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Fishburn Airfield is a small unlicensed grass strip in County Durham, tucked into open farmland a couple of miles northwest of Sedgefield. Popular with local GA pilots for its self-service fuel and on-site bistro, it offers straightforward VFR circuits with a single grass runway aligned 08/26. Opened in 1995, it has built a reputation among visiting pilots for its friendly, informal atmosphere.
Fishburn Airfield is a privately operated general aviation airfield near the village of Fishburn in County Durham, run by Fishburn Airfield Ltd. It is popular with visiting light aircraft pilots as a refuelling and refreshment stop, thanks to its on-site Aviator Bistro, and its informal, welcoming character has made it something of a local institution in North East England general aviation circles.
The airfield lies in the heart of County Durham, about 2.2 nautical miles north-northwest of Sedgefield, close to the villages of Fishburn, Bishop Middleham and Trimdon. It operates as an unlicensed airfield in uncontrolled airspace, with Durham Tees Valley approach frequency available for those wishing to obtain a service.
The airfield has a single grass runway orientated 08/26, each direction measuring 2442 feet in length, and both are lit.
The airfield callsign is Fishburn Radio, operating on 118.280 MHz, though the frequency is not always manned and pilots are advised to make blind calls when no response is received. Durham approach can be contacted on 118.850 MHz. There is no instrument approach or ILS at the airfield.
All circuits are flown to the north of the airfield. Pilots should join left hand at 1000 feet for Runway 08, or right hand at 1000 feet for Runway 26; there is no deadside and no overhead joins are permitted. Pilots are asked to avoid overflying the villages of Fishburn, Bishop Middleham and Trimdon at all times.
The surrounding villages of Fishburn, Bishop Middleham and Trimdon serve as useful, but noise-sensitive, landmarks for locating the field and should be avoided when routing to join the circuit. Sedgefield, lying a couple of miles to the south, is a helpful wider reference point when approaching from that direction.
Fishburn Airfield was opened on 30 June 1995 by the then local Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition, Tony Blair. In 2004 it was named "Airfield of the Year" by the aviation magazine Flyer, recognised for its welcoming atmosphere. In 2005 the airfield hosted filming for a scene in the Bollywood film Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors.
The airfield remains active as a general aviation strip, with Avgas 100LL available at all times via a self-service card payment terminal. The on-site Aviator Bistro is open to the public, serving breakfast and food throughout the day, and is available for private hire. Prior permission is not normally required for radio-equipped aircraft, though non-radio traffic must obtain PPR. Payware scenery representing the airfield has been produced for both Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane 11.
