Opened as Down Hatherley in 1931, the airfield name was changed to Staverton in 1936 when the local Councils of Gloucester and Chelternham bought land close to the original site and rebuilt the facilities. It achieved fame as a centre of innovation during the 1940s while Sir Alan Cobham developed and refined his in-flight refuelling techniques.
It became home to the pioneering
Skyfame Museum in Aug 1963 until that closed in Jan 1978 but its association with operational helicopters was established in the 1990s when Bond Helicopters based itself here. It was renamed again, to Gloucestershire Airport in 1993. In April 2005, Bond renewed its commitment, with the installation and opening of a $2M full motion EC135 simulator.