Banak Air Station
Encyclopedia
Station Group Banak formerly Banak Air Station, is located in Porsanger
in Finnmark
, Norway
. It is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force
, which has two Westland Sea King
helicopters that are used for search and rescue
operations, mostly over the Barents Sea
. The station group is co-located with the civilian Lakselv Airport, Banak
. The Sea King helicopters are part of the 330 Squadron located at Sola Air Station
. One helicopter is on standby at all times. The air station is administratively under Bodø Main Air Station
. The air station is the most northern operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. 50 people work at Banak.
was in 1938, when the military constructed a small gravel field diagonal to today's runway
. The original runway is still partially visible in areas with little vegetation.
During World War II
the German occupying forces expanded the airport, with hangar
s, workshops and hospitals in addition to defensive positions. The buildings and installations were destroyed during the German retreat in 1944.
After the war the airport was taken over by the Air Force, but the runway's wooden surface was cannibalized
because of material shortage during the reconstruction of Northern Norway. From 1951 the runway was unusable, and activities temporarily ceased.
Banak Air Station opened again in 1963, along with the other two primary airports in Finnmark, Alta Airport
and Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen
. The airport was financed through NATO and in addition to being a military air station was also host to a civilian airport. The air station has since expanded multiple times to meet military and civilian requirements.
West of the air station was the fortification Banak Fort. In 1958 Norway started a self-imposed no fly zone west of 24 degrees east, just west of Banak. Between 1988 and 1995 the Air Force station at Kautokeino
was administratively under Banak.
Porsanger
Porsanger or Porsáŋgu or Porsanki is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lakselv...
in Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
, which has two Westland Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
helicopters that are used for search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
operations, mostly over the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
. The station group is co-located with the civilian Lakselv Airport, Banak
Lakselv Airport, Banak
Lakselv Airport, Banak is located 1,5 km from the town of Lakselv in the municipality of Porsanger in Finnmark county, in northern Norway. The airport also serves Karasjok, some 74 km to the south, with a corresponding airport coach six days a week...
. The Sea King helicopters are part of the 330 Squadron located at Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station in Sola municipality in Norway is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Air Wing 134 is stationed at Sola along with helicopter Squadron 330....
. One helicopter is on standby at all times. The air station is administratively under Bodø Main Air Station
Bodø Main Air Station
Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station Bodø Main Air Station (Norwegian: Bodø hovedflystasjon is situated just outside Bodø, Norway and is the largest air station in Norway, operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The air station is home to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons of...
. The air station is the most northern operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. 50 people work at Banak.
History
The first use of Banak as an airportAirport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
was in 1938, when the military constructed a small gravel field diagonal to today's runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. The original runway is still partially visible in areas with little vegetation.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the German occupying forces expanded the airport, with hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s, workshops and hospitals in addition to defensive positions. The buildings and installations were destroyed during the German retreat in 1944.
After the war the airport was taken over by the Air Force, but the runway's wooden surface was cannibalized
Cannibalization of machine parts
Cannibalization of machine parts, in maintenance of mechanical or electronic systems with interchangeable parts, refers to the practice of removing parts or subsystems necessary for repair from another similar device, rather than from inventory, usually when resources become limited...
because of material shortage during the reconstruction of Northern Norway. From 1951 the runway was unusable, and activities temporarily ceased.
Banak Air Station opened again in 1963, along with the other two primary airports in Finnmark, Alta Airport
Alta Airport
Alta Airport is the airport of Alta, Norway. It is located about northeast of the town center of Alta, near the community Elvebakken on the southern shore of the Altafjord. The airport has a single paved runway. The government-owned Avinor is responsible for operations...
and Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen
Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen
Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen is the airport serving Kirkenes in eastern Finnmark, Norway. Høybuktmoen is located west of Kirkenes, at the base of a peninsula jutting into Varangerfjord...
. The airport was financed through NATO and in addition to being a military air station was also host to a civilian airport. The air station has since expanded multiple times to meet military and civilian requirements.
West of the air station was the fortification Banak Fort. In 1958 Norway started a self-imposed no fly zone west of 24 degrees east, just west of Banak. Between 1988 and 1995 the Air Force station at Kautokeino
Kautokeino
or Guovdageaidnu , is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino...
was administratively under Banak.
External links
- Royal Norwegian Air Force page on Station Group Banak (in Norwegian)