West Wales Airport
| 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
- ↑ West Wales Airport
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 "Aberporth (Blaenannerch) (West Wales)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/aberporth-blaenannerch-west-wales. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences
- ↑ Lewis, Mike (14 June 2018). "Fire crews called after drone crash near West Wales Airport". http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=121277&headline=Fire%20crews%20called%20after%20drone%20crash%20near%20West%20Wales%20Airport§ionIs=news&searchyear=2018. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ↑ Adam Lusher; Helen Hoddinott (21 June 2018). "A £1m military drone flew over a packed primary school sports day - then there was a crash". https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/drone-watchkeeper-crash-school-sports-day-failed-mod-military-spending-projects-defence-equipment-a8409206.html. Retrieved 18 April 2019.