Hangar 113, the imposing structure that dominates the entrance to the Scramble from the airfield, gets all of the attention when it comes to the four hangars at the former RAF Bicester.
Its elder sibling, Hangar 137, will soon be vying for that focus, because new life and millions of pounds are being injected into it leading up to when, in early 2026, electric-karting specialists TeamSport open a split-level track to the public.
It’s a fascinating project, with the fabric of the century-old building untouched except for asbestos removal and preservation work. The track set-up and its infrastructure, including hospitality space, food and extra entertainment for visitors will cost TeamSport £2m to install; restoring the hangar itself will cost double that.
Consider the historic hangar, built to be a home for De Havilland DH9As and the like, as an outer layer, a windcheater. It is a big new open-top box within a far bigger, far, far older box.
Grade II listed, Hangar 137 is a mirror of Hangar 79 on the opposite side of the Technical Site and is the first you see as you enter via Gate 8. The Type-A hangar was built in 1926, so it is symbolic, almost, that its second life will begin as it embarks on its second century.
Type-A hangars were built to shelter 12 aircraft, and only 34 were created on 17 military bases, but technological advancements – and international relations – meant planes were getting bigger and bigger, rendering them secondary behind the Type-C hangars developed in the 1930s. For Bicester Motion, that’s the events hangar, 113, and 108, the home of Historit.
Most recently the smaller Hangar 137 has served as the home of the Bicester Aerodrome Company and overnight cover for visiting aircraft. The airfield remains open and active, welcoming visiting aircraft and will continue to.
Hangar 137 is currently shrouded in scaffolding while unsafe materials are removed and the roof is replaced. Delicate wildlife surveys have been completed, ensuring nothing will be disturbed as the roof is preserved.
Such work simply would not be possible without this new impetus.