Aircraft operations began from the site in 1925 but it was not until October 1937 that it was opened as a permanent airfield. •
No. 2 Squadron RAF operated the Mustang I between 7 August 1943 and 22 September 1943 and again between 6 October 1943 and 14 November 1943. • The squadron returned on 27 June 1944 with the Mustang II before leaving on 29 July 1944. • The squadron returned on 7 August 1943 using the Mustang I until 15 September 1943 before returning again on 6 October 1943 and staying until 14 November 1943. • The squadron returned on 10 August 1942 again with the Blenheim IV and for the first time the Mk V version. They left on 15 November 1942. •
No. 59 Squadron RAF operated the Blenheim IV between 6 June 1940 and 3 July 1940. •
No. 63 Squadron RAF using the Mustang Mk I between 21 November 1942 and 27 July 1943 with a detachment at RAF Macmerry. •
No. 82 Squadron RAF with the Blenheim IV between August 1939 and 21 March 1942 as an detachment from
RAF Watton. •
No. 96 Squadron RAF operated the
de Havilland Mosquito XIII between 24 September 1944 and 12 December 1944 before being disbanded here.
Postwar Fighter role Following the end of the War
RAF Fighter Command assumed control of the base.
No. 247 Squadron was re-equipped with
de Havilland Vampires in June 1946, No. 54 Squadron and No. 247 Squadron both converted to
night fighter units equipped with
Gloster Meteor F.8s in 1951.
No. 46 Squadron was re-formed at RAF Odiham on 15 August 1954 as a
night fighter unit equipped with Meteor NF.12s and 14s. The first
Chinook HC.1s arrived at Odiham in 1981.
No. 7 Squadron RAF reformed in 1982. The HC. 1 variants were replaced by the Chinook HC.2 in 1993. The RAF ordered the Chinook HC.3, a
special forces variant, in 1995. After being in storage for eight years due to
avionics certification problems, the HC.3 airframes were retro-fitted with HC.2 avionics during 2009 and 2010, to enable them to finally enter RAF service.
No. 618 Volunteer Gliding Squadron arrived in July 2000. The Unit operated the
Vigilant T Mk 1 self-launching glider, providing basic flying and gliding training to members of the Air Cadet Organisation. Due to a fleet-wide airworthiness issue, the Vigilant (and its cousin, the Viking conventional glider) were grounded in April 2014. No. 618 Volunteer Gliding Squadron was subsequently disbanded. In May 2015, it was announced that the Chinook Operational Conversion Flight, comprising six Chinooks and 150 personnel would transfer from Odiham to RAF Benson to form a joint Puma and Chinook Operational Conversion Unit. The move began in December 2015 as the unit joined their Puma counterparts at Benson under a reformed
No. 28 Squadron. With the Lynx reaching the end of its operational life in January 2018,
No. 657 Squadron of the
Army Air Corps and their
Lynx AH9A disbanded in May 2018. To extend their life for at least 15 years, Odiham's runways were upgraded in early 2021. The runway surfaces and lighting were replaced, with the airfield remaining open throughout the works. ==Role and operations==