West Wales Airport

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West Wales Airport
Terminal Buildings, West Wales Airport
Terminal Buildings, West Wales Airport
Code , ICAO: EGFA
County Cardiganshire
Public
Operator West Wales Airport Ltd.
Location SN24884937
52°6’53"N, 4°33’32"W
Runway(s) 4,124 feet (Asphalt)
Website

West Wales Airport or Aberporth Airport (ICAO: EGFA) is a local airport south-west of Aberporth on the coast of Cardiganshire.

The site began as the airfield attached to RAE Aberporth, a station for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, a military research establishment. The airfield today has been developed as West Wales Airport[1] for domestic flights. The airport has also been developing as a centre for the deployment of civil and military unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as 'drones'. The airport underwent major improvements in 2008 which extended the length of the runway from 3,100 feet to 4,124 feet.

History

The following military units were posted here at some point:

  • No. 1 AACU ‘B’ Flight.[2]
  • No. 1 Anti Aircraft Cooperation Unit ‘L’ Flight.[2]
  • No. 1 Anti Aircraft Cooperation Unit ‘Q’ Flight.[2]
  • No. 1 Anti Aircraft Cooperation Unit ‘X’ Flight.[2]
  • No. 6 Anti Aircraft Cooperation Unit.[2]
  • No. 6 Air Observer School RAF.[2]
  • No. 7 Anti Aircraft Cooperation Unit.[2]
  • No. 7 Maintenance Unit RAF.[2]
  • No. 595 Squadron RAF.[2]
  • No. 636 Volunteer Gliding Squadron RAF.[2]
  • No. 1608 (AAC) Flight.[2]
  • No. 1609 (AAC) Flight.[2]
  • No. 1621 (AAC) Flight.[2]
  • Combined Services Projectile Development Establishment.[2]

Current use

The nearby Ministry of Defence range is used for testing military rockets, as well as for launching civil rockets for atmospheric research.

Aberporth Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P859) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee. The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.[3]

The airfield is being used as a base for Thales Watchkeeper WK450 military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) trials over Cardigan Bay. On 13 June 2018 a Watchkeeper crashed into a lane near the airfield; there were no injuries.[4][5]

Outside links

References