Beccles Airfield, is located in Ellough, (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southeast of Beccles in the English county of Suffolk. Built during the second world war, it has operated as a heliport servicing the North Sea oil and gas industry and currently operates as a base for private flights and flight training.
Always known locally as Ellough Airfield, it was built for the USAAF and completed in August 1942. It used the three concrete runway layout typical of many bomber airfields in East Anglia, and was built for the 8th USAAF and allocated airfield number 132. It is possible that Ellough was intended to be used by the 3rd Air Division, 95th Combat Wing. The 95th had two Bomber Groups, the 489th at RAF Halesworth and the 491st at RAF Metfield. Other combat wings had three Bomber Groups.
The airfield was the last to be completed in Suffolk during the war and the USAAF had no use for the airfield so it passed briefly to RAF Bomber Command before being operated by Coastal Command from August 1944.
Most of the runways have been broken up and much of the area of the airfield is now used for a variety of industrial uses.
The flying school offers flight training to PPL and NPPL courses as well as IMC and night training. Located in unrestricted airspace on the Norfolk/Suffolk borders, tea, coffee and light snacks are available. A/G Radio is 120.375 and AVGAS is available during opening hours.
