Filton Airfield

The original airfield at Filton, Bristol dates back to 1910 when aircraft manufacture first commenced on site with the forerunner of Bristol Aircraft. Manufacturing inreased dramatically in WWI, particularly with the Bristol Fighter, and a small hamlet was demolished to enable the airfiled to be enlarged. It was known as RFC Filton and then RAF Filton. In the early 1940s the runways were upgraded to concrete and the manufacture of aero engines and aircraft, including the Blenheim and Beaugfighter continued. After WWII the runway was lengthened for the Bristol Brabazon and although this huge passenger aircraft did not go in to production a further runway extension made it ideal for the first flight of prototype Concorde 002 in 1969. Aircraft and aircraft component manufacture continued but, ultimately a housing development was approved for the site and operations ceased in 2012. Today some original hangars survive, as does the control tower and a museum dedicted to Aerospace Bristol opened in 2017. The main attraction is perhaps Concorde G-BOAF which made the last ever Concorde flight when it flew in to Filton in 2003.