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RAF Luqa
Royal Air Force Luqa (or more simply RAF Luqa) is a former Royal Air Force station located on the island of Malta, now developed into the Malta International Airport. It hosted aircraft of Air Headquarters Malta (AHQ Malta) during the Second World War. Particularly during the Siege of Malta from 1941 to 1943, RAF Luqa was a very important base for British Commonwealth forces fighting against Italy and Germany for naval control of the Mediterranean and for ground control of North Africa. Air combat over and near Malta was some of the most ferocious of the war, and a series of airfields were built on the small, rocky island: at Luqa, Ta' Qali, and Hal Far, plus satellite fields at Safi, Qrendi and on Malta's second island of Gozo. History Second World War No. 1435 (Night Fighter) Flight was first formed at Malta as a night fighter unit on 4 December 1941, by re-designating the Malta Night Fighter Unit. In July 1942, personnel from No. 603 Squadron were equipped with t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Former Royal Air Force Stations
This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force. They are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the duration of operation. During 1991, the RAF had several Military Emergency Diversion Aerodrome (MEDA) airfields: RAF Kinloss, Leeming, Valley, Waddington, Wattisham & Lyneham ended their role from 1 March 1991, leaving Brize Norton, Manston, Leuchars and St Mawgan with the role. __TOC__ British Isles Chain Home, Chain Home Low, Chain Home Extra Low, ROTOR and tropo-scatter stations Notes: Some of the Chain Home Low sites were co-located with the larger Chain Home radars. Chain Home Extra Low equipment was co-located with "Chain Home" and "Chain Home Low" as well as at separate sites, but were of a less permanent nature, usually with mobile equipment. ROTOR was the post war Radar interception system created from existing radar installatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Maintenance Base Safi
Royal Air Force Safi was a Royal Air Force maintenance base located on the island of Malta, which started life in 1941 as a diversion airstrip for the main operating bases such as nearby RAF Luqa. Other diversion airstrips similar in function to Safi were located at RAF Krendi and on Malta's second island of Gozo. History Second World War RAF Safi was constructed at a time when Malta was under intense aerial bombardment and Malta's Air Command needed to have alternative diversion airstrips on Malta, as the RAF's main operating bases were being bombed. Construction started in 1941 and the strips were ready for use in 1942. The base was officially inaugurated by AOC Malta Sir Keith Park in May 1943, but had been completed by 1942; it would remain operational throughout the War in the Mediterranean. Post war After the war, Safi was reduced in function, becoming a maintenance base. In April 1957 the then Maltese Prime Minister Mr Dom Mintoff requested that the UK Government con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Air Stations Of The Royal Navy
This is a list of naval air stations of the Royal Navy. Naval air stations are shore establishments of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the branch of the Royal Navy (RN) responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. Historically, RNAS referred to the Royal Naval Air Service, which was the aviation branch of the Royal Navy. This merged in 1918 with the Royal Flying Corps, of the British Army, to form an independent service, the Royal Air Force (RAF). Currently the abbreviation RNAS stands for "Royal Naval Air Station", and in common with Royal Air Force station naming convention, is always followed by a geographical place in which the air station is located. Between 1918 and 1939, the Royal Air Force had provided the Fleet Air Arm to the Royal Navy, and Royal Naval Air Stations were consequently operated by Royal Air force personnel. On 24 May 1939, operation of the Fleet Air Arm was returned to full Admiralty control under the '' Inskip Award'', with Royal Air Force personnel r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luqa Airfield Malta Aerial Photo 1941
Luqa ( , ) is a town located in the Southern Region of Malta, 4.3 km away from the capital Valletta. With a population of 5,945 as of March 2014, it is a small but densely populated settlement which is typical of Malta's older towns and villages. Luqa is centered around a main square which contains a church dedicated to St. Andrew. The patron saint's traditional feast is celebrated on the first Sunday of July, with the liturgical feast being celebrated on 30 November. The Malta International Airport is located in Luqa. Notable residents of the town included Michelangelo Sapiano (1826–1912), a well-known clockmaker and inventor whose work includes the clock in the parish church's belfry. The house where he lived is located on Pawlu Magri Street. History In 1592 the village of Luqa was hit by a plague epidemic, which hit all the population of Malta and caused many deaths. A sign of this sad episode is the cemetery found in Carmel Street, Alley 4 where people were buried ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BAe Nimrod
The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a retired maritime patrol aircraft developed and operated by the United Kingdom. It was an extensive modification of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first operational jet airliner. It was originally designed by de Havilland's successor firm, Hawker Siddeley; further development and maintenance work was undertaken by Hawker Siddeley's own successor companies, British Aerospace and, later, BAE Systems. Designed in response to a requirement issued by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to replace its fleet of ageing Avro Shackletons, the ''Nimrod MR1''/''MR2''s were fixed-wing aerial platforms primarily for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations; secondary roles included maritime surveillance and anti-surface warfare. It served from the early 1970s until March 2010.Cook, James"Final air miles for 'spy in the sky' crews."''BBC,'' 26 March 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010. The intended replacement was to be extensively rebuilt Nimrod MR2s, designate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007 when it merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations – No. 1 Group RAF and No. 2 Group RAF. The last Commander-in-Chief was Air Chief Marshal Sir Joe French. History Strike Command was formed on 30 April 1968 by the merger of Bomber Command and Fighter Command, which became No. 1 Group and No. 11 Group respectively. Signals Command was absorbed on 1 January 1969, Coastal Command was absorbed on 28 November 1969, becoming No. 18 Group RAF. The former component Coastal Command groups became the Northern Maritime Air Region and Southern Maritime Air Region. Air Support Command (formerly Transport Command) was absorbed on 1 September 1972, becoming No. 46 Group RAF. NATO Role In 1975, the Command doubled as NATO, Commander-i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Wyton
Royal Air Force Wyton or more simply RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is decommissioned and the station is now under the command of Strategic Command (United Kingdom), UK Strategic Command. RAF Wyton is home to the National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence (NCGI), which provides Open-source intelligence, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Geospatial intelligence, Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) support to HM Armed Forces. It also contains the Ministry of Defence Police Headquarters, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation Regional Headquarters, 42 Engineer Regiment (Geographic), and several other UK and Allied capabilities, authorities, and departments. Located within the station, the Pathfinder Building is described as the "operations centre of Defence Intelligence" and the “largest Top Secret, Five Eyes, Five-Eyes by design, military intelligence fusio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilland Mosquito fast bomber. Among the performance requirements for the type was an outstanding high-altitude bombing capability and high speed. These were partly accomplished by making use of newly developed jet-propulsion technology. When the Canberra was introduced to service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the type's first operator, in May 1951, it became the service's first jet-powered bomber. In February 1951, a Canberra set another world record when it became the first jet aircraft to make a nonstop transatlantic flight. Throughout most of the 1950s, the Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other aircraft in the world, and in 1957, a Canberra established a Flight altitude record, world altitude record of . Due to its ability ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avro Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) which was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the South African Air Force (SAAF). It was developed by Avro from their Lincoln bomber, which itself had been a development of the famous wartime Lancaster bomber. The Shackleton was developed during the late 1940s as part of Britain's military response to the rapid expansion of the Soviet Navy, in particular its submarine force. Produced as the primary type equipping RAF Coastal Command, the ''Type 696'' as it was initially designated, incorporated major elements of the Lincoln, as well as the Avro Tudor airliner, and was furnished with an extensive electronics suite in order to perform the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission, along with much-improved crew facilities due to the long mission times involved in patrol work. The type was named ''Shackleton'', after the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The Shackleton entered operational service with the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RAF Khormaksar
Royal Air Force Khormaksar or more simply RAF Khormaksar is a former Royal Air Force station in Aden, Yemen. Its motto was "Into the Remote Places". During the 1960s, it was the base for nine squadrons and became the RAF's busiest-ever station as well as the biggest staging post for the RAF between the United Kingdom and Singapore. It later became Aden International Airport. History Established in 1917, RAF Khormaksar was enlarged in 1945. No. 8 Squadron RAF arrived in 1927, and stayed until 1945, operating the Fairey IIIF, Vickers Vincent, Hawker Demon, Martin Maryland, Fairey Swordfish, and the Lockheed Hudson. On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France, and Aden quickly became an important British base for the East African Campaign. Khormaksar launched its first combat sorties three days later, when 8 Squadron sent nine Bristol Blenheims to bomb an airfield at Assab in Italian Eritrea, across the Red Sea from Aden on 12 June. Five Vincents attacking ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such as a runway for a airplane, plane to take off and to land or a helipad, and often includes adjacent utility buildings such as Air traffic control, control towers, hangars and airport terminal, terminals, to maintain and monitor aircraft. Larger airports may have airport aprons, taxiway bridges, air traffic control centres, passenger facilities such as restaurants and Airport lounge, lounges, and emergency services. In some countries, the US in particular, airports also typically have one or more fixed-base operators, serving general aviation. Airport operations are extremely complex, with a complicated system of aircraft support services, passenger services, and aircraft control services contained within the operation. Thus airpor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so with the primary objective of re-opening the Straits of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba as the recent tightening of the eight-year-long Egyptian blockade further prevented Israeli passage. After issuing a joint ultimatum for a ceasefire, the United Kingdom and France joined the Israelis on 5 November, seeking to depose Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and regain control of the Suez Canal, which Nasser had earlier nationalised by transferring administrative control from the foreign-owned Suez Canal Company to Egypt's new government-owned Suez Canal Authority. Shortly after the invasion began, the three countries came under heavy political pressure from both the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as from the United Nations, even ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
