Cheb Airport
Encyclopedia
Cheb Airport (ICAO
: LKCB) is the oldest airport
on area of the Czech Republic
. It is located 4,5 km from city of Cheb
(in German
Eger).
The airport was built during the World War I
to serve needs of the Austro-Hungarian Army
. In 1918, when Czechoslovakia was created, it was the only working airport in the country. The first airplanes for the newly formed Czechoslovakian Army were obtained from the airport. Later, the army set up a pilot training center next to the airport.
During World War II
Germans built a large aircraft factory (Eger Flugzeugwerke GmbH) next to the airport. The factory produced Heinkel He 177
, He 219
and Messerschmitt Me 262
. American bombing at the end of war destroyed the airport and the factory.
In the airport is located VOR
/DME
station (call sign
OKG).
Airport was reopened 19.8.2010 as public domestic aerodrome and operational availability is VFR
DAY.
ICAO airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic...
: LKCB) is the oldest airport
Airport
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...
on area of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It is located 4,5 km from city of Cheb
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
(in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Eger).
The airport was built during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to serve needs of the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
. In 1918, when Czechoslovakia was created, it was the only working airport in the country. The first airplanes for the newly formed Czechoslovakian Army were obtained from the airport. Later, the army set up a pilot training center next to the airport.
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...
Germans built a large aircraft factory (Eger Flugzeugwerke GmbH) next to the airport. The factory produced Heinkel He 177
Heinkel He 177
The Heinkel He 177 Greif was the only operational long-range bomber to be operated by the Luftwaffe. Starting its existence as Germany's first purpose-built heavy bomber just before the war, and built in large numbers during World War II, it was also mistakenly tasked, right from its beginnings,...
, He 219
Heinkel He 219
The Heinkel He 219 Uhu was a night fighter that served with the German Luftwaffe in the later stages of World War II. A relatively sophisticated design, the He 219 possessed a variety of innovations, including an advanced VHF-band intercept radar...
and Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
. American bombing at the end of war destroyed the airport and the factory.
In the airport is located VOR
VHF omnidirectional range
VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
/DME
Distance Measuring Equipment
Distance measuring equipment is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals....
station (call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
OKG).
Airport was reopened 19.8.2010 as public domestic aerodrome and operational availability is VFR
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
DAY.
Literature
- Luděk Matějíček: Chebská křídla (Wings from Cheb), 2006, ISBN 80-86808-27-0.
External links
- Airport Cheb
- Photo gallery of the airport and military barracks before the war (descriptions in Czech)
- Photo gallery of the destroyed airport in May 1945 (descriptions in Czech)