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Old Warden Airfield, near Biggleswade in Cambridgeshire, is the private grass aerodrome operated by the Shuttleworth Trust and home to the Shuttleworth Collection of historic aircraft. It welcomes visiting light aircraft, microlights and rotorcraft by prior permission, but its unlicensed, largely unmanned nature and resident vintage traffic demand careful attention to local procedures.
Old Warden Airfield lies at Biggleswade, Cambridgeshire, and is best known as the home of the Shuttleworth Collection, operated by The Shuttleworth Trust. It is a private, normally unlicensed grass aerodrome that welcomes visiting powered fixed-wing, flex-wing and rotorcraft traffic, subject to prior permission, making it a distinctive and rewarding destination for the visiting VFR pilot keen to see vintage aircraft flying from a genuinely historic grass strip.
The aerodrome sits in a rural setting and is normally unlicensed and unattended, becoming licensed and its Air Traffic Zone active only on notified event days, of which there are around twenty a year, mostly airshows between May and October. On airshow days a Temporary Restricted Area (RAT) may be established beyond the ATZ, typically extending up to 3 nautical miles and 3500 feet. At all other times the airfield operates unmanned, and pilots make blind calls rather than working a controlling service. The definitive aeronautical description of the aerodrome is published in the UK AIP entry for EGTH.
The main runway is 02/20, grass and lit, with published landing distances of 1696 feet available towards 02 and 2832 feet available towards 20; only this runway is available to visiting aircraft. A second grass, lit runway, 12/30, is also present, each direction listed at 2162 feet, but its use is restricted to resident aircraft and is not available to visitors. Field elevation is 112 feet.
The airfield frequency is 130.705 MHz. When the ATZ is activated on event days, calls should be made to 'Old Warden Radio/Information', with either an Air/Ground Information Service or an AFISO manning the frequency. At all other times, when the aerodrome is unmanned, pilots make blind transmissions to 'Old Warden Traffic'. There is no instrument approach or navaid infrastructure at the field, and no ILS.
Unless a manned Air/Ground or AFISO service authorises otherwise, all arriving aircraft must complete a standard overhead join at 1800 feet above aerodrome level, followed by a full visual circuit, making blind transmissions as appropriate. This overhead join gives other airfield users, including non-radio Collection aircraft engaged in display practice, radio-controlled model flying and airfield maintenance vehicles, adequate warning of an aircraft joining to land. Circuit height is 800 feet AGL, flown to the east of the airfield: left-hand for runway 20 and right-hand for runway 02. In calm or crosswind conditions runway 20 is generally preferred for landing owing to a slight upslope on runway 02, which itself has a 1.0 percent downslope. Some based vintage aircraft fly a tighter oval circuit at around 500 feet with a continuous turn from downwind to finals, so a careful lookout is essential. Visiting aircraft must give way to, and stay well clear of, any aircraft carrying out display or aerobatic practice, and must not take off or land beneath displaying traffic. Multiple or training circuits, touch-and-goes, or repeated movements are not permitted without the written permission of the airfield management.
Villages lie close to the airfield within the circuit area to the east, and pilots are asked to avoid overflying them, either by flying a tight circuit inside the villages or a longer circuit around them. The Collection hangars on the western side of the airfield, the adjacent Swiss Gardens, and the Mansion House are notable landmarks that pilots are specifically asked not to overfly directly when joining the circuit.
Old Warden Airfield is operated by The Shuttleworth Trust and is the base of the Shuttleworth Collection, whose vintage and historic aircraft regularly carry out non-radio movements, practice displays, formation flights and aerobatics from the field. The airfield continues to host airshows and fly-ins through the flying season, maintaining its character as a working home for historic aviation.
The airfield remains open to visiting aircraft on a Prior Permission Required basis, booked through the operator's automated PPR system, with additional restrictions applying on event days such as air shows and fly-ins. Opening hours for fuel purchase run from 0600, or thirty minutes before sunrise if later, until thirty minutes after sunset, while other facilities are available only during visitor attraction opening hours of 1000 to 1600 local time, extended to 1700 in summer. The manoeuvring area is grass, uneven in places, and not inspected daily, so pilots should expect soft or wet patches after rain and confine movements to the mown areas. No hangarage is available for visiting aircraft, and international arrivals must have submitted a General Aviation Report to UK Border Force in addition to complying with other regulatory requirements.
