After the war the site reverted to agricultural use,[4] until the Leicestershire Aero Club rented 43 acres of land from farmer John Cart in late 1929.

Leicestershire Aero Club eventually left Desford in March 1935,[4] relocating to the new municipal airport at Braunstone Frith.

Desford was the ninth CFS when it was officially opened on 13 December 1935 by Viscount Swinton, the Secretary of State for Air.

3 Civil Air Navigation School, flying Avro Ansons, was based there, until eventually leaving at the end of 1939.

[4] A further 150 acres of land were also acquired in 1937, and new administration blocks, hangars, a gun range, and squash and tennis courts were built.

[4] In October 1940 the municipal airport at Braunstone was requisitioned by the military and became a satellite airfield of Desford, with some training taking place there.

In October 1943 a B-17 Flying Fortress from 547th Bombardment Squadron, based at RAF Grafton Underwood, became lost on returning from a raid on Germany.

However later in the year, reservist training began to increase and the Tiger Moths were replaced by Percival Prentices and two Ansons.

[4] However, later in the year it was decided that the number of National Service men accepted for aircrew training was to be substantially reduced and seven Reserve Flying Schools were to be closed,[14] of which Desford was one.

[15] Finally, on 31 July 1953, RAF Desford was officially closed, bringing 24 years of continuous flying operations to an end.