Llanbedr Airport
Encyclopedia
History
Llanbedr AirfieldSnowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
near the village of Llanbedr
Llanbedr
Llanbedr is a village in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd, Wales.The village originally grew around the slate quarrying industry. Attractions in Llanbedr include Neolithic standing stones and Bronze Age hut circles. The Morfa Dyffryn sand dunes and Mochras lie nearby...
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, northwest Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It opened in 1941 as part of RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
's 12 Group. During its life, the base has been known as:
- RAF Llanbedr until 1957
- RAERoyal Aircraft EstablishmentThe Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
Llanbedr until 1992 - T&EE Llanbedr until 1995,(Test & Evaluation Establishment)
- DERADefence Evaluation and Research AgencyThe Defence Evaluation and Research Agency was a part of the UK Ministry of Defence until July 2, 2001. At the time it was the United Kingdom's largest science and technology organisation...
Llanbedr until 2001, when most of DERA became QinetiQQinetiQQinetiq is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , when it was split up in June 2001...
.
The site was (from Spring 1942) an operational base for Towed Target (and in 1943, became the home of the RAF's No. 12 Fighter Gunnery School), and later, Target Drone
Target drone
A target drone is an unmanned, remote controlled aerial vehicle, usually used in the training of anti-aircraft crews.In their simplest form, target drones often resemble radio controlled model aircraft...
services to the UK Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
. Target provision services were typically to the Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales....
Ranges (UK Danger Area EGD201, under the control of Aberporth
Aberporth Airport
Aberporth Airport is an airport near the village of Aberporth, in the county of Ceredigion, West Wales. The site is being developed as "" for domestic flights within Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom. The airport is also developing as a centre for the deployment of civil and military...
) but Llanbedr targets also worked other UK ranges, including the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
range off the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
and occasionally overseas.
Post RAF and the closure
From 1957, civilianisation of the base services (typically airfield operation) began with Short BrothersShort Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
holding a series of contracts until 1979, when Airwork Services
Airwork Services
During the post-war period Airwork also further expanded its business into civil aviation. This expansion was financed by its wealthy shareholders, including Lord Cowdray, Whitehall Securities, the Blue Star shipping line, Furness Withy and Thomas Loel Evelyn Bulkeley Guinness.Airwork's other air...
took over and held them until 1991. In 1991, contracts and scope of work changed again and FR Serco
Serco Group
Serco Group plc is a government services company based in Hook, North Hampshire in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
took over its running.
Secondarily, it served as a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
V-bomber dispersal airfield, more recently used for military weapons training. The site closed in 2004. Navigational and ATC equipment was removed by the military and the site put up for sale.
Recent events
In recent years, the site has been used for agricultural purposes under the terms of an agreement with the Welsh Assembly Government, the current site owners.It was reported in February 2008 that Welsh Ministers had awarded preferred bidder status for a 125 year lease to the operators of Kemble Airport near Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
. In May 2008, the Snowdonia Society
Snowdonia Society
The Snowdonia Society is a members based environmental charity. Formed in 1967, it is concerned with all aspects of the Snowdonia National Park. Members take part in practical activities to improve the environment and engage in campaigns to prevent inappropriate development in the area...
, the Brecon Beacons Park Society
Brecon Beacons Park Society
The Brecon Beacons Park Society is an environmental organisation with charitable status dedicated to 'advanc the enhancement, protection and conservation of the countryside and other amenities of the Brecon Beacons National Park for the benefit of the public' and, 'to advanc the education of the...
and the Friends of Pembrokeshire National Park formed an alliance against the development of a new civilian airport at the site without a full public debate "best achieved by making an application for planning permission".
This campaign has been opposed by members of the local population who are in favour of the reuse and redevelopent of the site. A paper-based petition in favour of Kemble's plans for the airfield attracted over a thousand signatures, while an e-petition from the Snowdonia Society received 156.
In December 2008, the Welsh Assembly Government gave the go-head for Kemble to take over the airfield, subject to Kemble obtaining the "relevant permissions and consents." In November 2009, the Snowdonia National Park Authority took external legal advice and refused to issue certificates of lawful use to Kemble. In August 2011, a certificate was granted to Llanbedr Airfield Estates for use of the airport to test and develop unmanned aerial vehicles.
Target tug
- Miles MartinetMiles Martinet|-See also:-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
TT.I - Westland LysanderWestland LysanderThe Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
TT.III - Bristol BeaufighterBristol BeaufighterThe Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
TT.10 - de Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland MosquitoThe de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
TT.35 - Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
TT.20 - English Electric CanberraEnglish Electric CanberraThe English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
B.2(TT), TT.18
Target drones
- Fairey FireflyFairey FireflyThe Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm ....
U.8, U.9 - Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
U.14, U.15, U.16 - GAF JindivikGAF JindivikThe GAF Jindivik is a target drone produced by the Australian Government Aircraft Factory . The name is from an Aboriginal Australian word meaning the hunted one. Two manned prototypes, were built as GAF Pikas as a proof of concept to test the aerodynamics, engine and radio control systems,...
various marks - de Havilland Sea VixenDe Havilland Sea VixenThe de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a twin boom 1950s–1960s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm designed by de Havilland. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s...
D.3
Communication & Ferry role
- Avro AnsonAvro AnsonThe Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
T.21 - de HavillandDe HavillandThe de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
DevonDe Havilland DoveThe de Havilland DH.104 Dove was a British monoplane short-haul airliner from de Havilland, the successor to the biplane de Havilland Dragon Rapide and was one of Britain's most successful post-war civil designs...
C.2 until 1994 - Piper NavajoPiper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
Chieftain from 1994