Located within some wonderfully rolling countryside, Sleap is one of Shropshire’s hidden gems. Home to the Shropshire Aero Club this wartime bomber training base now houses aircraft of a much lighter and less warlike persuasion.
20th April 2025
With sunny days making a welcome appearance over the last few weeks, my willingness to spend more time in my studio than I have to is decreasing at an alarming rate. So this morning as the sunlight streamed through the bedroom window I decided to park modelmaking for the day, electing instead for a trip out into the wilds of North Shropshire and Sleap aerodrome.
Located within some wonderfully rolling countryside, Sleap is one of Shropshire’s hidden gems. Home to the Shropshire Aero Club this wartime bomber training base now houses aircraft of a much lighter and less warlike persuasion. During the summer months as cold weather retreats in the face of warmer days and lighter nights, it attracts hundreds of visitors each day, drawn to the location, the view, the aircraft and the superb cafe that’s housed in the refurbished wartime control tower.
Today, with the promise of cake and coffee, my wife accompanied me to the airfield where we spent a few hours watching the world go by, the aircraft fly in and out, and then one unfortunate pilot plant his expensive aircraft a little too hard onto the runway, breaking the nose gear as a result…
I have to admit to knowing less than zero about light aviation, but that doesn’t stop me enjoying an afternoon watching them come and go. Their interesting designs, wonderful colour schemes and intricate details often fire my imagination, to a point when I’m left to wonder why such things are not more readily available in miniature. I’d certainly be interested in building them if they were which reminds me, I have a 1/20 Cessna in the loft, which would be a very good start!
A lovely day then and one that I’m looking forward to repeating sooner rather than later. In fact there is a military fly-in in a few weeks time that I may attend. Lovely aircraft, superb weather and great cake: what’s not to like?
See you tomorrow.
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
I’ve flown into Sleap a few times. Always a great welcome from Bruce and the team.
Sleapkosh coming soon too, a whole weekend of flying fun.
I didn’t realise you were local otherwise I’d gave offered you a flight.
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