Horn Island Airport
Appearance
Horn Island Airport | |||||||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
Operator | Torres Shire Council | ||||||||||||||
Location | Horn Island, Queensland | ||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 43 ft / 13 m | ||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Horn Island Airport (IATA: HID, ICAO: YHID) is an airport in Horn Island, Queensland, Australia.
World War II
The Civil Constructional Corps and the Department of Main Roads began construction of an advanced operational airbase on the island during World War II, commencing in 1940. RAAF Base Horn Island was completed in 1941 and was used as a staging base for Allied aircraft moving between Australia and New Guinea.[2] The airfield consisted of two intersecting runways, with revetments for aircraft parking.
Japanese bombing raids against Horn Island Aerodrome
- 14 March 1942
- 18 March 1942
- 30 April 1942
- 11 May 1942
- 6 July 1942
- 30 July 1942
- 1 August 1942
- 17 June 1943
Units based at Horn Island Aerodrome
- 7th Fighter Squadron of 49th Fighter Group, March 1942 - 18 April 1942 (Curtiss P-40s)
- No. 6 Squadron RAAF
- No. 7 Squadron RAAF
- No. 24 Squadron RAAF
- No. 32 Squadron RAAF
- No. 75 Squadron RAAF
- No. 84 Squadron RAAF
- No. 28 Operational Base Unit RAAF
Airlines and destinations
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Qantas operated by QantasLink | Cairns |
Skytrans Airlines | Cairns, Aurukun, Weipa, Bamaga |
| Asia Pacific Airlines (PNG) | Cairns
Aircraft crashes
- Aero Commander, 500-S, VH-UJP
- A number of B-17 Flying Fortresses crash landed during World War II:
- B-17E Serial Number 41-2636 - crashed during night take off 13 July 1942
- B-17E Serial Number 41-2655 - crashed during night take off 13 July 1942
- B-17E "G.I. Issue" Serial Number 41-2421 - crashed landed on 16 July 1942
- B-17E "Tojo's Nightmare" Serial Number 41-2497 - crashed attempting landing 24 March 1944
A survey aircraft operated by Adastra Airways Lockheed Hudson VH-AGO crashed on approach after an engine failure on Monday 24 June 1957. 6 fatalities including one child.
See also
References
- ^ YHID – Horn Island (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 13 June 2024, Aeronautical Chart
- ^ "RAAF Base Horn Island". RAAF Museum.
External links