Oldmixon

In contrast to many UK bases, Weston-super-Mare was conceived and developed by the local Council to promote business and tourism in 1935, rather than in response to the RAF expansion programme in advance of WWII. The airfield opened as a commercial concern in 1936. The RAF established an Elementary Flying Training School soon after the start of the war and a shadow aircraft factory was set up by the Bristol Aeroplane Company on the south western margins of the base. No.1 Radio School was also established for training of radio and radar technicians.

Oldmixon was developed as a Shadow Aircraft Production Factory during WWII, around the western parts of the perimeter of the existing Weston-super-Mare airfield. Although building work had begun in 1940, the original plans were modified to include better dispersal of some factory elements along the NW and SW perimeter of the site and building was mostly complete in May 1941.

The Bristol Aeroplane Company had a base on the Oldmixon (western) part of the site. The helicopter parts of Bristol Aeroplane Company began the move from Filton in mid 1954, Sycamore production moved in by Feb 1956 and the Belevedere begun. It manufactured a considerable number of Sycamore, including all the examples for West Germany between 1957 and 1959. Much of the turbine conversion work was carried out here for the Whirlwind HAR.9, HAR.10 and HCC.12. The consolidation of the UK Aircraft industry in late 1950 / early 1960s brought changes. In Mar 1960, Westland acquired the helicopter interests of Bristol Aeroplane Company and manufacture moved eastwards to Yeovil and the ex-Fairey plant at Hayes. Commercial maintenance capacity was retained (Puma repairs for the RAF and roof / cabin sections for the line at Marignane, Sea King seat construction, Wasp refurbishment for foreign customers) and the Gazelle production line was moved here from Yeovil in mid 1977. Westland bought the entire airfield from Weston Council in Mar 1984.

The RAF began its drawdown as first the radio school at the adjacent RAF Locking moved to RAF Cosford, and in 1995, the Bristol Aero Collection was moved to RAF Kemble in Gloucestershire and development permission was granted for a housing estate.

After work converting Whirlwind to HAR.10, building Wasp and Gazelle, maintaining Puma and Sea King, work on various models for the Egyptian Air Force and since the closure of the old Fairey works at White Waltham, refurbshment of some fixed wing Gannet airframes, the plant areas effectively closed in 2002; the last Sea King left at the end of Aug and the last helicopter (a Merlin) left on 6 Sep 2002.

Other parts of the western side of the site carried on for longer; for instance, the Thorn EMI Company (before it was taken over by Thales) had set up a small but important electronics and electromagnetic research facility, investigating guidance systems and radar cross sections which eventually closed in 2004.