Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove

JHFS Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove
Near Aldergrove, County Antrim in Northern Ireland
JHFS Aldergrove
Shown within Northern Ireland
Coordinates 54°38′58″N 006°13′31″W / 54.64944°N 6.22528°W / 54.64944; -6.22528Coordinates: 54°38′58″N 006°13′31″W / 54.64944°N 6.22528°W / 54.64944; -6.22528
Site information
Owner Ministry of Defence
Operator Joint Helicopter Command
Site history
Built 1918 (1918)
In use Royal Air Force
1918-2009
Joint Helicopter Command
2009-present
Airfield information
Elevation 69 metres (226 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
07/25 2,780 metres (9,121 ft) asphalt
17/35 1,891 metres (6,204 ft) asphalt

Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove or more simply JHFS Aldergrove is a Joint Helicopter Command flying station located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Belfast. The flying station adjoins Belfast International Airport, sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of the surrounding area. The station shared the Aldergrove runways but had its own separate facilities and helipad.

The site was formerly RAF Aldergrove a Royal Air Force station which was in operation between 1918 and 2009.

History

Inter-war years

RAF Aldergrove first opened in 1918 but was not designated as an operational RAF station until 1925.

Various squadrons were posted here during this time:

Second World War

Aldergrove’s location made it an important station of RAF Coastal Command in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. From the base, long-range reconnaissance aircraft were able to patrol the Eastern Atlantic for U-boats. Some of these patrols ranged as far out as the distant islet of Rockall.

Various squadrons were posted here during this time:

Post war

Aldergrove was designated as a dispersal airfield for the RAF's V bomber force in the 1950s and was included in a reduced list of 26 airfields in 1962. In 1968 No. 23 Maintenance Unit RAF was responsible for the maintenance of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II's in RAF service, with 116 aircraft passing through on their way to front line service. Aldergrove was also the main servicing and reconditioning station for the English Electric Canberra from their introduction in 1951. In 1976, the station had a staff of 2,500 RAF personnel and 1,500 civilians.[23]

Various squadrons were posted here between 1945 and 1985:

Royal Air Force operations

No. 230 Squadron RAF was re-deployed from Germany to RAF Aldergrove in 1992, where it operated Westland Puma HC.1 helicopters until its relocation to RAF Benson in November 2009.[30]

No. 18 Squadron RAF also operated detachments of Boeing Chinook during the late 80s in support of the British Army in Northern Ireland.

No. 72 Squadron operated Westland Wessex HC.2 helicopters from Aldergrove from 12 November 1981[31] until its disbandment in 2002.[32]

United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing C-17 Globemaster III operating from Aldergrove in support of U.S. Presidential visit, 2003.

Army Air Squadron Operations

The 17/21st Lancers Air Squadron based at RAF Aldergrove from 1969 to 1971 operating with Sioux Helicopters and a Fixed Wing Beaver aircraft


Army Air Corps operations

The Army Air Corps also operated Westland Lynx and Westland Gazelle helicopters as well as de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft in its joint operations with the RAF's Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (Northern Ireland); the Beaver was replaced by the Britten-Norman Islander late in 1988.

During 1991 No. 655 Squadron AAC moved from RAF Ballykelly to Aldergrove with the Westland Lynx.

On 1 October 1993 the Northern Ireland Regiment Army Air Corps was retitled 5 Regiment Army Air Corps.

On 4 August 2008 651 Squadron Army Air Corps moved back to Northern Ireland from RAF Odiham after almost 50 years after its first deployment here.

Aldergrove is now home to the Joint Helicopter Force Northern Ireland (JHF(NI)), which provides Gazelle and Islander aircraft in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and military units for Operation Helvetic, and for other operations abroad. Its current role is to support this flying.[33]

Due to the closure of RAF Machrihanish, the base is now used annually for Air Training Corps cadets as a training camp, where cadets from Scotland and Northern Ireland Region gather for a week of fieldcraft, shooting, first aid and other activities.

During 2003 Air Force One arrived at the airport in support of U.S. Presidential visits to Northern Ireland.

Current use

A British Army Air Corps Gazelle helicopter similar to that now based at Aldergrove

Aldergrove officially ceased to be an RAF Station on 20 September 2009 when, after the annual Battle of Britain parade, the RAF ensign was lowered for the last time and the Joint Helicopter Command flag was hoisted in its place.[34]

Units based at Aldergrove

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Aldergrove.

Citations

  1. Jefford 1988, p. 23.
  2. Jefford 1988, p. 24.
  3. Jefford 1988, p. 27.
  4. Jefford 1988, p. 50.
  5. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 71.
  6. 1 2 3 Jefford 1988, p. 95.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 41.
  8. Jefford 1988, p. 44.
  9. Jefford 1988, p. 51.
  10. Jefford 1988, p. 54.
  11. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 58.
  12. Jefford 1988, p. 69.
  13. Jefford 1988, p. 72.
  14. Jefford 1988, p. 73.
  15. Jefford 1988, p. 74.
  16. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  17. Jefford 1988, p. 77.
  18. Jefford 1988, p. 78.
  19. Jefford 1988, p. 79.
  20. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 82.
  21. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
  22. Jefford 1988, p. 97.
  23. Northern Ireland Committee of Irish Congress of Trade Unions, "The Defence Stations in Northern Ireland: The Case for Retention", March 1976
  24. Jefford 1988, p. 57.
  25. Jefford 1988, p. 68.
  26. Jefford 1988, p. 76.
  27. Jefford 1988, p. 83.
  28. Jefford 1988, p. 102.
  29. 1 2 "5 Regiment Army Air Corps". AAC. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  30. "230 Squadron". RAF. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  31. Jefford 1988, p. 47.
  32. "72(R) Squadron - Key Dates". RAF. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  33. "Operation HELVETIC - Joint Helicopter Force Northern Ireland (JHF(NI))". National Archives - RAF. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  34. Lowering of RAF Ensign RAF Website]
  35. "651 Squadron Army Air Corps". AAC. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  36. "665 Squadron Army Air Corps". AAC. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  37. "PSNI – Air Support Unit EC-145 (September 2010)". Flying in Ireland. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  38. "Estate Strategy" (PDF). PSNI. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  39. "£200k bill for 12th crash PSNI plane". Londonderry Sentinel. Retrieved 7 November 2014.

Bibliography

  • Docherty, Tom. Ours to Hold: RAF Aldergrove at War, 1939-1945. Cowbit, Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK: Old Forge Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-906183-03-5.
  • Jefford MBE, Wg Cdr C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6. 

External links

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