The UK's foremost locally-owned airport, Manchester opened on 25 June 1938. Since then it has developed into the 19th busiest airport in the world, in terms of international passengers. The airport now serves more than 17 million travellers per annum, while in the airfield's first 14 months before the outbreak of World War II, there were a mere 8000 passengers. As well as covering the dramatic physical development of the airport - the new terminals and runways that have been necessary - and the aircraft that have flown into and out of Manchester, Alan Schofield has researched the military operations that took place from 1938 to 1960. Wartime documents and photographs illustrate many aspects of the RAF's activities, including parachute training, development of gliding techniques and the operations of 613 Squadron, as well as miitary aircraft manufacture by Fairey and Avro.