See 22 locations map
Lying south east of Derby and Nottingham, and north west of Stoke-on-Trent, Darley Moor Airfield in Derbyshire has certainly had a rich and varied history over the last 80 years or so. With spectacular views overlooking the gateway to the Peak District National Park, its roots of origin lie back in World War II.
Built and opened in 1942, it was known as RAF Darley Moor, and was used by the Royal Air Force for training purposes by the No. 42 Operational Training Unit. After the war, from 1954 onwards, it was used for ordnance servicing and storage. It was also in close proximity to another now former RAF site, RAF Ashbourne, which has since become an industrial estate.
With the departure of the Royal Air Force from the site in 1955, Darley Moor returned to civilian use, and is perhaps best known these days for use as a general aviation airfield, but also as a motorsport venue and farmland.
And for those who enjoy the lighter side of flying in the form of Microlighting, the airfield offers ample opportunities for budding pilot to take flight in a flexwing or fixed-wing microlight, on sessions that are run by the airfield's microlight school, and which are recognised and approved by the British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA).
Session lengths are available in blocks of 20, 30 and 60 minutes, and start from as little as £79 - making them a great value option for those in the East Midlands looking to find their entry point in starting their flying career!