was won by Andrew Dalrymple in Chilton D . W . 1 ( G - AFSV ) . Races at Lympne : - Post - war air races . With the resumption of civil flying in 1946 , a number of air races were held . The 1946 Folkestone Aero Trophy was won by John Grierson in Supermarine Walrus G - AHFN . The 1946 Siddeley Trophy was won by R Pomphret in Tiger Moth G - AHNX . The four aircraft in the 1946 High Speed Handicap were a Vampire ( flown by Geoffrey de Havilland ) , Hornet ( Geoffrey Pike ) , Fury ( William Humble ) and Seafang ( Guy Morgan ) . The race was won by the Fury flown by Humble . John Cunningham competed in the 1947 High Speed Handicap in Vampire F1 " VZ332 " , coming sixth . Peter Twiss flying a Firefly IV won the high - speed race at . The winner received the Hythe Aero Trophy and £100 . The 1948 High Speed Handicap Race was won by Flt Lt J Colquhoun in a two - seat Spitfire . The course was Capel airship hangar , Folkestone pier and Hythe gas holder . In 1950 , competitors in the Daily Express South Coast Air Race used Lympne before the race started . This race was won by Nick Charlton in Proctor G - AHUZ . Races held at Lympne : - Record breakers . Lympne was the start and finish for several record attempts . Wing Commander E . R . Manning left for India in a Westland Widgeon in 1923 , but only got as far as Baghdad . In 1930 the Fokker F VIIA ( G - EBTS ) " The Spider " flown by Charles Douglas Barnard and R F Little , with Mary Russell , Duchess of Bedford as passenger , left Lympne for Maitland Airport , Cape Town , which was reached in a record 100 hours . In 1931 C . W . A . Scott set a UK - Australia record in a DH . 60 ( G - ABHY ) . On the return he landed at Lympne in the aircraft which had been re - registered VH - UQA . Also in 1931 Glen Kitson and Owen Cathcart - Jones left Lympne bound for Cape Town in a Lockheed DL - 1 Vega Special . Cape Town was reached in 6 days , 10 hours . On 31 October C . Arthur Butler flew from Lympne to Darwin in a Comper Swift ( G - ABRE ) , beating C . W . A . Scott ' s record by 102 minutes . In October 1932 , a Spartan A . 24 Mailplane ( G - ABLI ) left Lympne en route for Karachi from Blackpool . Karachi was reached in less than six days . On 14 November 1932 , Amy Johnson left Lympne for Cape Town in DH . 80a Puss Moth ( G - ACAB ) . She beat her husband Jim Mollison ' s time by 10 hours and 28 minutes , setting a new UK - South Africa record . On the return she also set a new South Africa - UK record . On 11 April 1933 , William Newton Lancaster departed Lympne in an Avro Avian V ( G - ABLK ) " Southern Cross Minor " to beat Amy Johnson ' s UK - South Africa record . The aircraft crashed in the Sahara next day and although Lancaster survived he died eight days later when his water ran out . On 2 November 1934 , Owen Cathcart Jones and Ken Waller landed at Lympne in a de Havilland Comet ( G - ACSR ) after a record breaking flight from Australia to the United Kingdom . Harold Broadbent landed at Lympne in a DH . 85 Leopard Moth ( VH - AHB ) on arrival from Australia on 27 April 1937 , filmed by Gaumont News , and an Australia - UK record was set . On 24 October 1937 Jean Batten flew to Lympne in a Percival Gull Six ( G - ADPR ) , having set a solo Australia - UK record and female Australia - UK record . In 1947 , four national records were set at the Lympne Air Races . On 8 May 1960 , a world record was set for the distance flown by a model aircraft at . The wingspan aircraft had taken off from Lympne and was flown by radio control from cars to Sidcup . Cinque Ports Flying Club . Club flying started in November 1927 with the East Kent Flying Club and although membership reached 220 by 1931 the club was struggling financially . On 1 January 1932 it became part of Brooklands Aviation and was renamed as the Cinque Ports Flying Club . Lympne was visited by many aviation personalities . Ken Waller learnt to fly at Lympne and became a long - distance and race pilot . W . E . Davis was the secretary / manager of Cinque Ports Flying Club from 1932 until his death in 1938 . His wife Ann took over the position in the 18 months leading up to the Second World War . On 22 May 1937 the Duke and Duchess of Kent visited Lympne in an Airspeed Envoy ( G - AEXX ) of the King ' s Flight while visiting Shorncliffe Barracks . From 1938 the club participated in the Civil Air Guard training programme , giving subsidised flying lessons . The Currie Wot was designed and built at Lympne . The Cinque Ports Flying Club restarted after the war but folded on 1 October 1948 . Silver City Airways . Silver City Airways moved to Lympne in 1948 , operating Bristol Freighter Mk . 21 aircraft and an aerial car ferry to Le Touquet started on 13 July 1948 . The air ferry was the idea of Griffith J Powell , who wanted to holiday in France but did not like the ferry . Bristol lent an aircraft for an experiment on 7 July 1948 . The first car was Powell ' s Armstrong Siddeley 16 which was carried by G - AGVC . The Bristol Freighter Mk . 21 could carry two cars . Although only 170 cars were carried in 1948 , experience was gained . The service was initially operated on a charter basis . Having closed down over the winter , the service was resumed as a scheduled service on 13 April 1949 . During 1949 , two aircraft carried 2 , 700 cars . By 1950 the figures had risen to 3 , 850 cars and 1 , 000 motorcycles and other vehicles with passengers totalling 15 , 000 . In that year , a London driver offered a London - Paris taxi service . Silver City Airways had estimated that they would carry nearly 7 , 000 cars in 1953 , but this figure was reached in 1951 . The three aircraft had to be doubled to six to cope . Over 13 , 000 vehicles were carried , with 42 return flights daily at peak times . The time between Lympne and Le Touquet was 18 minutes . In February 1953 , Lympne was waterlogged and services were temporarily transferred to Southend . In September waterlogging again stopped the air ferry , which was transferred to RAF West Malling . Six Bristol Freighter Mk . 32s were introduced in March 1953 , at a cost of £540 , 000 , which could each carry three cars and a service to Ostend was started with the aircraft . Skyways remained at Lympne until October 1954 when it moved to Lydd ( Ferryfield ) . On 3 October 1954 , the last Silver City flight to Le Touquet was operated by Bristol Freighter G - AIFV . Silver City moved to Lydd because the runway at Lympne was not suitable . Although it had campaigned for improvements to the runway and was Lympne ' s biggest customer the airfields owners , the Ministry of Civil Aviation , refused . Silver City said it would build an airport suitable for its needs at Lydd .