Celle Air Base
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
: ''Heeresflugplatz Celle'' is a
military airbase
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
of the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
. The airfield is situated southwest of the city of
Celle
Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...
,
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
. It was opened in 1934 and has been in military use ever since. Today the aerodrome is used by a helicopter training school, a helicopter liaison and reconnaissance squadron and a helicopter maintenance unit utilising the type
Bölkow Bo-105.
Until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the airfield operated under the name of ''Fliegerhorst Celle-Wietzenbruch'' (Air Base Celle-Wietzenbruch).
During
Allied occupation it was known as RAF Celle.
On 28 July 1967 the base was given the additional name ''
Immelmann-Kaserne'' (Immelmann-Barracks).
Location and approach
![Map of the Federal Armed Forces Airfield Celle in Germany german version](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Map_of_the_Federal_Armed_Forces_Airfield_Celle_in_Germany_german_version.png)
Celle Air Base is located 2.7 miles (4.5 kilometres) southwest of the city centre of Celle and 18 miles (30 kilometres) northeast of the city centre of
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
. To the west the Wietzenbruch is situated, a
moor-like area named after the river Wietze and the surrounding
fen
A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires ...
. This geographical feature gave its name to the suburb "Wietzenbruch" directly to the north of the air base. To the east and the south it borders on the railway line Hanover-
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
. The field elevation at the reference point, the exact centre of the runway, is 129 feet (39.4 metres) above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardis ...
.
Celle Air Base can be approached by way of a connecting road to the Landesstraße 310 which is used as a
spur route
A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the ...
to the
motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
s
A 7 and
A 352. Apart from by motorway, Celle as well as the air base can be approached by
federal highways B3, B 191 and B 214. Since 2006 a bus stop called "Wietzenbruch Kaserne" is located in front of the main gate of the base.
Organisationally, the air base is separated into
barracks
Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...
and air field. The entire base is a military security area and completely surrounded by a fence and thus not open to the general public. Admittance to the barracks area is granted to members of the
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
and Allied forces. In this part administrative, social, sports and medical facilities, and the quarters are situated. The air field is especially fenced in and contains the movement area,
aprons and
hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s as well as facilities for operating the airfield (
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
,
tower
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specific ...
and
point obstruction lights). Like on civil aerodromes access to this part is granted only for employees working there, crew members and passengers.
History
Early history of aviation around the city of Celle
In 1910 flight trials were undertaken on the ''Scheuener Heide'', a
heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...
north of the river
Aller. These trials were carried out not on official but on private initiative by a person named Schlüter. Using an advertisement in the local paper, the population of Celle was invited to watch the spectacle.
However, aviation around Celle did not assume any serious forms until the
Imperial Navy decided to choose the location for the construction of an airfield in order to enable intermediate stops for flights between
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsh ...
and
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021).
Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...
. The airfield was opened on 3 October 1918 and used extensively until the end of the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
in November of the same year when news, spread by pilots, of the
sailors' revolt and the beginning of the
German Revolution
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
reached Celle. This in turn led to revolt within the city of Celle itself on 7 November 1918.
After World War I the airfield was initially abandoned even though some flights took place in the 1920s. The site became more important once the Celle-Wietzenbruch
flying school began to use the area as an external landing site in the mid-1930s.
Today, part of this former airfield is incorporated into the civilian airfield Celle-Arloh and used for
recreational purposes.
Wehrmacht 1933 until 1945
The
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1 ...
in 1919 prohibited the
German Reich
German ''Reich'' (lit. German Realm, German Empire, from german: Deutsches Reich, ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty ...
to have her own air force. To get around this prohibition, the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
founded the ''
Deutscher Luftsportverband
The German Air Sports Association (''Deutscher Luftsportverband'', or DLV e. V.) was an organisation set up by the Nazi Party in March 1933 to establish a uniform basis for the training of military pilots. Its chairman was Hermann Göring and its ...
'' (DLV or "German Air Sports Association") in 1933 as a disguise to accelerate the building of an air force. Therefore, throughout Germany possible locations for air bases were sought. One of these locations was close to the Celle district of Wietzenbruch.
According to official information the
Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule GmbH (German General Aviation School Ltd.) would become the airport holder.
Ernst Sagebiel a leading architect in air base design was put in charge of the building works.
After exhaustive construction works, during which the boggy terrain was drained by creating several ditches, the flying school entered service in 1934.
Due to the boggy terrain the airfield had to be mixed with
bitumen
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
a few years later to prevent airplanes sinking in. This made the ground elastic and resulted in the pilots calling the airfield ''rubber meadow'' (''Gummiwiese'').
On 9 March 1935
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
officially announced the existence of a
German Air Force
The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as ...
and the DLV was not needed any longer. The ''Luftwaffe'' was officially declared as being the occupant of the air base and its employees revealed themselves as being members of the armed forces by openly wearing uniforms.
In the course of time, the type of aircraft stationed at Celle became larger and larger and crews were trained on almost all current military aircraft.
The extent of the training activities necessitated the construction of external landing strips at Hustedt and Scheuen. The training in blind flight, the precursor of
instrument flight
In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR).
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fl ...
, even had to be moved to
Wesendorf
Wesendorf is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, an ...
.
At the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the training school was relocated to
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
and Celle Air Base was used by varying units, none of which were stationed there for any long period of time.
Although some production facilities for the
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
were placed in Hangar V, Celle Air Base played only a secondary role during World War II.
This, together with skilful
camouflaging
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
of the hangars, prevented the air base from becoming a serious target for
Allied tactical or
strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale, its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations, or both. It is a systematica ...
.
Contemporary witnesses reported an American
fighter plane
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domination o ...
attacking Hangar V in 1944 until the
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
fire forced the pilot to abandon his aircraft.
Without having suffered any serious damage the air base was surrendered by a German
NCO to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
on 11 April 1945.
A few days previously, members of the last German unit stationed at Celle Air Base, Flying School A/B 6, had destroyed all remaining aircraft and left the base. Furthermore, a last Allied attack on the airfield on 9 April 1945 had not caused any serious damage to the airfield.
Allied occupation 1945 until 1957
![Celle aerial 1949](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Celle_aerial_1949.jpg)
After having been taken over by British forces, it came under the control of the
Royal Air Force Germany
The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany. It consisted of units located in Germany, initially as part of the occupation following the Second World War, and later as part o ...
and was renamed RAF Station Celle.
Under British occupation metal plates were laid on the entire airfield in order to enable the landing of larger aircraft.
The airfield retained its secondary role and was mainly used for liaison flights to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. After some flight movements in 1945 and 1946, no flights were recorded in 1947 and the hangars were instead used as storage facilities for furniture and
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...
s.
With the beginning of the
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, ro ...
in 1948 this, however, changed radically. The Western allies, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, the United Kingdom and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, were looking for additional air bases that could be utilised for the airlift. Strategically, Celle offered favourable conditions for supply flights being located at the end of the middle
air corridor to Berlin and having the shortest distance to Berlin. Unlike other air bases, Celle was not completely handed over to the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
(USAF) but remained under the control of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) even though the aircraft using the airfield were American.
After
RAF Fassberg Fassberg or Faßberg may refer to
* Faßberg – a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany
* RAF Fassberg – a Royal Air Force air base between 1945 and 1957 in the vicinity of Faßberg
* Faßberg Air Base
Faßberg Air ...
and
RAF Wunstorf Celle became the third airfield in the region to serve in the airlift. USAF
317th Troop Carrier Group equipped with
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...
were stationed on the air base at the end of 1948 and transported mostly
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
to Berlin. In order to cope with the enormous traffic the airfield was extended, receiving an unusually long (about 300 metres)
rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...
and, for the first time, a
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concrete ...
with an asphalt surface.
At the beginning of the airlift a total of 600 tons of freight were transported into the besieged city which increased to 1000 tons of coal and
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...
each day in the spring of 1949. The American forces were assisted by 5,000 German workers in this undertaking. In order to house them, north of the barracks a huge housing area consisting of
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure for military use, especially as barracks, made from a half-cylindrical skin of Corrugated galvanised iron, corrugated iron. Designed during the First World War by the American-born, Canadian-British ...
s was built.
At the same time, Celle residents began to complain about the so-called "Veronikas″, German women attracted to the well paid soldiers. A public appeal by the city of Celle denounced the "women and girls who cause offence and outrage" amongst the population.
The public outrage and repeated appeals for morality by local politicians in the local press
became well known throughout Germany. Even a
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...
-based newspaper published an article about "Celle - an outraged city" on 14 February 1949.
Next to the road leading to Celle Air Base, a monument in memory of the support given by Celle to the Berlin Airlift was erected by the city of Celle in 1988.
Following the end of the Berlin Airlift in 1949, the airfield was again used exclusively by
British Forces. Over the years several
squadrons were stationed at Royal Air Force Station Celle which since 1950 were equipped with jet engined fighters, the
Vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
and
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...
.
A number of ground-based units were also present:
*
No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack.
History
The history of No. 51 Squadron goes back to 1947 when it was formed at RAF Celle nea ...
* 226 Signal Squadron,
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield commun ...
The infrastructure for a renewed airlift, however, was kept in place and was constantly improved until
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
. The runway was extended in the 1960s and an
instrument landing system
In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
(ILS) for runway 26 was installed.
At the end of the 1980s, shortly before the fall of the
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the gover ...
, the rail siding received an extensive lighting system.
Bundeswehr 1957 until the present
![Titelbild Cellesche Zeitung vom 30](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Titelbild_Cellesche_Zeitung_vom_30._November_1957.jpg)
One year after the foundation of the
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
the British forces handed over the airfield to the German Army on 29 November 1957.
After
Niedermendig and parallel to
Fritzlar
Fritzlar () is a small town (pop. 15,000) in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history.
The town has a medieval center ringed by a wall with numerous watch towers. Thirty-eight meters (125& ...
Celle was one of the first garrisons of the
German Army Aviation Corps, at the time the youngest branch of the German armed forces, that stationed various units and aircraft at Celle Air Base throughout the following years.
Peculiarly, from 1959 until 1967 two transport wings of the
German Air Force
The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as ...
were also stationed at Celle.
Thus Celle became a mixed base used by Army and Air Force – unique in the Bundeswehr until the 1990s. However, already in 1960 ''Lufttransportgeschwader 62'' (
Air Transport Wing 62
Air Transport Wing 62 (german: Lufttransportgeschwader 62) is a wing of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe''). The wing was founded in 1959 and is currently based at Wunstorf Air Base in Lower-Saxony, Germany operating Airbus A400M fixed-wing ...
) was relocated to
Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne Bonn Airport (german: Flughafen Köln/Bonn 'Konrad Adenauer') is the international airport of Germany's fourth-largest city Cologne, and also serves Bonn, former capital of West Germany. With around 12.4 million passengers passing thr ...
. Seven years later ''Lufttransportgeschwader'' 63 (
Air Transport Wing 63
Air Transport Wing 63 (german: Lufttransportgeschwader 63) was a wing of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe''). The wing was created in 1957 and was last based at Hohn Air Base in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, operating the last German Transall C-1 ...
) moved to its new base in
Hohn,
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...
where it is still stationed.
Due to the tense situation during the building of the Berlin Wall a small unit of the
National Guard of the United States
The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.[air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...]
(ATC) was provided by a mixed Army/Air Force unit until the 1990s.
Apart from the stationary ATC unit, a mobile ATC unit existed in Celle which was equipped with a mobile tower,
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
and other equipment to provide air traffic control services for specially allocated places, for example, on German motorways designed as emergency
landing strips during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
.
From 1959 until 1966, a US Air Force unit equipped with two
MSQ-1A radars was stationed at Celle Air Base. This unit's tasks were to link into missiles of the type TM-61C (
MGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile designed and built by the United States. It was developed after World War II, drawing upon their wartime experience with creating the Republic-Ford JB-2, a ...
) and guide them towards their target. For complete air coverage, especially eastwards, the unit at Celle was not necessary. In order to save costs this unit was disbanded in 1966.
Between 1963 and 1981 Celle was home to a test squadron for
unmanned aerial vehicles
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
and helicopters. This unit experimented with helicopters and other
weapon systems intended for acquisition by the Bundeswehr. One example of successful testing and bringing into service is the
Bölkow Bo-150 in the version as anti-tank helicopter.
The unit being stationed the longest at Celle was the ''Heeresfliegerstaffel 7'' (Army Aviation Squadron 7). It was relocated from
Rheine
Rheine () is a city in the district of Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base.
Geography
Rheine is on the river Ems, approx. north of Münster, approx. west of Osnabrück a ...
to Celle in 1971. In 1968 it had become a battalion but three years later, on its move to Celle, it was redesignated again as a squadron. The unit was equipped with the
Alouette II
Alouette or alouettes may refer to:
Music and literature
* "Alouette" (song), a French-language children's song
* Alouette, a character in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar''
Aerospace
* SNCASE Alouette, a utility helicopter developed in France i ...
liaison and reconnaissance helicopter and was disbanded in 1994.
At the beginning of the 1970s the strength of the German Army Aviation Corps considerably increased when more manpower and material was allocated to it. In Celle ''Heeresfliegerregiment 10'' (Army Aviation Regiment 10) equipped with
Bell UH-1D was the first of these larger units, which would become the new standard.
In 1979 a second regiment, ''Heeresfliegerregiment 16'' (Army Aviation Regiment 16), equipped with anti-tank helicopters was founded at Celle. Since the air base was too small to house two regiments, ''Heeresfliegerregiment 10'' subsequently relocated to
Faßberg Air Base
Faßberg Air Base (german: Heeresflugplatz Faßberg) is a Bundeswehr base located northeast of the municipality of Faßberg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The air base is jointly used by the German Army (''Heer'') and the German Air Force (''Luftwaff ...
in 1981. Its coat of arms still shows the stylised
Celle Castle
Celle Castle (german: Schloss Celle) or, less commonly, Celle Palace, in the German town of Celle in Lower Saxony, was one of the residences of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This quadrangular building is the largest castle in the southern ...
.
After the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
Celle Air Base's ability for
instrument flights was removed and the emergency landing strips on the motorways were abandoned.
Following the removal of
ILS as well as approach radar and the corresponding reduction within the ATC unit, the German Air Force finally left the base. Several smaller units were disbanded or relocated and only the ''Heeresfliegerregiment 16'' remained as a flying unit at Celle.
Within the framework of the restructuring of the German Army and in preparation of the introduction of the new helicopter types
NH-90
The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 ...
and
Tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
in 2002 and 2003, ''Heeresfliegerregiment 16'' was disbanded and parts of the
''Heeresfliegerwaffenschule'' (German Army Aviation School), originally located at
Bückeburg Air Base
Bückeburg Air Base (German: ''Heeresflugplatz Bückeburg'', ICAO: ETHB) is a German Army base located northeast of the city of Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
British use
The airfield was built in 1946 as a RAF Station, RAF Bückeburg, ser ...
, were moved to Celle.
At the same time the ''Heeresfliegerverbindungs- und Aufklärungsstaffel 100'' (Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100) and the ''Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 100'' (Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100) were founded.
With the commencement of training flights, Celle Air Base regained instrument flight ability and Bell UH-1D helicopters were again stationed on the air base.
Since having been taken over by the German Army Aviation Corps, hardly any new buildings were erected on the air base. Some had to be pulled down due to their dilapidated state or due to
environmental issues
Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...
: a kitchen and dining room from the time of the Berlin Airlift (the so-called ''Berlin Küche''), the cinema, swimming pool and a petrol depot. Others have been and are being renovated and rebuilt, altering their function completely.
In October 2011 the German
Federal Ministry of Defence
The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The ministry is headquartered at ...
announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a result, Army Aviation Training Centre C will be closed and Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100, Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 and Army Aviation Squadron 109 will be disbanded. The Medical Services Squadron will be expanded into a regional medical centre. A battalion of aspirant
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s will be based at Celle, and a centre for airborne operations will be established. However, the number of military personnel stationed at Celle Air Base will be significantly reduced from 1080 to 400.
[Quoted from , PDF-file "Die Stationierung der Bundeswehr in Deutschland", p. 82]
;Disaster relief
![WaldbrandLueneburgerHeideB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/WaldbrandLueneburgerHeideB.jpg)
In accordance with the
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The West German Constitution was approved in Bonn on 8 May 1949 and came in ...
statutory
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
tasks within the borders of Germany are exclusively reserved for the
German police
Law enforcement in Germany is constitutionally vested solely with the states, which is one of the main features of the German political system.
Policing has always been a responsibility of the German states even after 1871 when the country was ...
. Only in case of an officially declared civil
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
is the German Army is permitted to act within the borders of Germany. Up until now there have been seven cases in which soldiers of Celle Air Base participated in such internal missions.
During the
North Sea flood of 1962
The North Sea flood of 1962 was a natural disaster affecting mainly the coastal regions of West Germany and in particular the city of Hamburg in the night from 16 February to 17 February 1962. In total, the homes of about 60,000 people were ...
evacuation and supply flights particularly in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
and its surrounding areas were performed using the
Sikorsky H-34
The Sikorsky H-34 "Choctaw" (company designation S-58) is an American Reciprocating engine, piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky Aircraft, Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States ...
of the ''Heeresfliegertransportstaffel 823'' (Army Aviation Transport Squadron 823).
In 1975 during the catastrophic
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...
on the
Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen a ...
the ''Heeresfliegerregiment 10'' used its Bell UH-1D helicopters with "Smokeys", water-filled containers hung under the helicopters, for fighting the conflagration. The ground forces of the air base, particularly the airfield fire fighters, also came to the assistance of the emergency services.
In the winter of 1978/1979 severe weather conditions resulted in a disastrous
blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...
affecting the whole of northern Germany. Air traffic control at Celle Air Base in particular distinguished itself by providing around the clock radar assistance for the numerous rescue missions flown.
During the huge
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
ing of the river
Oder
The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows thr ...
in 1997 and the river
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
in 2002 and 2006 several soldiers and equipment from Celle Air Base assisted in securing the
dikes
Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to:
General uses
* Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian"
* Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment
* Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice
* Dikes ...
although at the air base itself normal business continued.
During the
Eschede train disaster
On 3 June 1998, an ICE 1 train derailed and crashed into an overpass that crossed the railroad, which then collapsed onto the train. The crash occurred on the Hannover-Hamburg railway near Eschede in Lower Saxony, Germany. In total, 101 peop ...
on 3 June 1998 Celle Air Base was given the task of coordinating the German Army's massive rescue and salvage operation by land and air. Two of the wrecked
railway carriages, parts of the rails and all relevant
bogie
A bogie ( ) (in some senses called a truck in North American English) is a chassis or framework that carries a wheelset, attached to a vehicle—a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transp ...
s were stored in an empty hangar at Celle Air Base until the investigation into the cause of the accident was completed.
Equipment
![Bolkow Bo-105P1 M des HFlgAusbZentr C](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Bolkow_Bo-105P1_M_des_HFlgAusbZentr_C.jpg)
Celle Air Base is a controlled
military airbase
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
where
visual
The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight (the ...
and
instrument flights are allowed. It is surrounded by a
control zone A control zone (CTR) in aviation is a volume of controlled airspace, usually situated below a control area, normally around an airport, which extends from the ''surface'' to a ''specified upper limit'', established to protect air traffic operating ...
of
airspace class
The world's navigable airspace is divided into three-dimensional segments, each of which is assigned to a specific class. Most nations adhere to the classification specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and described bel ...
"D" which is active during the hours of operation. The
area of responsibility
Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and cond ...
is classified as "E".
Since the air base is mainly used as a training site for helicopter pilots, several grassy areas parallel to the runway are used for the training of emergency landing procedures, for example
autorotation
Autorotation is a state of flight in which the main rotor system of a helicopter or other rotary-wing aircraft turns by the action of air moving up through the rotor, as with an autogyro, rather than engine power driving the rotor. Bensen, Igor ...
and
engine failure
A turbine engine failure occurs when a turbine engine unexpectedly stops producing power due to a malfunction other than fuel exhaustion. It often applies for aircraft, but other turbine engines can fail, like ground-based turbines used in power ...
.
In order to decrease the
noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
level for the inhabitants of Celle, the city having expanded towards the air base over the years, an additional helicopter training site at Scheuen (north of Celle) is used.
Celle Air Base is equipped with a
non-directional beacon
A non-directional beacon (NDB) or non-directional radio beacon is a radio beacon which does not include directional information. Radio beacons are radio transmitters at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. NDB are ...
(
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time. It is also occasionally referred to as ''temporal frequency'' for clarity, and is distinct from ''angular frequency''. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) which is eq ...
: 311
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
, Identification: CEL). This is used for approach and departure procedures of Celle as well as for the airports
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
and
Braunschweig-Wolfsburg and as a
waypoint A waypoint is an intermediate point or place on a route or line of travel, a stopping point or point at which course is changed, the first use of the term tracing to 1880. In modern terms, it most often refers to coordinates which specify one's posi ...
for two
airways (J803 und T803) in
radio navigation
Radio navigation or radionavigation is the application of radio frequencies to determine a position of an object on the Earth, either the vessel or an obstruction. Like radiolocation, it is a type of radiodetermination.
The basic principles a ...
.
Additionally, the airfield is equipped with a
precision approach radar
Precision approach radar (PAR) is a type of radar guidance system designed to provide lateral and vertical guidance to an aircraft pilot for landing, until the landing threshold is reached. Controllers monitoring the PAR displays observe each airc ...
(PAR-80) and
airport surveillance radar (ASR-910).
On the air base an
Aeronautical Information Service
The Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) is a service established in support of international civil aviation, whose objective is to ensure the flow of information necessary for the safety, regularity, and efficiency of international air navigatio ...
, a section of the
Met Office
The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...
and a
fire brigade
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
are located.
All services needed for national and international flights are kept available.
Celle Air Base is an
airport of entry
In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internatio ...
and can be flown to directly from abroad.
For parking and maintenance of aircraft five hangars are used. Each hangar may keep up to 24 helicopters. The apron offers space for about 40 aircraft of various types. Additional space is offered in the north-, the southwest- and southeast-spider. These are spider-like platforms for aircraft, partly covered with trees and bushes as during the Cold War. Most of these platforms are no longer in active use but can be activated for military exercises.
Jet fuel
Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial a ...
is provided by tank lorries.
A subterranean refuelling station with filling abilities close to the
taxiway
A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller general aviation airports sometimes use gravel ...
is available but used only very occasionally.
Arresting gear
An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
is not available.
''Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 100'' (Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100) is a specialised unit and unique within the German Army. It performs the highest grade of maintenance for the helicopter
Bölkow Bo-105 and is therefore responsible for all helicopters of this type used in the German Army. In contrast, the other units at Celle may perform only general maintenance for the Bölkow Bo-105 and
Bell UH-1D. At present, other types of aircraft cannot be maintained but only served.
![Landende Galaxy auf dem Heeresflugplatz Celle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Landende_Galaxy_auf_dem_Heeresflugplatz_Celle.jpg)
The dimensions of the runway generally allow landing and take-off of nearly all existing aircraft. Until now, the largest aircraft to land at and take off from Celle was a
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed, and now maintained and upgraded by its successor, Lockheed Martin. It provides the United States Air Force (USAF) with a heavy intercontinental-rang ...
in 1972.
Use
Being a military airbase within
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
Celle is generally available for aircraft of the German armed forces, Allied forces and the
German Police
Law enforcement in Germany is constitutionally vested solely with the states, which is one of the main features of the German political system.
Policing has always been a responsibility of the German states even after 1871 when the country was ...
but restricted by a so-called "PPR" (Prior Permission Request) regulation. This means that pilots intending to approach Celle need a permission prior to departure from their original base. This regulations aims to protect the population living near the airbase from noise pollution made by military aircraft.
For arrival and departure of civilian aircraft a prior request and permission in writing or a contract for using the airfield is needed, the exception being aircraft in
distress.
Additionally to the flying and support units, other military units are based at Celle Air Base, using the military infrastructure but not necessarily need an airfield to perform their tasks.
Flying units
Aviation Training Centre C
![HFlgAusbZ C](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/HFIgWaS_AusbZ_C.jpg)
Celle Air Base is mainly used as a training airfield for prospective helicopter pilots and therefore part of the German Army Aviation School whose headquarters is in Bückeburg. The training by Army Aviation Training Centre C (''Heeresfliegerausbildungszentrum C'') is performed on Bell UH-1D and Bölkow Bo-105 and contains the following tasks:
* training of prospective pilots in simulated emergency situations such as engine failure, autorotation, failure of rear rotor and failure of hydraulic or other systems
* retraining of pilots who had piloted only other helicopter systems
* training of prospective flight instructors
* special helicopter courses
* training of own pilots
* disaster relief
Following the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces this unit will be disbanded.
Flight support units
Geo-Information Service Unit Celle
![AGeoBw](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/AGeoBw.jpg)
The Geo-Information Service Unit Celle (''Geoinformationsberatungsstelle Celle'') functions predominantly as the local
Met Office
The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...
of Celle Air Base. The unit is responsible for weather information which is passed on to air traffic control, and weather forecasts for pilots. The unit is permanently on duty even when the airfield itself is closed. Around the clock weather observations are fed into a worldwide data system.
Celle Air Base Fire Services
![HFlPlFw Celle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/HFlPlFeuerw_Celle.jpg)
Celle Air Base Fire Services (''Heeresflugplatzfeuerwehr Celle'') is given the task of fire fighting, rescuing and technical assistance on the air base. Celle Air Base Fire Services are on 24 hours stand-by even at times when the airfield is officially closed. In case of
aviation accidents
An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...
or emergency situations Celle Air Base Fire Services are responsible for coordinating and instigating the initial actions on the airfield and its immediate surroundings.
When the helicopter training site Scheuen is used for pilot training, a small contingent of fire fighters from Celle Air Base are temporarily stationed there.
Medical Services Squadron Celle-Wietzenbruch
Medical Services Squadron Celle-Wietzenbruch (''Sanitätsstaffel Celle-Wietzenbruch'') consisting of
general practitioners and
dentists
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofacial comp ...
supported by two
flight surgeons, are responsible for the medical care of all soldiers stationed at Celle Air Base.
In case of aviation accidents or emergency situations the flight surgeons together with the fire services are responsible for the rescue of and attendance to victims.
Garrison Administrative Services
![BwDLZ Hannover](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/BwDLZ_Hannover.jpg)
German law stipulates a separation between military tasks and civil administration within the armed forces. The garrisons are administrated by a civilian force which is responsible for the facilities by ensuring technical standards, the general maintenance of the area and its buildings, and putting the base at the disposal of the military. The administrative force (''Standortservice'') is stationed at the garrison and is subordinate to the German Armed Forces Administrative Service Centre Hanover (''Bundeswehrdienstleistungszentrum Hannover'').
Military chaplaincy
![Katholische Militaerseelsorge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Katholische_Militaerseelsorge.svg)
For spiritual welfare an
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
is available which is used alternately by a
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
minister and a
catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest with services being held monthly.
The official residence of the
military chaplain
A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations.
Although the term ''cha ...
s (''Militärseelsorger'') is Hanover. They are part of the "
psychosocial
The psychosocial approach looks at individuals in the context of the combined influence that psychological factors and the surrounding social environment have on their physical and mental wellness and their ability to function. This approach is ...
network of help" in cases of flight accidents and other incidents causing possible psychological trauma to the personnel involved. The network consists of flight surgeons, chaplains and members of the other social services of the German armed forces. The network attends to people affected by stressful situations related to flight incidents, their relatives as well as the rescue teams.
Facilities for other
religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name and tradition among other activities.
The term refers to the various Christian denominations (for example, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and the many varie ...
s are not available.
Non-flying units
Garrison commander
![Bundeswehr Kreuz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Bundeswehr_Kreuz.svg)
The garrison commander (''Standortältester Celle'') is the official representative of the garrison of Celle towards the city and district of Celle as well as the local press. He functions as the contact person for the civil authorities particularly in cases where assistance from the armed forces is required and for disaster relief. The garrison commander supervises all units and barracks of the German Army at Celle Air Base and its immediate surroundings. He coordinates affairs of common interest, for example the use of
military exercise
A military exercise or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat. This also serves the purpose of ensuring the com ...
areas and
shooting range
A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, sports venue, venue or playing field, field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or shooting sport, competitions. So ...
s.
NCO for Reservist Liaisons
![LKdoNds](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/LKdo_Niedersachsen.gif)
This is a small unit consisting of only one NCO (''
Feldwebel
''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupi ...
für Reservistenangelegenheiten''). His responsibility is the liaison between the army and the army's reservists living in the districts
Celle
Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...
and
Soltau-Fallingbostel
Heidekreis ("Heath district") is a district (''Landkreis'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Harburg, Lüneburg, Uelzen, Celle, Hanover, Nienburg, Verden and Rotenburg.
History
Histo ...
, particularly the organisation of information and training events for former army personnel and to support them during reserve exercises. He keeps in close contact with the Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces (''Verband der Reservisten der Deutschen Bundeswehr'').
The NCO for Reservist Liaisons is subordinate to Military Command Lower Saxony (''
Landeskommando Niedersachen'').
Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces
![COA Reservistenverband BW](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/COA_Reservistenverband_BW.svg)
The Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces (''Verband der Reservisten der Deutschen Bundeswehr'') is supported and financed by the state of Germany and attends to all matters concerning reservists on behalf of the
German federal parliament. The association's office on the air base is responsible for the district of Celle.
It works in close contact with the NCO for Reservist Liaisons and offers regular events for its members and publishes a biannual newsletter.
Disbanded units
Driving Instruction Centre Celle
![KfAusbZentr Celle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/KfAusbZentr_Celle.png)
Regardless of their previous
driving qualifications members of the German armed forces need an additional driver's licence before being allowed to use a military vehicle. The Driving Instruction Centre (''Kraftfahrausbildungszentrum Celle'') provided training for vehicles of the classes B and BCE as well as training for
driving instructors.
On 31 December 2010 the Driving Instruction Centre Celle was disbanded. Its task will be taken over by other training centres.
Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100
![HFlgVerbAufklStff 100](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/HFlgVerbAufklStff_100.gif)
Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100 (''Heeresfliegerverbindungs- und Aufklärungsstaffel 100'') performed liaison flights mainly throughout north and east Germany and took part in national and international exercises. Its tasks were:
* liaison flights between units of Airmobile Brigade 1 (''Luftbewegliche Brigade 1'') and other units of the German Army
*
VIP
A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots.
Examples inc ...
-flights of military personnel and politicians
* performing own exercises and taking part in exercises of other units
* rescue and reconnaissance flights
* training of own pilots
* disaster relief
Following the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces this unit was disbanded.
Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100
![Verbandsabzeichen Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 100](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/HFlgInstStff_100_%28V1%29.gif)
Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 (''Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 100'') was a specialised unit for maintenance of the Bölkow Bo-105. The squadron was unique within the German armed forces in that it was responsible for the entire fleet of this type of helicopter. Costly maintenance work, overhauls and repairs which units equipped with the Bölkow Bo-105 were not capable of carrying out, due to lack of either equipment or knowledge, were flown to Celle where the necessary repairs were performed. Afterwards the aircraft was returned to their home base.
Following the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces this unit was disbanded in 2013.
Army Aviation Squadron 109
![HFlgAusbStff 8I](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/HFlgAusbStff_8I.jpg)
Army Aviation Squadron 109 (''Heeresfliegerstaffel 109'') was the basic military training unit for volunteers. Additionally, the squadron provided specialist military courses for soldiers destined for missions abroad.
Soldiers of NCO rank intended to be used for guard duty received their theoretical and practical training in order to qualify as guard commander at Army Aviation Squadron 109.
Following the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces this unit was disbanded in 2013.
Other uses
Until the 1980s, members of the aristocracy, particularly of British provenience, as well as other persons of the public life
used the possibility to land on a military airfield where journalists and photographers have no access. The most famous of these were the
"Queen Mum" Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of Ki ...
in 1965,
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
in 1967
and 1984,
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
and
Diana in 1987
as well as Princess
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.
Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband ...
in 1965.
Today Celle is only occasionally used by members of the
British Royal Family for visits to the British troops stationed in Celle and
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
or for cultivating the traditional relationship between the
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the reigning royal house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. In 1901, a line of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (itself a cadet branch of the House of Wettin) succeeded the House of Hanover to t ...
and Celle originating in
Sophia Dorothea of Celle
Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle (15 September 1666 – 13 November 1726) was the repudiated wife of future King George I of Great Britain. The union with George, her first cousin, was a marriage of state, arranged by her father Geor ...
.
Due to the massive reduction of British forces in Germany and their redeployment out of Germany the importance of Celle for such visits has been decreasing since the 1990s. On average there are about three visits of this kind per year. Heads of states have not landed at Celle Air Base since 1984.
Significance and future development
Celle Air Base is an important economic factor in the structurally weak Celle region.
The air base spends approximately 3.5 Million
Euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
annually on building and maintenance works and an additional 3 Million Euro per year on facility management (2006).
More than 2000 soldiers,
civil servants
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
and ancillary staff are employed at the base.
Nearly all of the younger generation of the German armed forces' helicopter pilots have at some stage during their training passed through Celle Air Base.
This will continue in future as all prospective helicopter pilots of the armed forces are destined to receive their training here.
Training flights as well as missions throughout Germany are flown from Celle Air Base. Due to the role of Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 helicopter units from all over Germany head for Celle Air Base.
Combined with areas controlled by the military air bases Bückeburg, Wunstorf and Faßberg (southwest to northeast) the airspace surrounding Celle is part of a larger area of responsibility which represents one of the largest connected military air spaces near the ground in Germany. This enables military flights inside this area to remain solely under military control.
Due to its proximity to the large
military training areas Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
and
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
Celle Air Base occasionally participates national and international
manoeuvres when military aircraft are involved.
In contrast to other air bases like
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Celle Air Base is relatively unknown within Germany. Apart from local newspapers and internal media of the German Army it is rarely mentioned in the press.
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work ...
does not take place at Celle Air Base.
Due to an increase in costs and in order to decrease the noise pollution for the population flight simulators are increasingly used. Only the essential elements of flight training are practised by using actual helicopters. By 2012 the German armed forces had intend to have implemented the new Tiger and NH-90 helicopters. Consequently, training on the Bell UH-1D was to be reduced and terminated in September 2010. The remaining Bell UH-1D helicopters were handed over to Faßberg Air Base where they will be flown until the delivery of the new NH-90 helicopter. The practicing of autorotation was to be continued at Celle as this could not be trained on the standard helicopter for initial flight training, the
Eurocopter EC-135
The Eurocopter EC135 (now Airbus Helicopters H135) is a twin-engine civil light utility helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters (formerly known as Eurocopter). It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and is outfitted with ...
stationed at the main base of Army Aviation School at Bückeburg.
However, with the forthcoming discontinuation of flying activities at Celle Air Base, the practice of autoration will be trained elesewhere.
Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 was to remain responsible for the entire fleet of Bölkow Bo-105 of the German armed forces. Apart from missions flown by Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100, training flights of the Army Aviation School were also supposed to continue at Celle since, in view of cost-effectiveness and noise pollution, it was thought that this task could not be managed by a single airfield alone.
Nevertheless, due to the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces both Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 and Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100 were disbanded.
In October 2011 the German
Federal Ministry of Defence
The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The ministry is headquartered at ...
announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a consequence, some units stationed at Celle Air Base ceased to exist. These units were either disbanded or relocated to and integrated into the International Helicopter Training Centre at Bückeburg. The facilities at Celle are also to be used to house a regional medical treatment facility, a non-commissioned officer candidate battalion, an air manoeuvre training centre and a fire brigade unit. The number of military personnel at the air base will be reduced from 1080 to 400.
Criticism
![Bell UH-1D auf dem Heeresflugplatz Celle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Bell_UH-1D_auf_dem_Heeresflugplatz_Celle.jpg)
In the course of time the city of Celle has expanded towards the actual air base, a development which occurred at other military airfields too.
[Compared aerial 1949 and approach direction 26 nowadays] Since the inception of the air base the attitude of the public towards the military and its training facilities has changed significantly. The first complaints about aircraft noise were published in the local newspapers shortly after the German Army Aviation Corps took control of the air base.
The complaints reached a climax in 1965 when plans were made public to have a second runway, leading from the northeast to the southwest, built at Celle Air Base and to have a
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
of
strike fighter
In current military parlance, a strike fighter is a multirole combat aircraft designed to operate both as an attack aircraft and as an air superiority fighter. As a category, it is distinct from fighter-bombers. It is closely related to the c ...
s stationed at the airfield. Residents, mostly from Wietzenbruch, founded a
voluntary association
A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteering, volunteers, to form a body (or organ ...
and petitioned the federal parliament.
The plans were abandoned and after the
Federal Ministry had given assurances that only helicopters would be stationed at Celle Air Base the association dissolved. The noise produced by the helicopters, however, remained a subject of contention in local newspapers.
Since the 1990s areas directly to the north of the air base
have been demarcated for
land development
Land development is the alteration of landscape in any number of ways such as:
* Changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing
* Subdividing real estate into lots, typically for the purpose ...
, namely Westercelle,
and Altencelle.
These areas are situated directly beneath the approach path of runway 26.
Even though developers and prospective buyers were previously informed
regarding the proximity of the airfield and also benefited from reduced house prices, some did not realise the actual effects of living close to an active airfield, particularly during periods of night flight training, which has led to numerous complaints.
Following
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
Army Aviation Regiment 16 equipped with helicopters of the type Bölkow Bo-105 remained the only flying unit at Celle. The disbandment of this regiment in 2002 and the subsequent establishment of the helicopter training school from 2003 onwards resulted in a significant increase in air traffic and brought the issue of noise pollution back on the agenda. When helicopters of the type Bell UH-1D were relocated to Celle Air Base in the spring of 2005 it caused additional protest by the population living in the vicinity of the airfield. The sound made by the rotor blades (colloquially called "
carpet beater
A carpet beater or carpetbeater (also referred to as a rug beater, carpet whip, rug whip, clothes-beater, dust beater, carpet duster, wicker slapper, rug duster, or pillow fluffer, and formerly also as a carpet cleaner or rug cleaner) is a ho ...
") is perceived as particularly noisy in comparison with the Bölkow Bo-105. Many residents who had bought houses or had them built during the relatively silent years were surprised by this new intensity of aircraft noise.
As a reaction to this criticism units based at Celle voluntarily restrict themselves to circle the aerodrome only over the mostly uninhabited area to the south of the air base and to avoid training approaches over Westercelle as much as possible. Flight movements at lunch time are kept to a minimum. Approach as well as departure over densely populated areas is prohibited.
These restrictions relieve the built-up areas surrounding the air base of noise pollution to a certain degree. They have, however, the effect that flight movements are now channelled along the remaining routes permitted leading to an increase of noise and of annoyance to the population affected. Since many retired soldiers and staff formerly working at the base still live in and around Celle there are not only critics of the air base but also supporters who voice their opinion in various forums and
letters to the editor
A letter to the editor (LTE) is a letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional mai ...
stressing the economic factor of the air base and the fact that the air base had existed since 1934 so that the opponents were in full knowledge of its existence when they bought property at reduced prices in its vicinity.
Reference in Literature
Celle Air Base is mentioned in
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...
's 1975 novella ''
The Shepherd
''The Shepherd'' is a 1975 novella by British writer Frederick Forsyth.
Plot
''The Shepherd'' relates the story of a De Havilland Vampire pilot, going home on Christmas Eve 1957, whose aircraft suffers a complete electrical failure en route f ...
'', as the point of departure of the pilot flying home to England from Germany at Christmas 1957.
See also
*
List of former units and aircraft of Celle Air Base
*
Army Aviation
An army aviation unit is an aviation-related unit of a nation's army, sometimes described as an air corps. These units are generally separate from a nation's dedicated air force, and usually comprise helicopters and light support fixed-wing airc ...
References
Further reading
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{{authority control
German airbases
German army aviation
Buildings and structures in Lower Saxony
Celle
Airports in Lower Saxony