{{Short description|Airfield in Shropshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Infobox airport | name = Sleap Airfield | nativename = | nativename-a = | nativename-r = | image = Sleap Airfield from the north - geograph.org.uk - 524736.jpg | image-width = | caption = A view of the airfield from the north | IATA = | ICAO = EGCV | type = Private | owner = | operator = Shropshire Aero Club Ltd | city-served = | location = [[Shrewsbury]], Shropshire, England | elevation-f = 275 | coordinates = {{coord|52|50|05|N|002|46|13|W|region:GB|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Shropshire | pushpin_label = EGCV | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Shropshire | website = http://www.shropshireaeroclub.co.uk | metric-rwy = Y | r1-number = 05/23 | r1-length-m = 799 | r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]] | r2-number = 18/36 | r2-length-m = 775 | r2-surface = Asphalt | stat-year = | stat1-header = | stat1-data = | stat2-header = | stat2-data = | footnotes = Sources: UK [[Aeronautical Information Publication|AIP]] at [[National Air Traffic Services|NATS]]<ref name="aip">[http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=135&Itemid=184.html Sleap - EGCV]</ref> }} '''Sleap Airfield''' (pronounced "Slape") {{Airport codes|n/a|EGCV}} is located {{Convert|10|NM|abbr=on|lk=in}} north of [[Shrewsbury]],<ref name="aip"/> Shropshire, England.
Sleap Aerodrome has a [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority|CAA]] Ordinary Licence (Number P641) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Shropshire Aero Club Limited).<ref>[http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/375/srg_asd_ordinarylicences.pdf Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences]</ref> It is now home to Shropshire Aero Club, a flying club with over 800 members, 140 based aircraft and holds regular public & member events and [[Air show|airshows]]. It is one of the busiest [[general aviation]] airfields in the UK as of 2026.
Shropshire Aero Club offers training for Private & Commercial pilots, including the [[Private pilot licence|Private Pilot's Licence.]] It has over 150 students learning to fly a year, with a fleet of 12 aircraft. [[Commercial pilot licence|CPL]], [[Instrument rating|IR]], MEP, Night & [[Conventional landing gear|Tailwheel]] ratings are also taught.
The airfield has 2 tarmac runways still in use, 18/36 and 23/05 (which is fully lit for night operations) both nearly 800m long. The airfield has [[Avgas|Avgas 100LL]] and [[Jet fuel|Jet-A1]] F34 on site and is open every day of the year. The airfield is used regularly by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|MOD]] helicopters and also has a Long Term Permission from the CAA to allow practice display flights. It has permission from [[Border Force]] to allow international flights.
Sleap Airfield is also home to SleapKosh, the biggest fly-in airshow in the UK (as of 2025).
==RAF Sleap==
Sleap (pronounced "Slape") is an ex-[[Royal Air Force]] airfield, which was opened in April 1943, and used by RAF advanced flying training units. Initially it was the base for [[No. 81 OTU|No. 81 Operational Training Unit RAF]] (81 OTU) within [[No. 93 Group RAF]] (93 Gp) of [[RAF Bomber Command]] equipped with [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]] bomber aircraft.
From 1 January 1944 Sleap was assigned to [[No.38 Group RAF]] (38 Gp). 81 OTU's [[Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley]]s towed [[Airspeed Horsa]] heavy troop-carrying gliders on training missions; the Horsas making practice formation landings at RAF Sleap to simulate attacks in enemy territory. [[Vickers Wellington]]s replaced the Whitleys from November 1944 and by January 1945 the strength was 51 Wellington T.Xs, used to train [[Transport Command]] air-crew with [[De Havilland Vampire|Vampires]] and other early jets being early visitors. The RAF finally released Sleap in 1964, but the location is still used as a relief airfield by nearby [[RAF Shawbury]] for [[Eurocopter EC135|Juno]] and [[Eurocopter EC145|Jupiter]] aircraft from the [[Defence Helicopter Flying School (United Kingdom)|DHFS]] as part of the [[UK Military Flying Training System|UKMFTS]].
The following units were also here at some point:<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/sleap/ |title=Sleap |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=6 September 2023}}</ref> * [[No. 1380 (Transport Support) Conversion Unit RAF]] * [[No. 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF]] * [[Central Navigation and Control School RAF]] * [[Empire Air Navigation School RAF]]
The Shropshire Aero Club members' bar (also a cafe open to the public) at Sleap was named Eric Lock Lounge after [[Bayston Hill]] born [[Flight Lieutenant]] [[Eric Lock]] the [[World War II]] [[Battle of Britain]] pilot who was the highest scoring British-born pilot with sixteen and a half victories during the epic battle.<ref>{{cite book|last=Francis|first=Peter|title=Shropshire War Memorials, Sites of Remembrance|year=2013|publisher=YouCaxton Publications|pages=38, 164|isbn=978-1-909644-11-3}}</ref>
Through the co-operation of the Shropshire Aero Club, the RAF Sleap Heritage Museum operates a small museum on the site, which itself is steeped in history. This all-volunteer group runs the museum from donations only, and is currently open Saturday and Sunday. The displays include a number of aero engines, and a reconstruction of an airfield Flight Office.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.flysac.co.uk/ Shropshire Aero Club] *[http://www.urbanassault.t83.net/#/rafsleap/4525168017/ Exploring RAF Sleap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623093213/http://www.urbanassault.t83.net/#/rafsleap/4525168017/ |date=23 June 2008 }} *[http://adm.helipaddy.com/pad/view/690/de6418a801d24316d2c2438a0f90d076/ Sleap by helicopter]
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[[Category:Airports in England]] [[Category:Gliderports in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Transport in Shropshire]] [[Category:Airports in the West Midlands (region)]]