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Henstridge Airfield is a friendly general aviation field on the Dorset-Somerset border, occupying part of a former wartime Fleet Air Arm training station known as HMS Dipper. Today it is home to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, a fleet of based Tiger Moths, gyrocopters and the Yakovlevs aerobatic display team, and remains a popular destination for visiting light aircraft, provided prior permission is obtained.
Henstridge is a small, unlicensed general aviation airfield near the village of Henstridge on the Somerset side of the Dorset border. It began life as a Fleet Air Arm training station, HMS Dipper, and today is a lively hub for private pilots, flying students, gyrocopter training and various based operations including the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, four Tiger Moths and the Yakovlevs formation aerobatic team, making it an interesting and characterful stop for a visiting VFR pilot.
The airfield lies at the south-eastern stub of the Yeovilton Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone (MATZ), so pilots routing towards Henstridge should be alert to nearby military activity. It sits roughly 7 miles west of Shaftesbury and about 12.4 miles east of Yeovil, close to Wincanton and Templecombe in Somerset. Henstridge is unlicensed and operates outside controlled airspace, with an Air/Ground radio service rather than air traffic control.
Henstridge has a single physical runway, 07/25, of hard construction and lit. Runway 25 is 2480 ft long and runway 07 is 2374 ft long, the shorter figure for 07 reflecting a displaced threshold on that end. There is no ILS or other instrument approach at the field.
The field is served by an Air/Ground station, Henstridge A/G, on 130.25 MHz. The radio is not always manned; when it is unattended, pilots should continue and make blind calls on the frequency as appropriate. There are no navaids or instrument approaches associated with the airfield.
All circuits are flown to the south: left-hand for the 24 direction and right-hand for the 06 direction. Circuit height is 800 feet QFE, and a standard overhead join is preferred. Both circuits use clearly identifiable fishing lakes near Marsh Lane as a reference for the base and final turns. On the 24 circuit, pilots are asked to keep the Marsh Lane fishponds on their right after departure and to avoid overflying the village of Fifehead Magdalen if using the extended circuit option for separation. On the 06 circuit, pilots should keep the ponds on their left on base and final and must avoid overflying Henstridge village and Higher Marsh, taking care not to be blown towards the village during the final turn in southerly wind conditions. Noise abatement is taken seriously at Henstridge, with published maps marking villages and sensitive areas to avoid.
The fishing lakes off Marsh Lane are the key visual reference for both circuit directions, marking the base and final turn points. Pilots should also be able to identify Henstridge village, Higher Marsh and the village of Fifehead Magdalen, all of which are marked as noise-sensitive areas to be avoided on the approach and departure paths.
Henstridge began as a wartime Fleet Air Arm training airfield commissioned as HMS Dipper. Work on the site started in 1941 after the main 355-acre plot was purchased in August of that year, with commissioning following in April 1943. An adjoining 18-acre site at Gibbs Marsh was acquired in September 1942 for aircraft repair and maintenance. The airfield originally had five runways, an unusually elaborate layout for the period, including two 1,000-yard east-west runways numbered 07-25. Part of the main runway was marked out to replicate an aircraft carrier deck, complete with an arrestor wire system, allowing pilots to practise deck landings on land. The site was also used for special photographic missions using G45 gun cameras. The Ministry of Defence sold the airfield in 1957, after which it passed into private hands and has remained an active civilian airfield ever since. Of the original five runways, only 07/25 survives today, and its concrete carrier-deck markings can still be seen. The Wessex Strut of the Light Aircraft Association has held fly-ins at Henstridge since the 1970s.
Henstridge remains a busy general aviation airfield with a strong club atmosphere, particularly at weekends. It is home to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, four based Tiger Moths, microlights, gyrocopters and the Yakovlevs aerobatic display team, and it hosts vintage car and aeroplane days, car boot sales and charity events through the year. Visiting aircraft are welcome between 0900 and 1700 local time, or sunset if earlier, and prior permission is required for all visitors; non-radio aircraft must obtain PPR by telephone. A landing fee applies to all aircraft except students. Fuel, including 100LL, UL91 and Jet A-1, is available from green bowsers on the north side of the runway, with payment by bank transfer. The clubhouse serves hot food at weekends, including a full English breakfast, chilli and curries, with snacks and drinks available at other times, and a weekday coffee shop operates alongside the control room.7
