Class A airfield

Class A airfields were World War II (WW2) military installations constructed to specifications laid down by the British Air Ministry Directorate General of Works (AMDGW).

[2] The specifications set by the British Air Ministry in August 1942 called for three converging landing strips, each containing a concrete runway optimally placed, if practicable at the site, at 60-degree angles to each other in a triangular pattern.

[4] However, certain stations that were designated to be fighter bases sometimes had a narrower perimeter track, such as RAF Coltishall, whose peri-tracks measured 40 feet (12 metres) across.

In addition, an area at the end of each runway was cleared of obstructions at an angle of fifteen degrees outward from each side on a rising imaginary plane of 1-in-50 to provide a flight way called a funnel.

Up to six trains ran daily from London to East Anglia carrying rubble from destroyed buildings in Luftwaffe raids.

These were brought to Class A standards in 1942 and early 1943 by extending their runways, repositioning their perimeter tracks, and adding additional dispersed hardstands.

Class A airfields were also characterised by standardised technical site requirements for repair, maintenance, and storage of aircraft.