Royal Air Force Westhampnett or more simply RAF Westhampnett is a former Royal Air Force satellite station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex.
RAF Westhampnett | |||||||||||
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Westhampnett, West Sussex in England | |||||||||||
RAF Westhampnett Shown within West Sussex | |||||||||||
Coordinates | 50°51′40″N 000°45′33″W / 50.86111°N 0.75917°W | ||||||||||
Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
Code | WQ[1] | ||||||||||
Site information | |||||||||||
Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces 1942 | ||||||||||
Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command * No. 11 Group RAF 1938-42 & 1942-45 RAF Second Tactical Air Force * No. 83 Group RAF | ||||||||||
Site history | |||||||||||
Built | 1938 | & 1940||||||||||
In use | July 1940 - 1946 | ||||||||||
Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||||
Elevation | 33 metres (108 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
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Sources: UK AIP at NATS[2] |
It was built as an emergency landing airfield for fighter aircraft, as a satellite station to RAF Tangmere. Built on land belonging to the Goodwood Estate, the then landowner, the Duke of Richmond, Frederick Gordon-Lennox retained the Title Deed to the land.
Upon its closure by the RAF, Westhampnett airfield subsequently became the Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit and Chichester/Goodwood Airport.