Priory Farm Airfield Guide

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Priory Farm Airfield Guide

The Priory Farm Airfield is located south of Norwich and just north of the village of Diss in south Norfolk, adjacent to Tibenham Airfield. Priory Farm Airfield and aircraft hangarage is privately owned by the farm owner. The clubhouse and member facilities are funded and run by a separate entity: Priory Farm Aviators (PFA). The PFA has a committee that manages these facilities as well as organising club events and fly-outs.

Membership to the PFA is open to flyers and non-flyers, and facilities include aircraft storage, a clubhouse, kitchen and internet facilities. Members pay an annual subscription to help maintain the facilities. Volunteers help to manage a roster of annual events such as fly-outs, airfield visits, barbecues and pub meets. There are currently around 75 members and around 30 aircraft based at the airfield.

History of Priory Farm Airfield

The story of Priory Farm Airfield goes hand-in-hand with the story of what was initially known as the Breckland Strut, in 2012 it became the Priory Farm Aviators. The founder member was a gentlemen called Peter Sturgeon. He was building an Evans VP1 and wanted to join a local branch, or ‘strut’, of the Popular Flying Association, to further his interest. However, the nearest one to his home in Breckland was at Brandon in North West Norfolk. He attended a few meetings but felt it didn’t meet his needs and so he decided to start his own strut.

From modest beginnings Peter formed the Breckland Strut, holding meetings either in his home or at the local pub. He invited speakers and showed aviation films and membership slowly built up. Soon after, two new members joined - Harry Sage and his son Bob - who owned the nearby Priory Farm and were interested in setting up an airstrip there. This was an ideal focal point for the newly-formed group and meetings moved to pubs near to Priory Farm.

The airfield was developed and the first flights began in 1982. The first Father’s Day fly-in and barbecue was held in 1983 and has become an annual fixture on the social calendar ever since. Various names have taken over as co-ordinator over the years, with Peter Sturgeon handing over the reins to Tom Wilkinson, Roger Burrows, Larry D’Eath, Stuart Slater, Mik Horn and Paul Jackson.

Facilities at the airfield grew quite quickly, with volunteer members helping to fit-out a new clubhouse and the flying procedures professionalised also. In 1997 the group won ‘Strut of the Year’ awarded by the Popular Flying Association. In 2004 the association was able to offer

improved internet facilities whereby members could plan flights and download weather information, and also use a webcam to check the weather at the airfield from their own homes. By this time there were 60 members and the association was organising regular fly-outs to other airfields in East Anglia and visiting air shows in the area.

The Breckland Strut had always been members of the Popular Flying Association but in 2008 this became the Light Aircraft Association (LAA). By 2012 the members decided to leave the LAA and become autonomous, and at the same time decided to change their name to the PFA, thus incorporating the same initials as the association they had until recently been members of. The PFA has separate management to the airstrip, which is currently owned and managed by Bob Sage, the owner of Priory Farm, however, this is a cordial and mutually supportive relationship.

In 2017, John Fielding became the new chairman and the regular monthly meetings were changed to more seasonal quarterly meetings. There are a number of aircraft building projects ongoing or recently completed, such as Chilton DW1, Trail, Sky Ranger, Zenair CH 701, Nynja and Midget Mustang, and the airfield also now enjoys hot-air balloon launches. In 2018 the airfield invested in a new ground radio frequency and while the airfield was shut for most of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it did manage to host a couple of fly-outs and visits to other airfields in line with the restrictions in place. The airfield also benefited post-pandemic when the local council pandemic survival fund awarded the airfield some investment funds for improving the clubhouse facilities, the security and the internet facilities.

Runway

There is one grass runway at the Priory Farm Airfield, the PFA charges no landing fee, they simply ask that a donation is made if pilots use the pilot support services on offer.

Please remember that this is just a simple guide to Priory Farm Airfield. If you’re planning to land here, you must conduct thorough research and get permission beforehand. Visit http://www.flypfa.co.uk/ for more information. Any pilot or passengers flying to Priory Farm Airfield do so at their own risk.

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