I recently visited an unusual airport in central England, which has a mix of interesting aircraft based and in store, and an operation unlike most others.

Cranfield is located near Bedford. It was a former World War II base and today acts as a location for general aviation, business flights, and research and development activities.

The site looks very much like any other former wartime airfield in Britain, with large brick hangars around a technical complex, and a triangular pattern of runways – albeit with only one in use in this case.

Cranfield is not particularly busy, and has no scheduled services, but you might like to call in to log some of the long-term residents and training aircraft here.

Where is Cranfield Airport?

Cranfield Airport is located between Bedford and Milton Keynes, in Bedfordshire.

It is accessed via Cranfield Road, not far from the M1 and A421 motorways.

It’s around 50 miles north of London.

What You’ll See at Cranfield

Cranfield is home to Cranfield University. It offers courses with aviation themes, covering aerospace, engineering, defence and security, sustainability, transport systems and others.

The university occupies many buildings on the site, in a confusing warren of small roads and areas on the airfield’s western side.

The largest aircraft you’ll see is a Boeing 737-400 which previously flew for British Airways, but today has large Cranfield University titles.

On the eastern side of the runway on my visit were a decent collection of stored aircraft, which are in the process of being parted out.

These included BAe 146 and Avro RJ airliners, as well as ATR 42/72 and BAe Jetstream types.

Also around the various corners were other based light aircraft.

The airport is also a base for L3Harris and other technical and training organisations, with a large fleet of based training aircraft.

The aircraft here do not change very frequently, with some frames having been based or stored for many years. But it’s worth a trip if you’ve never been, or haven’t been for a while.

Where to Spot at Cranfield

I started my visit by accessing the main technical side of the airfield, from Cranfield Road.

Here, there are various smaller roads which run past university and other buildings, with some leading to the fence.

Near the control tower and the Boeing 737, I found a spot with good views along the main apron, and across the airfield to the stored 146s and other airliners. This was a good vantage point to read off most of the aircraft which were outside.

Then, by driving around a few more small roads, a few more aircraft were noted.

There is also a small compound off University Way with a few airframes visible.

Airport Spotting Guides UK & Ireland

Our recently-updated book, Airport Spotting Guides UK & Ireland covers details on where to spot at hundreds of airports, airfields and military fields, including Cranfield.

As well as this useful information, you’ll also find tips on the best aviation museums and spotting hotels across England, Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

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