RAF Benson: Difference between revisions

RAF Benson
RAF Benson
	IATA: BEX; ICAO: EGUB;
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Benson, Oxfordshire
Elevation AMSL	226 ft / 69 m
Coordinates	51°36′59″N 001°05′45″W / 51.61639°N 1.09583°W
Website	www.raf.mod.uk/rafbenson
Runways

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Revision as of 22:57, 19 August 2009

RAF Benson (IATA: BEX, ICAO: EGUB) is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in Oxfordshire, England. It is home to the Royal Air Force's support helicopters, the Aérospatiale Puma and the AW101 Merlin, known as the Puma HC.Mk 1 and the Merlin HC.Mk 3 and Mk 3a.

Benson is currently home to 28 (AC) Squadron and 33 Squadron and also to Oxford University Air Squadron and 6 Air Experience Flight. In January 2008, 78 Squadron was formally stood up at RAF Benson to create, alongside 28 (AC) Squadron, a Merlin Force. 78 Squadron were previously a Sea King/Chinook Squadron based at RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands). Previous units once based there include the Queen's Flight.

The Thames Valley Police helicopter (a Eurocopter EC 135) and the Thames Valley and Chiltern air ambulance helicopter (a Eurocopter EC 135], call sign "Helimed24") are also both based at Benson.

The airfield is a well-known frost pocket.

History

Building work for RAF Benson began in 1937. RAF Benson was officially opened on 1 April 1939 and its first aircraft were two squadrons of Fairey Battle light bombers which began to arrive a few days later.^[1] No. 103 Squadron RAF started flying in on 3 April 1939, to be joined in the next few months by No. 150 Squadron RAF.

The Battles were replaced in December 1940 with Vickers Wellington medium bombers. At the same time the Spitfires of No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF an RAF Coastal Command unit arrived. It gained considerable fame as the home of photographic reconnaissance for the remainder of World War II.

Its Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flew missions over occupied Europe, for example bringing back battle damage assessment pictures after Operation Chastise. This period of the station's history is reflected in the use of a full-scale replica of a wartime Spitfire PR.Mk XI on the main gate - this having replaced a genuine Spitfire PR.MK XIX that has been restored to flying status. Vera Lynn, 'the forces Sweetheart', visited RAF Benson to entertain the troops, reportedly singing "The White Cliffs of Dover" at the station.

The station retained a reconnaisance role for some years after the war, with Avro Lancaster, Spitfire, Mosquito, Gloster Meteor PR.Mk 10 and English Electric Canberra PR.Mk 3 aircraft.

On 1 June 1962 No. 105 Squadron RAF reformed at the station, flying Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosys as part of the RAF Transport Command fleet. In January 1968, 114^[2] and 268 Squadrons were flying Argosys as a Wing on the station.

The King's Flight moved from RAF Hendon and would stay (renamed as the Queen's Flight after the death of King George VI) until after the war, moving to RAF Northolt in 1995.

The station is today the home to three squadrons of Support Helicopters (No. 28 Squadron RAF, No. 78 Squadron RAF and No. 33 Squadron RAF with Merlin and Puma helicopters) and to the Grob Tutor light aircraft of the Oxford University Air Squadron RAF. Massive investment has been made in a modern flight simulator facility for the Chinook (not based at Benson), Merlin and Puma. RAF Benson is now also home to a mobile Catering Support Unit and a Mobile Meteorological Unit, and the Thames Valley Police's Chiltern Air Support Unit bases one of its Eurocopter EC 135 helicopters at Benson. A yellow MBB Bö 105 belonging to the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust (headquartered at Grove Park), Maidenhead, moved from White Waltham to Benson in January 2007.

The future of RAF Benson was in doubt for some time, while Project Belvedere was looking into closing at least one of Joint Helicopter Command's airfields. These included Benson, Odiham, Aldergrove, Yeovilton, Middle Wallop, Wattisham and Dishforth. Belvedere has been abandoned on cost grounds, and Benson's future is now believed to be safe.

Operators

- 28 (AC) Squadron
- 78 Squadron
- 33 Squadron
- 230 Squadron (from 2010)
- No 606 (Chiltern) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force
- Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility
- Joint Helicopter Force Head Quarters
- Meteorological Unit
- Oxford University Air Squadron
- 6 Air Experience Flight

References

^ RAF Benson history
^ RAF, No. 114 Squadron, accessed November 2008

External links

[1] RAF Benson history

[2] RAF, No. 114 Squadron, accessed November 2008

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 }}
-'''RAF Benson''' {{Airport codes|BEX|EGUB}} is a [[Royal Air Force station]] near [[Benson, Oxfordshire|Benson]] in [[Oxfordshire]], [[England]]. It is home to the [[Royal Air Force]]'s support helicopters, the [[Aérospatiale Puma]] and the [[AgustaWestland AW101|AW101 Merlin]], known as the Puma HC1 and the Merlin Mk3 and Mk3a.
+'''RAF Benson''' {{Airport codes|BEX|EGUB}} is a [[Royal Air Force station]] near [[Benson, Oxfordshire|Benson]] in [[Oxfordshire]], [[England]]. It is home to the [[Royal Air Force]]'s support helicopters, the [[Aérospatiale Puma]] and the [[AgustaWestland AW101|AW101 Merlin]], known as the Puma HC.Mk 1 and the Merlin HC.Mk 3 and Mk 3a.
 Benson is currently home to [[No. 28 Squadron RAF|28 (AC) Squadron]] and [[No. 33 Squadron RAF|33 Squadron]] and also to [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]] [[University Air Squadron|Air Squadron]] and [[6 Air Experience Flight]]. In January 2008, [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|78 Squadron]] was formally stood up at RAF Benson to create, alongside 28 (AC) Squadron, a Merlin Force.  78 Squadron were previously a [[Westland Sea King|Sea King]]/[[Boeing Chinook (UK variants)|Chinook]] Squadron based at [[RAF Mount Pleasant]] in the [[Falkland Islands]]). Previous units once based there include the [[Air transport of the Royal Family and government of the United Kingdom|Queen's Flight]].
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 The [[Thames Valley Police]] helicopter (a [[Eurocopter EC 135]]) and the Thames Valley and Chiltern [[air ambulance]] helicopter (a [[Eurocopter EC 135]]], call sign "Helimed24") are also both based at Benson.
-The airfield is a well-known frost hollow.
+The airfield is a well-known frost pocket.
 ==History==
@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 The station is today the home to three squadrons of Support Helicopters ([[No. 28 Squadron RAF]], [[No. 78 Squadron RAF]] and [[No. 33 Squadron RAF]] with [[Merlin]] and [[Aérospatiale Puma|Puma]] helicopters) and to the [[Grob Tutor]] light aircraft of the [[Oxford University Air Squadron RAF]]. Massive investment has been made in a modern flight simulator facility for the Chinook (not based at Benson), Merlin and Puma. RAF Benson is now also home to a mobile Catering Support Unit and a Mobile Meteorological Unit, and the [[Thames Valley Police]]'s Chiltern Air Support Unit bases one of its [[Eurocopter EC 135]] helicopters at Benson. A yellow MBB Bö 105 belonging to the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust (headquartered at Grove Park), Maidenhead, moved from White Waltham to Benson in January 2007.
-The future of RAF Benson is in doubt, since Project Belvedere is looking into closing at least one of Joint Helicopter Command's airfields. These include Benson, Odiham, Aldergrove, Yeovilton, Middle Wallop, Wattisham and Dishforth.
+The future of RAF Benson was in doubt for some time, while Project Belvedere was looking into closing at least one of Joint Helicopter Command's airfields. These included Benson, Odiham, Aldergrove, Yeovilton, Middle Wallop, Wattisham and Dishforth. Belvedere has been abandoned on cost grounds, and Benson's future is now believed to be safe.
 ==Operators==