Ramat David Airbase

Ramat David Air Force Base
RAF Ramat David RAF Ramat David (Israel)
Coordinates	32°39′59.77″N 035°10′59.97″E
Built	1942
Built by	Royal Air Force
Current owner	Israeli Air Force

IATA: none – ICAO: LLRD
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		Israeli Air Force
Elevation AMSL		138 ft / 42 m
Coordinates		32°40′0″N 35°11′0″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
145/325	8,005	2,440
105/285	9,022	2,750
085/265	9,022	2,750

Ramat David Israeli Air Force Base (ICAO: LLRD) is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force, located southeast of Haifa, close to kibbutz Ramat David and Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley. It was originally built as a Royal Air Force station in 1942 under the British Mandate when it was known as RAF Ramat David.

History

Roald Dahl, in his World War II autobiography 'Going Solo', mentions landing his RAF Hawker Hurricane at Ramat David in 1941. At the time it was a hastily prepared grass airstrip rolled out in a cornfield by the residents of the nearby Kibbutz.

RAF Ramat David

RAF Ramat David was a Royal Air Force station in the British Mandate of Palestine between 1942 and 1948, located approximately 4km south of Ramat Yishay (Northern District); 80km north-northeast of Tel Aviv.

Royal AirForce operational units at RAF Ramat David:

• No. 6 Squadron RAF
• No. 32 Squadron RAF
• No. 37 Squadron RAF
• No. 46 Squadron RAF
• No. 74 Squadron RAF
• No. 127 Squadron RAF
• No. 154 Squadron RAF
• No. 208 Squadron RAF
• No. 213 Squadron RAF
• No. 216 Squadron RAF
• No. 232 Squadron RAF
• No. 242 Squadron RAF
• No. 243 Squadron RAF
• No. 249 Squadron RAF
• No. 294 Squadron RAF
• No. 459 Squadron RAAF
• No. 651 Squadron RAF

Israeli Air Force Base Ramat David

On 26 May 1948 the base was handed over to the newly created Israel Defense Forces. Ramat David currently houses 3 F-16 C/D squadrons, including the 117th "First Jet" squadron, formed on 7 June 1953, and a Eurocopter AS565 Panther squadron. In 2010, the airbase was the second-largest unit in the IDF with over 1,100 soldiers.

Israeli Air Force Units

• 109 Squadron (Israel) F-16D
• 110 Squadron (Israel) F-16C
• 117 Squadron (Israel) F-16C
• 193 Squadron (Israel) AS-565

Notes

Bibliography

• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE,BA,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
• Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links

• Ramat David from globalsecurity.org
• Aeroflight World Airforces

See also

• List of RAF stations
• List of airports in Israel