That brings to mind a couple airports near a long distance friend in UK.
Though it is unlikely flying boats were ever involved.
Earlier this year Julie's adult son flew in to London Stanstead,
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.stanstedairport.com/about-us/london-stansted-airport-and-mag/airport-history/[/URL]
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1942 - The runway was built by the US Air Force as part of Stansted Mountfitchet Airfield.
1944 - On D-Day, bombers from Stansted led more than 600 aircraft over the beaches of occupied France.
1966 - The newly created British Airports Authority took control.
1970 - The new terminal was extended to handle increasing numbers of passengers.
1978 - The Government White Paper 'Airport Policy' proposed major expansion of Stansted.
1980 - The British Airports Authority submitted planning application to Uttlesford District Council to develop Stansted Airport.
1985 - Following a public enquiry lasting 258 days, the Government gives permission for development to about 15 million passengers a year. An early motion by 75 MPs led to a compromise of phased development to eight and then 15 million passengers with a cap on the number of take-offs and landings by passenger aircraft.
1986 - Work starts on the new airport.
1991 - The Queen opened the £400 million new terminal, aprons and taxiways at Stansted, which increased the airport's capacity from two to eight million passengers a year.
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(more on page)
Old bomber hardstands west side of runways are very visible on Google maps, as well as traces of a generally north-south runway
& also a triangle of 3 abandoned and now overgrown and farmed upon runways a bit to east.
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.google.com/maps/place/London+Stansted+Airport/@51.8848248,0.2727443,5239m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x487604b8a52a1bb7:0x30a4d0976b352648!8m2!3d51.8860181!4d0.2388661!16zL20vMGhjc2g[/URL]
Also west side of Stanstead by the railway tunnel portal for trains to pass under runway,
[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.eastangliabooks.com/[/URL]
"East Anglia Books has now grown to include an extensive stock of aviation and military related titles covering all aspects from WW1 to the present, in particular one of the largest stocks of USAAF Unit Histories, plus a wide range of second-hand titles, many now out-of-print and difficult to obtain."
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And then on a bit of a different path, civil to requisitioned by the military back to civil.
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.gatwickairport.com/business-community/about-gatwick/company-information/our-history/[/URL]
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Gatwick Airport began life in 1930 as the Surrey Aero Club, a small flyers club, used exclusively by flying enthusiasts - however it did not stay this way for long. Four years later Gatwick was licensed as a public aerodrome, intended to provide regular air services to Paris and act as a relief aerodrome for London Croydon Airport. In this year Gatwick also gained its first scheduled flights – Hillman’s Airways to Belfast and Paris.
...
1930s
1935: Gatwick Railway station and the Beehive terminal (the world’s first circular terminal building) are built.
1936: The Beehive sees its first schedule flight, a Jersey Airways plane to Paris. Gatwick is officially opened by Lord Swinton, the Secretary of State for Air. At this time Gatwick has 4 landing strips made of grass and a subway connecting the Beehive terminal to the railway station.
1939: World War 2 begins and the airport is requisitioned by the Air Ministry. Gatwick becomes a base for RAF night-fighters and an Army cooperation squadron.
1940s
1946: Gatwick is decommissioned but continues operating as civil airport for charter airlines and cargo flights.
1950s
1950: Gatwick is designated as London’s second airport.
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Tangential information, west side of Gatwick there is the little Gatwick Aviation Museum,
[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.gamc.org.uk/[/URL]
