Places

Daedalus

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Details

Once a key Royal Naval Air Station and now a thriving airport that underpins the largest designated employment site on the south coast, Daedalus has a rich history.

Facts:

  1. In 1917, Daedalus was established as a Naval Seaplane Training School with two officers and thirty men under the command of Squadron Commander DCS Evill DSC RN.
  2. In 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service became part of the nearly formed RAF, and 465 people were based at the site.
  3. In 1939, the Fleet Air Arm transferred to Admiralty control, and the station was one of the first ex-RAF stations commissioned as one of His Majesty’s ships: HMS Daedalus.
  4. On 6 June 1944, D-Day, HMS Daedalus was a base for over 100 fighter aircraft and the busiest airfield in the country. The RAF was joined by Canadian Typhoons and Mustangs, along with US Navy Squadron VOS-7, who used the airfield as the base for their Spitfires. A total of 435 sorties were carried out between dawn and dusk. This number was the largest achieved by any UK airfield and the highest of any tactical air force to date.
  5. In 1996, HMS Daedalus formally closed after being decommissioned. A decade later, ownership passed to the Homes and Communities Agency and Marine Coastguard Agency, and in 2012 much of the site, with the exception of the airport, became the Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus.
  6. In 2015, the Daedalus site was purchased by Fareham Borough Council. The airport was renamed Solent Airport at Daedalus to mark a new beginning, with millions of pounds invested into the site.
  7. Today Solent Airport thrives with around 40,000 flight movements a year, and the public can enjoy watching Spitfires at various times of the year from the viewing area adjacent to the refurbished control tower.
  8. Café at Zero 5 is a café located at the control tower at Solent Airport with its own viewing area open to the public.

Visitor Information:
Address: Solent Airport, Daedalus Road, Lee-on-the-Solent, PO13 9FZ.
Opening hours (Café at Zero 5): 8:30am to 4:00pm, seven days a week.
Parking: Free onsite car park.
Facilities: Café, viewing area, toilets

Also nearby:
Café At Zero 5, Lee-on-the-Solent beach, and The Hovercraft Museum

More information:
Solent Airport

The information on this page was collated from public records, in collaboration with partners and friends of various locations. While we strive for accuracy, if you notice any information that requires amending, please contact Gosport Borough Council.