OLD Sarum Airfield is to restart night flying for the first time in 30 years.

Helicopter pilots will be doing night-time search and rescue training from this week onwards.

There are also plans to extend night flying to other light aircraft early next year.

Airfield manager Angus Beal said a group of helicopter students were training for their night flying qualification.

He said: “We are keen to ensure the future of the airfield and this is a major step forward. We are working tirelessly to achieve the volume of flying that will ensure the viability of the airfield into our next 100 years.”

A spokesman for the airfield said it was "difficult to be precise" over the number of flights per night or when they might take place, adding: "The flying will be as required for the training."

The helicopter students are working towards a qualification as search and rescue pilots and are at Old Sarum for around three years.

They are on an internship programme with Vantage Aviation, one of several flying training organisations based at the airfield.

The company, whose instructors are ex-military, provides training for European and American private and commercial licences, but also offers specialist helicopter training.

Mr Beal said: "Having arrived in February with very little flying experience, the group of eight students has already achieved their private pilot’s licences and finished the gruelling commercial pilot licence theory course.

"When they return home in 2017, they will have commercial pilot’s licences and be qualified to fly search and rescue at night and in poor weather.

"The next group of students start their initial helicopter training this December."

Night landing aids and obstacle lighting will be used and Mr Beal said work is underway to install further lighting to allow other fixed wing light aircraft to fly during the night next year.

Ward councillor Ian McLennan said he was not in favour of night-flying and urged every resident to write to the Civil Aviation Authority and Wiltshire Council to complain about it.

He said: "This is an airfield licensed to fly during the day until dusk and that's the way it should stay. If we all wanted Ryanair in there, we would have it but that's not its purpose."

* No decision has yet been made on plans to build around 460 homes on the airfield. Wiltshire Council is working with the developer on the viability of the scheme. A spokesman for the council said once a viability report had been produced, a date could then be given for a decision. Under the plans, the airfield would continue to be active but there would be controls over noise from flying.