Northolt Nightshoots
We are pleased to announce that the next event, Northolt Nightshoot XXXII, will take place on Thursday 6th March 2025. More details will be posted here in due course, together with information on how to apply for a place.
The Station Commander has decided to hold a photographic competition of images taken at Northolt Nightshoot XXXI on 3 October 2024. The winning image will be used on the cover of the winter issue of the RAF Northolt station magazine. The winning photographer will also enjoy the use of the 32 Sqn balcony to get some raised viewpoint shots of the assembled aircraft. Anyone interested in entering please email nnsxxxi.photocomp@gmail.com. Max three images per entrant. Closing date 31 October 2024.
Photographs from previous events can be found in the gallery.
AeroResource have published an article on Northolt Nightshoot XXX, as well as the history of the events.
RAF Northolt is pleased to welcome back our long-standing photographer community to our 31st night photoshoot. We're delighted to be able to host fellow aviation enthusiasts for our display of an array of aircraft in a setting not normally accessible to the general public. RAF Northolt is grateful for the ongoing interest and support which enables us to continue the restoration and preservation not only of buildings which played a key part in the RAF and Battle of Britain's story, but also to provide some welfare support to the Whole Force based at RAF Northolt.
Jonathan T W Hough ADC MA BSc RAF
Station Commander RAF Northolt & Regional Commander South East Stations
RAF Northolt's Night Photoshoots started in January 2009 as a way to help fund raise for the restoration of Building 27 at RAF Northolt. This building was scheduled for demolition in 2007 as part of the modernisation of RAF Northolt under Project MODEL. This project was aimed at sweeping away the majority of the pre-war buildings at Northolt and replacing them with modern amenities for the 21st Century.
Building 27 was built in 1928/9 and became RAF Northolt's Sector Operations Building, part of the Dowding system of Air Defence. Between 1936 and 1939 ACM Hugh Dowding used the building to develop what was to become the world's first Integrated Air Defence System. It closed as an operational operations building on 17th June 1940 due to its vulnerability to air attack (being situated on a fighter airfield which was considered a prime target for Luftwaffe bombers).
Post WW2 it became offices, initially as the marketing department of embryonic British European Airways (BEA) who were based at Northolt between 1946 and 1954. It later served as the station's Education Department and latterly just before its closure in 2007 as Station Accounts and as offices for 32 Squadron.
Fortunately the building was reprieved from demolition and became listed as Grade II by English Heritage. Once its future had been secured it was decided that the Ops Room be restored to as it was in its final form in June 1940. The work to be carried out by volunteer labour and the restoration materials paid for by donations. No public funding was to be used in its restoration, hence the need for the Night Photoshoots. Since the first Nightshoot back in 2009 over £200,000 has been raised for the project and still the work continues....! The criteria we are working to are to have the best possible standard of workmanship and to make the building as historically accurate as we can make it. We hope to set new standards in RAF historic building restoration.
Phillip Dawe
Building 27 Restoration Team Manager
The Northolt Nightshoots website is hosted and maintained by Nick Challoner, with web design by Paul Osborne.