Blackbushe

Blackbushe Airport sits 8.5 NM south-east of Reading, two miles from Junction 4A of the M3 and around 45 minutes by road from central London. Its single asphalt runway, 07/25, measures 1,285 × 46 m, and the airport is open 07:00–18:00 every day, with extensions to 22:00 on request. With Avgas 100LL, UL94 and Jet A-1 on site, it handles everything from two-seat trainers to turboprops and business jets, which arrive IFR under Farnborough radar.

The airfield opened as RAF Hartford Bridge on 1 November 1942. It was one of the few RAF bases to house five squadrons at the same time — Mustangs, Mosquitos, Spitfires and Bostons among them — and its squadrons were in action on D-Day. The pipes of the FIDO fog-dispersal system, laid alongside the runway in 1944, are still visible today.

Today Blackbushe is home to several flight schools, including the airport's own ATO, Blackbushe Aviation, and Blackbushe School of Flying, plus a helicopter school's satellite base, regular AOC charter operators and a large community of based private owners. Resident aircraft range from Cessna 152s, Piper PA-28s and Diamond DA40s to DA42 twins and Sonaca S200s. A new 38,000 sq ft hangar development is due to welcome its first aircraft in early 2027.

Blackbushe welcomes aircraft cleaning contractors airside during operating hours, with vehicles escorted to the aircraft by airport staff. There is usually no water or power at the stand, which is why our waterless exterior wash suits the apron so well. Whether it's a regular clean for a based PA-28, a full detail before a sale or a quick turnaround for a charter turboprop, we schedule the work inside the airport's 07:00–18:00 window.