RNAS Portland ( HMS Osprey ) RNAS Portland ( ICAO : EGDP ) was an air station of the Royal Navy , situated at the Isle of Portland , Dorset , England . It was established in 1917 on the western edge of Portland Harbour , close to the naval dockyard . From 1959 the station shared the name HMS " Osprey " with the anti - submarine shore - based establishment located at East Weares , which used the air station ' s helicopters for research and development in anti - submarine techniques . The establishment originally operated at Portland between 1924 and 1941 , and was recommissioned there in 1946 , until its closure in 1995 . RNAS Portland remained operational until it too closed in 1999 . History . HMS Sarepta and role in First World War ( 1916 - 19 ) . Within the early stages of naval aviation , in May 1912 , saw the first ever instance of an aircraft to take off from a ship which was underway . Lieutenant Charles Samson flew a Gnome - engined Short Improved S . 27 " S . 38 " from HMS " Hibernia " as the ship steamed at 10 . 5 knots at the Royal Fleet Review in Weymouth Bay , close to Portland Harbour . The original seaplane base was first built during World War I , and opened on 28 September 1916 as HMS Sarepta , within the confines of Portland Harbour ; the aircraft operating from the base ' s slipways . The site was situated to the east of the RNAS Osprey site , at Castletown , and the original hangar was erected immediately above the Target Slipway , between Camber Jetty and the Loading Jetty . This slipway was used for quick take - offs and recovery . The station used floatplanes , i . e . a water aerodome , and initially four short floatplanes were based at HMS Sarepta . A number of Short 184s , Fairey F16 Campania 2 - seat coastal patrol seaplanes and a few converted Wright seaplanes flew coastal patrols to protect shipping from German U - boat attacks . The harbour at Portland was one of a chain of Royal Navy Air Service seaplane bases established by the Admiralty to protect British shipping from U - boat attacks . Much British coastal shipping was being attacked and destroyed by U - boats . The base , Portland ' s first shore establishment , was built at a time when the harbour was increasingly being used by the surface fleet . When the RAF was formed in April 1918 from the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps , in August 1918 HMS Sarepta was taken over by the RAF , and a larger unit of 12 aircraft was formed as No . 241 Squadron RAF . Operational flights were made by both Royal Navy pilots and also by U . S . Naval personnel . On 25 March 1918 it was reported that Ensign John F . McNamara , flying out of RNAS Portland , made the first attack on an enemy submarine by a U . S . Naval Aviator . For his attack , which was deemed a success by Admiral Sims , Ensign McNamara was commended by the Secretary of the Navy for his " valiant and earnest efforts on the occasion . Following the Armistice in November 1918 , No . 241 Squadron RAF was disbanded and aviation operations ceased by June 1919 . Although no permanent units were based at Portland again until before the Second World War , RAF flying boats were a regular sight in the sea . Role in Second World War ( 1939 - 45 ) . In September 1939 , 772 Squadron , a Fleet Requirements Unit , arrived at Portland and stayed for ten months , until July 1940 . After the inactive inter - war period the base once again became an active flying station . Equipped with Fairey Swordfish and Supermarine Walruses , this Squadron towed targets for naval gunners to train on . With the fall of France early in the war , the Naval Base at Portland became a prime target for the Luftwaffe . As a result the continued presence of Portland ' s anti - submarine school was infeasible . The school moved to Cambeltown in July 1940 , and took 772 Squadron with it . After these floatplanes departed there were no permanent units based on the site for the remainder of the war . Instead the base was held under Care and Maintenance and did not participate on active operations . Establishment of RNAS Osprey ( 1946 - 1993 ) . After the war the anti - submarine school returned to Portland and as such a helicopter base became an important centre for the school to perform experiments and development . In 1946 Sikorsky R - 4 Bs moved in , initially operating from the slipway at the Naval Base for development work . The helicopters paved the way for the use of helicopters in the fleet , and success with these trials , and with aviation activities on the increase , the Admiralty decided to replace fixed - wing anti submarine aircraft with helicopters , heralding a major building programme at Portland . The base ' s playing fields were soon taken over as a landing ground and the site became a modern heliport . A landing ground , two blister hangars , operations centre and control tower were established on this field . The two hangars were erected below the old fleet canteen , and the canteen itself was selected to be converted into the headquarters building , operations centre , workshop and control tower . The continuing success of the helicopter operations inevitably led to the need for better and purpose built facilities over the years . During the late 1950s the marshy area known as the Mere was filled in and built over , and later expansion meant that this tidal lagoon was completely covered . This created a large concreted area to produce a large helicopter facility , to the west of the original HMS Sarepta site . Upon the completion of the work , 815 Naval Air Squadron flew its 12 Westland Whirlwinds in from RNAS Eglinton in Northern Ireland to the new Portland Heliport on 14 April 1959 . Led by Lieutenant Commander Hayes , the squadron were met at Portland by Captain Pound and the new Commander Air , Commander Henly . Only a week into arriving , one of the Whirlwinds had ditched off the Shambles Sandbank near Portland Bill , and Lt Gill , the pilot , was fished off by HMS Keppel . The station was formally commissioned as HMS " Osprey " on 24 April 1959 . This perpetuated the " Osprey " name , that the shore - based research establishment at East Weares held . RNAS " Osprey " was officially opened by the Commander - in - Chief , Portsmouth , Admiral Sir Manley L . Power . For the next 40 years RNAS Portland was one of the busiest air stations on the south coast , with helicopter operations taking place 24 hours a day . As a helicopter development and training base , it was largely responsible for training aircrew in anti - submarine operations . The site of the base was gradually improved over the years , with the addition of a ( short ) main runway and landing spots . It has been the home of the small ships ' flight Westland Wasp , Westland Wessex and Westland Lynx fleet and at one point , the slipway was used by hovercraft . In particular the base was home for ship ' s Wasp flights and the local Search and Rescue helicopter service . The airfield was greatly expanded in the 1960s and 1970s , notably between 1967 – 70 , with new hangars , workshops and fuel storage tanks being constructed . The hangars and workshops were built along the southern edge of the airfield adjacent to the fuel storage tanks , while a further 12 acres of land was reclaimed from the harbour . By 1974 , RNAS Portland had become one of the largest and busiest helicopter bases in Europe . In the 1980s Defence Estates decided to dispose of the Naval ratings married quarters at Weston ' s Westcliff estate , used by personnel from RNAS Portland . As a result the first disposal took place in October 1986 with the sale of Pride , Sullivan and Taylor Courts to the Roger Byron - Collins company The Welbeck Estate Group . Following on Mitchell and Shepherd Court were sold in April 1987 , also to Welbeck Estate Group . In February 1988 the two remaining blocks Hinkley and Odgers Court , were sold to the same company . Welbeck would also acquire similar married quarter facilities from the Royal Navy at RNAS Yeovilton ( HMS Heron ) . Closure of base ( 1993 - 1999 ) . However , with the gradual reduction in the size of the armed forces , it was announced in 1993 , as part of defence spending cuts , the closure of both the naval base and the research establishment on Portland . Royal Navy operations ceased on 21 July 1995 and the harbour closed as a naval base on 29 March 1996 , with the Flag Officer Sea Training ( FOST ) moving to Plymouth ' s ( HMS " Drake " ) . With this the RNAS became surplus to the new requirements , and led to its eventual closure on 31 March 1999 . The gates to the Air Station were finally " locked " on the 31 October 1999 . When HMS " Osprey " closed , the RN School of Helicopter Control moved to its new premises at HMS " Heron " ( RNAS Yeovilton ) and the Fleet Target Group moved to HMS " Seahawk " ( RNAS Culdrose ) and became 792 Naval Air Squadron in November 2001 . The combined closure of all Portland - based establishments was believed to have cost the area 4 , 500 jobs , along with a loss of £40 million in the area ' s economy , according to a study carried out for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council in 1995 . RNAS Osprey held its final open day for the public on 17 October 1998 . A souvenir guide was published in September 1998 by Resort Marketing & Publishing Ltd , titled " HMS Osprey : End of an Era - RNAS Portland 1959 - 1999 " . On the day a wide range of historic and current aircraft were displayed , and all buildings were made open to the public . A recruiting trailer and simulator were on site , as well as events such as Fire Fighting Demonstrations , Field Gun Runs , Parachute displays , Combined Search and Rescue displays , flying demonstrations , and performances from the Royal Marine Band . At midday HRH Prince Andrew arrived , where he gave the salute at 14 : 50 hours , to Beat Retreat by the Royal Marine Band . Redevelopment and current use ( 1999 - ) . Following the closure of the base , the site was renamed Osprey Quay , and much of the space was given over to small boat use . The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy was established as a not - for - profit company in 1999 . With the air station closed this gave the academy the opportunity to develop a centre for water sports . The Royal Yachting Association had expressed interest in securing a suitable site locally for a number of decades , in order to make use of the harbour ' s natural advantages . The academy originally operated from various disused military buildings and facilities . In 2003 the academy was able to start redevelopment of the site . In 2005 WPNSA was selected to host the sailing events at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games . In 2005 the HMS " Osprey " shore establishment at East Weares was demolished . However part of the landing area of the air station still remains in use . A SAR helicopter operated by Bristows for the MCA ( Maritime and Coastguard Agency ) is based there , and in addition , some traffic is generated by oil exploration in the English Channel . In February 2003 it was announced that the SAR Flight will remain at Portland for the foreseeable future , and a new hangar was soon built . However this helicopter is due to be removed from Portland in 2017 . Portland is famous for having one of the shortest runways ( 03 / 21 at 230 m ) in England . Osprey Quay became an 80 acres regeneration project commissioned by South West Regional Development Agency in 2001 . By 2012 Osprey Quay had been transformed with huge investment , offering over 11 hectares , a total of 60 , 000 square metres of business space . The Royal Yachting Association constructed its brand new training headquarters on site , and another significant development of Osprey Quay was the construction of the new Dean & Reddyhoff Marina with its associated business park offering chandlery and marine services . The redevelopment area an ECO residential development Officer ' s Field , and the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy ' s Osprey Quay campus . In November 2007 , the Regional Development Agency had signed a deal with Sutton Harbour Group to construct a year - round tourist and leisure complex in Osprey Quay , between Portland Castle and the academy . The £30 million scheme , called " Castle Court " , was planned to feature a hotel , apartments , public areas , a restaurant , shops and other employment space , and is expected to create 300 jobs . However this planned leisure and tourism development is still to be completed . It aims to provide up to 1 , 400 jobs by 2016 , and a further number of development zones on serviced land which together with over 500 jobs already supported , will support many more by the time it is fully developed . This includes the redevelopment of the former RNAS Portland Helicopter Control Tower , initially the Naval Base Canteen . Military defences . During World War II two light anti - aircraft gun emplacements were situated at the site . One was located where Portland Marina now stands , while the ot her was located between the coastguard helicopter runaway , and Portland Castle . Three Cold War Norcon - style pillboxes were located at the site . They were made of pre - cast reinforced concrete circular rings , approximately 3 - 4 rings high . One was situated on the causeway on the west perimeter of HMS Osprey base , close to where a roundabout on Portland Beach Road now stands . The second was located on the causeway just inside the perimeter on the north edge of the base , and the third located by the main guard room / gatehouse on the south edge of the perimeter to the base , just off Victoria Square . A field visit in 1998 found the pillboxes to be in a good condition , however amidst redevelopment of the site all three were demolished .