Samlesbury Aerodrome - BAE Systems Use

BAE Systems Use

Today the Samlesbury facility is a high-technology BAE Systems manufacturing and aerospace facility. Spirit AeroSystems also occupies a small area of Samlesbury after the BAE Systems Aerostructures business was sold to Spirit AeroSystems in 2006. Spirit manufactures parts for the Airbus and other civil platforms at the facility.

The current site, which employs over 3,000 people, builds the fuselage and other parts for the Eurofighter Typhoon and other aircraft including the American F-35 Lightning II and the T-45 Goshawk. The site has also seen the construction of a large block to house BAE office staff. The airstrip itself still exists, until 2009 serving aircraft of the 635 VGS Air Cadets Gliding Squadron using the Grob 109B motor glider, (known by the RAF as the Vigilant T1) although the runway is classed as inactive. During 2006 BAE Systems transferred ownership of the site to its Pension Fund Scheme. There are now ongoing plans to develop a high-tech aerospace business park on the airfield. Phase one of the building works began in November 2007, projected to take a year to complete. In 2008 work began on the construction of a new main entrance and visitor's centre at the western boundary of the site; this is now in operation.

Until recently the site had two gate guards, adjacent to the old site entrance. One was a Lightning F.53 (ZF580), removed in Febrary 2013. The Lightning was painted in generic RAF aircraft markings as worn after return from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) where it bore serial 53-672. This was returned to the UK around 1986 (with 2,305 flying hours) when British Aerospace sold Tornado aircraft to the RSAF as part of the Al Yamamah deal.

Until November 2009 there was also a Canberra PR.7 (WT537) as a gate guard but this has been removed for restoration at RAF Millom Aviation and Military Museum at Haverigg, Cumbria.