RAF Valley
| RAF Valley Anglesey Airport Maes Awyr Môn |
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| IATA: VLY – ICAO: EGOV | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||
| Location | Anglesey | ||
| Built | 1941 | ||
| In use | 1941 - present | ||
| Commander | Group Captain Bruce Hedley RAF | ||
| Occupants |
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| Elevation AMSL | 37 ft / 11 m | ||
| Coordinates | 53°14′53″N 004°32′07″W / 53.24806°N 4.53528°WCoordinates: 53°14′53″N 004°32′07″W / 53.24806°N 4.53528°W | ||
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 EGOV
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 01/19 | 1,639 | 5,377 | Asphalt |
| 08/26 | 1,280 | 4,200 | Asphalt |
| 14/32 | 2,290 | 7,513 | Asphalt |
| Source: DAFIF[1][2] | |||
RAF Valley (IATA: HLY, ICAO: EGOV) is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training Aircrew and Saving Lives'
No. 4 Flying Training School takes RAF and Royal Navy pilots from 1FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and trains them to fly fast jets, prior to training on an Operational Conversion Unit. 4 FTS is divided into two squadrons; 208 Sqn provides the advanced flying training, students then move on to 19 Sqn to receive tactics and weapons training.
Valley is also home to C Flight of 22 Sqn with Sea King helicopters. These are busy in the Search and Rescue role, rescuing people from ships in the Irish Sea, from the mountains of nearby Snowdonia and elsewhere. The mountain rescue work in Snowdonia is coordinated with the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association.[3]
The base is also home to SARTU (Search and Rescue Training Unit), part of the Defence Helicopter Flying School, using AW139 and Griffin helicopters, and newly home to the relocated headquarters elements of both 22 and 202 Squadrons.
RAF Mona, also on Anglesey, acts as a relief landing ground.
HRH The Duke of Cambridge, second-in-line to the British Throne, is currently assigned to C Flight, 22 Squadron at RAF Valley, as a co-pilot flying the Sea King search and rescue helicopter.
Contents |
[edit] RAF Use
- 4 FTS
- RAF Search and Rescue Force HQ
- 22 Squadron (HQ and C flight)
- No. 202 Squadron RAF (HQ)
- 203(R) Squadron
- Defence Helicopter Flying School
- Defence Helicopter Flying School (Search and Rescue Training Unit)
- RAF Mountain Rescue Service
[edit] Civilian Use
The National Assembly for Wales announced on 21 February 2007 that public service obligation (PSO) flights would be launched from RAF Valley in April 2007, connecting north Wales with Cardiff International Airport.[4]
A terminal facility, costing £1,500,000, was constructed at RAF Valley, named Anglesey Airport (Maes Awyr Môn), and was projected to handle up to ten such PSO flights each day. Inverness-based Highland Airways operated the original Cardiff route service, using BAe Jetstream 31 aircraft. The first public flight took place on 8 May 2007. Highland Airways ceased operations on 24 March 2010, and the service was taken over by Manx2, flying the same route with their Dornier Do 228 aircraft.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
[edit] Scheduled services
- Manx2 (Cardiff)
[edit] References
- ^ Airport information for EGOV at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ^ Airport information for EGOV at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
- ^ North Wales Mountain Rescue Association
- ^ "North-south airline is revealed". BBC News. February 21, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6380141.stm.
[edit] External links
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