See 8 locations map
Just over a mile west of Sandown on the beautiful Isle of Wight is Isle of Wight Sandown Airport. Near the village of Lake, the airport is ideally located to take aviation enthusiasts to the skies!
The Sandown Airports was opened as Lea Farm Airport in 1935, replacing an airfield between Ninham and Landgaurd Manor, which had previously operated for a short period of time following the closure of Shanklin Airport at Apse Manor. The airport became the focus for airline services to the island. The first operator was Spartan Airlines, which used a Spartan Cruiser on 25 May 1935.
When World War II started, all Isle of Wight airfields were closed, and the landing areas were obstructed. The airfield reopened shortly after the war as the Isle of Wight Airport, and all services resumed, operated by various airlines.
On 8 October 2006, a major fire started in a highly flammable hangar. A year later, in 2007, a similar thing happened: a fire had started in the kitchen of the Aviator Restaurant, caused by two gas cylinders in the kitchen. The fire destroyed most of the newly built clubhouse and restaurant. Following a significant decline in revenue due to the fire, the airport was sold to a London property developer. However, in May 2013, two aviation enthusiasts purchased the airport with aspirations to promote the airfield and revamp it to its former glory.
In 2021, Sky Demon- an aviation flight planning app, introduced a new feature which allowed pilots to rank their favourite airfields, in which Sandown ranked first. So why not make your holiday extra memorable? Add one of our Flying Experience Packages and view the Isle of Wight's beauty from the sky!
Please remember that Flying Experiences are dependent on weather conditions so at times may need to be rescheduled.