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Airfields were difficult to defend in that they are large open areas where above-ground structures like pillboxes present a hazard to aircraft. In WW2, this problem was solved by the Pickett Hamilton fort, which was designed to be lowered to ground level while aircraft were operating but could be raised by using a hydraulic lift when required. The structure was accessed through a steel hatch in the roof, and manned by a crew of two equipped with light machine guns. Only 48 are reported to still exist, some of which are however no longer in their original locations and quite a few are flooded.

The components of one such Picket Hamilton fort - it was removed for safety reasons from Norwich International Airport, which during WW2 was RAF Horsham St Faith - are on display at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum.

The City of Norwich Aviation Museum (CNAM) was initially a project of a group of aviation enthusiasts associated with the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in 1977. Membership was later opened to non-employees and by 1982 the museum had moved to its present site at Norwich International Airport > Link. The museum houses a great number of exhibits, including Boulton & Paul who were involved in the manufacture of aircraft from 1914 until 1961; RAF Bomber, Fighter and Coastal Command and the "special duties" RAF 100 Group; RAF Coltishall (closed a few years ago); the United States Army Air Forces' (USAAF) Eighth Air Force; Women in Aviation; WW1, and of course aircraft, uniforms, and many others. Link (Archive Link )