It is home to many private aircraft and historic types, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance helicopter and is an active flight training airfield.

Its military functions continued to develop during the interwar period, with the building of large hangars and accommodation for Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel.

The airfield played an important part in the air defence strategy of the United Kingdom during the Second World War.

The Hurricanes from North Weald saw action over the beaches of Dunkirk and played a key role in the Battle of Britain.

In the late 1940s and until the mid-60s an Air Training Corps gliding school, latterly No 614 VGS, also operated at North Weald on weekends, teaching cadets up to certificate B.

A Grade II listed building, it remains one of only seven control towers of this type to be built and considered to be one of the best surviving examples.

111 Squadron RAF flying Hawker Hunters, the famous Black Arrows of 22 loop formation fame, left North Weald in 1958.

North Weald is a general aviation airfield with over 40,000 movements[7] per annum, connecting people from London and Essex, with destinations across England and abroad by air travel.

[2] There is a large Saturday market based on the airfield[18] which draws huge crowds from around Essex and north London.

FBOs at North Weald provide aircraft maintenance and repair, handling and cleaning, refuelling and hangarage services, as well as visitor parking and events organising.

The museum is located in the former RAF North Weald Station Office, situated just outside the airfield's current perimeter.

[28] The memorial includes an obelisk erected in 1952 by the people of Norway in commemoration of the Norwegian airmen stationed at the airfield in World War II.

On 7 September 2017 it was provisionally agreed by Epping Forest District Council to allow the National Police Air Service to operate three helicopters and one fixed wing aircraft from North Weald Airfield with a 25-year lease.

The pilot had initiated a go-around after aborting the landing attempt due to turbulence, and had then lost full directional control of the aircraft.

However the cause was not wholly conclusive due to the extent of the impact and the subsequent fire damage and as such stated that "a pre-impact anomaly could not be entirely excluded".