Ayr, Craigie, Whitelees Road, Ayr Airfield

The military aerodrome at Ayr was on a different site from the aerodrome of the same name used in the Second World War. The First World War aerodrome in fact comprised the whole ground of Ayr Racecourse. The station was established in the autumn of 1917 as a school for air fighting, the instructors being experienced fighter pilots. A variety of fighter types was available for training, and even captured German aircraft against which to practise.

In 1918 an RAF survey of aerodromes listed Ayr as “NW Area Flying Instructors’ School”, its function by then being to train instructors, using 19 Avro aircraft. The 1918 establishment was 28 officer pilots under instruction and a permanent base staff of 159, 48 of whom were women. At the time of the survey the aerodrome occupied 56 hectares, with maximum dimensions of 1140m by 610m. There was a single aeroplane shed, set amongst other technical buildings at the north edge of the site, supplemented by 15 canvas hangars, which were arranged in three groups within the circuit of the racetrack. There was no base accommodation, staff and pupils living in hotels and other billets.

The aeroplane shed survived as the racecourse tearoom until 1991. Nothing now survives on the site.

Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 31 May 2013