Americans introduced Stansted to the airplane when it became a war-time base for the United States Army Air Force in 1942. Their legacy was one of the UK's longest runways which opened the way to civil development.

The fledgling airport expanded modestly until its future was re-shaped by a government decision. It was earmarked as London's third airport. Unlike the Iron Age project the proposed development met with so many protests the government retreated and found another site at Maplin Sands in the River Thames estuary. Stansted seemed to be heading for obscurity.

All that changed in the 1970's when a world oil crisis and hard economic times made the Maplin option too expensive. The British Airports Authority, anticipating better times ahead, revived the idea of major growth at Stansted and in 1979 it was, once again, designated London's third airport.

After one of the longest Public Inquiry's on record the go-ahead finally came in 1985, with initial approval for Stansted to handle up to 8 million passengers a year. In 1991 a new and widely acclaimed terminal was opened but that is now under pressure as Stansted became the fastest growing London airport.

The modern Stansted may be expanding but one piece of the airport will not change. A unique wildlife area for plants and animals has been created in the shadow of the big jets and those Iron Age villagers who started it all would, no doubt, have approved.