Welcome to Sackville Flying Club
Sackville Flying Club, based in a quiet, pleasant rural location in North Bedfordshire, is home to a lively group of aviators, all of whom are passionate about flying. Within the club are four groups, whose interests span the four disciplines of Gliding, Microlight Flying, Power Flying and Hot Air Ballooning. Many of our members have interests in more than one discipline, and indeed, some in all four. We also host the annual Grass Roots Balloon Meet each autumn. Sackville Farm is home to an eclectic mix of aircraft, including several Group A aircraft, a couple of self launching motor gliders, a self launching sailplane, numerous flex wing and fixed wing microlights and a hot air balloon or two. Our website provides general information about the activities of the Club, a photograph gallery with photographs from events, expeditions and fly-ins and location details for visitors by air and road.
Visitors
We welcome many visitors by air each year and extend a warm welcome to any aviators in any almost type of aircraft who would like to visit. Tea and coffee are free, and snacks are usually available. There is a gastro-pub ( the Fox and Hounds )in the village, just a ten minute walk from the club-house, which is locally renowned for its steaks and serves food all day. If you wish, you can camp overnight. All we ask is that you study the Airfield Information Page and consider our neighbours before visiting. There are also details of how to find us by road and walking directions to the the Fox and Hounds on that page. We look forward to welcoming you.
History
Sackville Farm has been associated with powered flight since 1946 when Jack Wilkinson, who had previously been flying Primary Gliders at Dunstable and Autogyros at Sywell, started to operate an Auster from here. The Auster was followed by a Klemm Swallow and a Miles Messenger. Jack's sons Peter and David followed the family tradition and also flew from here, and indeed, David still does. Tim, the third generation of Wilkinsons to fly from Sackville Farm, started flying here in 1978, and since then, there have been many aircraft in residence, including a Cessna 140, a Cherokee 140, and a Rallye 180. In the 1990s Tim's daughter Sam also started flying here, making the tally so far of four generations of flyers. Gliding started in the mid 1980s, following the sale by the MOD of Twinwood Farm airfield, from which the RAE Bedford Gliding Club operated. The first microlight aircraft to fly from Sackville Farm did so in the late 1980s.
Facilities