Jurby

54°21'09"N 004°30'29"W

Runway: 08/26 - 1273x46meters/3600x150ft - tarmac, later 07/25 - 1475x46m/1600x150ft
Runway: 16/34 - 905x46meters/3000x150ft - tarmac


RAF Jurby station crest (Wikipedia).

Jurby airfield (RAF Jurby) was an airfield in the north of the Island of Man, United Kingdom.
The airfield opened in 1939 on land acquired by the Air Ministry in 1937. During World War II the station was mainly used for training as No 5 Armament Training Station, No 5 Air Observer School, No 5 Bombing & Gunnery School, and the Air Navigation & Bombing School. In addition a variety of operational squadrons also used the airfield during the summer of 1941.
Originally a grass airfield, it was later equipped with 2 paved runways.

The airfield was put on care maintenance in October 1947. In 1950 it became the home of No.1 Initial Training School, which became the RAF Officeer Cadet Training Unit in September 1950. 
The RAF station closed in 1963.


Map of RAF Jurby in 1945 ("Manx aviation" by Gordon Kniveton, as found on airfieldinformationexchange.com).


September 1951 approach chart of Jurby, depicting no less than 6 danger areas near the airfield (RAF, via island-images.co.uk/John Wornham).


September 1951 landing chart of Jurby (RAF, via island-images.co.uk/John Wornham).


A Vampire making a VERY low pass over the public during an air show at Jurby in the 1950s. 'Demonstrations' of air power such as this in the 21st century would surely bring the pilot in court (island-images.co.uk).

The airfield then became a diversion airfield for Ronaldsway airport when it was 'fogged out'. To allow larger aircraft to land at the airfield, the main runway was lengthened to the east. This caused the runway to cross Sandygate Road, whic could be closed of when aircraft operations were in progress. The airfields role as an alternate ended in March 1973.


Approach chart for Jurby in 1964, with a VERY nearby N65 danger area (Ministry of Aviation, via island-images.co.uk/John Wornham).

In the early 1980s, Wren Skyships, a split-off of Airship Industries, set up a manufacturing base for airships at Jurby. Wren Skyships became the Advanced Airship Corporation (AAC) in 1988, and construction of the prototype Advanced Non-Rigid was commenced, but envelope problems delayed its completion. AAC went into liquidation during the early 1990s recession. Their production hangar was torn down, but the base remains. Its floor now serves as a go-cart circuit, located northwest of the ATC tower. Although there was no ATC service, the airfield continued to be used into the early 2000s. The Army and the RAF used it for training exercises, there was some light aircraft activity and a yearly airshow was held.  Radio and Air Traffic Control during airshows was provided by Ronaldsway controllers, using very basic equipment from the old World War II RAF control tower. In 2005 Tynwald approved the construction of a new prison on the site of Jurby airfield to replace the old prison in Douglas. The Isle of Man Prison Service took control of the new prison site in late January 2008, with the prison becoming fully operational on August 14. The airfield is now closed and used for motor and car races by the Manx Motor Club.
In 2011 it was still largely intact though, as was the old ATC tower.


Aerodrome chart for an airshow at Jurby in the early 1990s, showing two runways, but with the runway extension closed.
(Ministry of Aviation, via island-images.co.uk/John Wornham).


Aerodrome chart for the airshows at Jurby in 2002 and 2004, showing the 16/34 runway as 'disused', with a shortened runway if Sandygate road was open. Note that the runway numbers have changed from 1990 (island-images.co.uk/John Wornham)!


Aerodrome chart for the airshows at Jurby in 2002 and 2004, showing the normal runway length if Sandygate road was closed (island-images.co.uk/John Wornham).


Jurby Airfield - Isle of Man (Jon Wornham under CC BY-SA 2.0)


Jurby in 2006, when construction of the new prison on the northwest side of the airfield had commenced (Google Earth).