RAF Langar
Encyclopedia
RAF Station Langar is a former military airfield on the border of Nottinghamshire
and Leicestershire
near the village of Langar
in England
. The airfield is located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) east-southeast of Radcliffe on Trent
; about 100 miles (160.9 km) north-northwest of London
Opened in 1942 during World War II
, it was used by both the Royal Air Force
and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as troop carrier transport airfield. After the war it was provided to the Royal Canadian Air Force
which used it as an operational base until 1963.
Today the airfield is the base for the British Parachute Schools, who use the original control tower for their headquarters. The former Avro industrial complex is used by private industry. Local groups of modified car enthusiasts meet for speed tests.
specifications, the main feature of which was a set of three converging runways each containing a concrete runway for takeoffs and landings, optimally placed at 60 degree angles to each other in a triangular pattern. The concrete runways were a main of 6,000 ft at 01/19, and two secondaries of 4,200 ft at 07/25 and 4,200 ft at 13/31. The original 36 dispersal hardstands were of the pan type but in the summer of 1943 14 loops were added to bring the total to 50 connecting to an enclosing perimeter track, of a standard width of 50 feet.
The ground support station was constructed largely of Nissen hut
s of various sizes. The support station was where the group and ground station commanders and squadron headquarters and orderly rooms were located. Also on the ground station were where the mess facilities; chapel; hospital; mission briefing and debriefing; armory; life support; parachute rigging; supply warehouses; station and airfield security; motor pool and the other ground support functions necessary to support the air operations of the group. These facilities were all connected by a network of single path support roads.
The technical site, connected to the ground station and airfield originally consisted of two T-2 type hangars but an additional two were added when the airfield was required to hold 32 Horsa gliders in store. In addition, various organizational, component and field maintenance shops along with the crew chiefs and other personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light and moderate battle damage. Aircraft severely damaged in combat were sent to repair depots for major structural repair. The Ammunition dump was located outside of the perimeter track surrounded by large dirt mounds and concrete storage pens.
Various domestic accommodation sites were constructed dispersed away from the airfield, but within a mile or so of the technical support site, also using clusters of Maycrete or Nissen huts. The Huts were either connected, set up end-to-end or built singly and made of prefabricated corrugated iron with a door and two small windows at the front and back. They provided accommodation for 2,253 personnel, including communal and a sick quarters.
During airborne operations, when large numbers of airborne parachutists were moved to the airfield, tents would be pitched on the interior grass regions of the airfield, or wherever space could be found to accommodate the airborne forces for the short time they would be bivouacked at the station prior to the operation.
arrived with Lancaster
bombers from RAF Bottesford
. 207 Squadron was a major RAF Bomber Command
unit and participated in major raids on occupied Europe.
Also, in September 1942, A.V. Roe Ltd.
prepared to use a large hangar complex on the west side of the Langar/Harby
road to carry out major repair and maintenance of Lancasters.
The RAF remained until October 1943 when it moved to RAF Spilsby
.
Langar was known as USAAF Station AAF-490 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "LA".
arrived at Langar on 3 November 1943 from Baer AAF Indiana
with four squadrons of 56 C-47
s. Operational squadrons of the group were:
The 435th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing.
The group began operational training at the airfield, however it was moved on 25 January 1944 to RAF Welford
to train alongside the 101st Airborne Division
.
. Operational squadrons of the group were:
The 438th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing
. Like its predecessor, the group was moved south after a month to a new station at RAF Greenham Common
.
with four squadrons of 56 C-47s. Those being:
The 441st was a group of Ninth Air Force
's 50th Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command
. It was scheduled to be assigned to Langar, however it only remained until 25 April until being moved to RAF Merryfield
.
. In addition, Langar became a center for assembly and modification of CG-4A Waco Gliders, primarily the fitting of reinforced noses for better crew protection in rough landings. During this time several hundred gliders were assembled there.
In August 1944 Langar was released to RAF control for operational use, however the need for forward operating bases in connection with Operation Market-Garden, the 441st Troop Carrier Group
using the airfield as part of the operation.
On 17 September, forty-five C-47s of the 441st TCG dropped paratroops of the 82d Airborne near Nijmegen in the Netherlands
. Five aircraft were lost to flak. On 18 September, 40 C-47s, all towing CG-4A gliders carried out a reinforcement mission without loss or casualties.
No further missions were flown until 23 September when 90 C-47s, all towing gliders to Holland encountered flak that brought down one C-47. This was the last operational mission by the USAAF from Langar, and ended the association of the Ninth Air Force
with the airfield
. The airfield was used after the war for a short time for prisoners of war and then for displaced persons. Early in 1952 it was taken over by the RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force
to become a supply base for their NATO squadrons. The Base was constructed on the old domestic and technical sites with completely new buildings, to a much higher standard than the Air Ministry was used to, by an English design team led by architect Peter Benton, under the direction of an RCAF officer. For 12 months nearly 1000 men worked constructing the Base, which worked around two two acre warehouses. another was added later and is nnow in private ownership . The first RCAF personnel arrived autumn 1952.
The air field was used for eleven years (1952–1963) by the Royal Canadian Air Force
as 30 Air Materiel Base, RCAF Langar. Langar was the RCAF's primary supply base for No. 1 Air Division RCAF in Europe, a complex of four fighter bases set up in nearby North Luffenham and in France
and West Germany
by Canada to help meet NATO's European air defence commitments during the Cold War
. It was the only Canadian base in the UK.
The RCAF established No. 30 Air Materiel Base (AMB), to handle the transportation of supplies, equipment, aircraft, personnel, and other support essential for the operation of the four NATO air bases and its headquarters. Several units were attached to 30 AMB. No. 137 (Transport) Flight, which was attached to the Movements Unit of 30 AMB, operated several types of aircraft including six Bristol Freighter
s, one Beechcraft Expeditor
, and two Dakota
s. No. 312 Supply Depot handled medical supplies and spares for mechanical equipment, including aircraft (e.g. the F-86 Sabre) and vehicles. No. 314 Technical Services Unit was tasked with inspecting all supplies before they were forwarded to operational bases. This unit also assisted with repair contracts and provided technical advice.
, who use the original control tower
for their headquarters. The former Avro
industrial complex is used by private industry. Local groups of modified car
enthusiasts meet for speed tests. There is a go-karting
track.
The airfield is relatively intact, with most of its wartime facilities still in use. The main runway (01/19) and NE/SW secondary (07/25) are still active and in use. The original technical site is still in use, along with both wartime T-2 hangars. Additional postwar hangars and a secondary maintenance site built to the northwest, along with many of the loop dispersal hardstands around the wartime perimeter track still exist.
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
near the village of Langar
Langar, Nottinghamshire
Langar is a small village about four miles south of Bingham in Nottinghamshire and the Vale of Belvoir.-Geography:To the south of the parish of Langar cum Barnstone, on Langar Airfield, it borders Clawson, Hose and Harby, the district of Melton and Leicestershire. At Hose Lane it meets Colston...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The airfield is located approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) east-southeast of Radcliffe on Trent
Radcliffe on Trent
Radcliffe-on-Trent is a large village and civil parish in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire-Location:Radcliffe has a population of around 8,000. It is to the east of Nottingham, and is close to but not quite part of the Greater Nottingham built-up area...
; about 100 miles (160.9 km) north-northwest of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Opened in 1942 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...
, it was used by both the 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...
and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as troop carrier transport airfield. After the war it was provided to the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
which used it as an operational base until 1963.
Today the airfield is the base for the British Parachute Schools, who use the original control tower for their headquarters. The former Avro industrial complex is used by private industry. Local groups of modified car enthusiasts meet for speed tests.
Overview
Langar airfield was built during the early months of 1942 to Class A airfieldClass A airfield
Class A airfields were military installations originally built for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Several were transferred to the U.S...
specifications, the main feature of which was a set of three converging runways each containing a concrete runway for takeoffs and landings, optimally placed at 60 degree angles to each other in a triangular pattern. The concrete runways were a main of 6,000 ft at 01/19, and two secondaries of 4,200 ft at 07/25 and 4,200 ft at 13/31. The original 36 dispersal hardstands were of the pan type but in the summer of 1943 14 loops were added to bring the total to 50 connecting to an enclosing perimeter track, of a standard width of 50 feet.
The ground support station was constructed largely of Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
s of various sizes. The support station was where the group and ground station commanders and squadron headquarters and orderly rooms were located. Also on the ground station were where the mess facilities; chapel; hospital; mission briefing and debriefing; armory; life support; parachute rigging; supply warehouses; station and airfield security; motor pool and the other ground support functions necessary to support the air operations of the group. These facilities were all connected by a network of single path support roads.
The technical site, connected to the ground station and airfield originally consisted of two T-2 type hangars but an additional two were added when the airfield was required to hold 32 Horsa gliders in store. In addition, various organizational, component and field maintenance shops along with the crew chiefs and other personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light and moderate battle damage. Aircraft severely damaged in combat were sent to repair depots for major structural repair. The Ammunition dump was located outside of the perimeter track surrounded by large dirt mounds and concrete storage pens.
Various domestic accommodation sites were constructed dispersed away from the airfield, but within a mile or so of the technical support site, also using clusters of Maycrete or Nissen huts. The Huts were either connected, set up end-to-end or built singly and made of prefabricated corrugated iron with a door and two small windows at the front and back. They provided accommodation for 2,253 personnel, including communal and a sick quarters.
During airborne operations, when large numbers of airborne parachutists were moved to the airfield, tents would be pitched on the interior grass regions of the airfield, or wherever space could be found to accommodate the airborne forces for the short time they would be bivouacked at the station prior to the operation.
RAF Bomber Command use
The first flying unit arrived in September 1942 when No. 207 SquadronNo. CCVII Squadron RAF
No. 207 Squadron is a former bomber and communications squadron of the Royal Air Force, currently based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire and operating Short Tucano T.1 trainer aircraft....
arrived with Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
bombers from RAF Bottesford
RAF Bottesford
RAF Station Bottesford is a former World War II airfield on the Leicestershire-Lincolnshire county border in England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Radcliffe on Trent; about north-northwest of London...
. 207 Squadron was a major RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
unit and participated in major raids on occupied Europe.
Also, in September 1942, A.V. Roe Ltd.
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
prepared to use a large hangar complex on the west side of the Langar/Harby
Harby, Leicestershire
Harby is a village in the English county of Leicestershire.The village is pleasantly situated on the south side of the Grantham Canal.Harby is in the far north-east of the county in the Vale of Belvoir, north of the town of Melton Mowbray, south west of the town of Grantham...
road to carry out major repair and maintenance of Lancasters.
The RAF remained until October 1943 when it moved to RAF Spilsby
RAF Spilsby
-Units and aircraft based at Spilsby:-References:*Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore Action Stations: Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands v. 2 -External links:*...
.
USAAF use
In November 1943 Langar was transferred to the USAAF Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base. The airfield was used as a reception base for troop carrier groups flying in from the United States. The 10th Service Group and 27th Mobile Repair Maintenance Squadron was established to support these transitory groups before they moved onto their permanent airfields.Langar was known as USAAF Station AAF-490 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "LA".
435th Troop Carrier Group
The 435th Troop Carrier Group435th Air Base Wing
The 435th Air Ground Operations Wing is an active unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It is stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.The current commander is Colonel John S. Shapland, USAF....
arrived at Langar on 3 November 1943 from Baer AAF Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
with four squadrons of 56 C-47
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
s. Operational squadrons of the group were:
- 75th Troop Carrier Squadron (SH)
- 76th Troop Carrier Squadron (CW)
- 77th Troop Carrier Squadron (IB)
- 78th Troop Carrier Squadron78th Air Refueling SquadronThe 78th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 514th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions as the reserve associate to the 305th Air Mobility Wing....
(CM)
The 435th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing.
The group began operational training at the airfield, however it was moved on 25 January 1944 to RAF Welford
RAF Welford
RAF Welford is an active Royal Air Force station in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Newbury; about west-southwest of London...
to train alongside the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
.
438th Troop Carrier Group
Langar remained vacant for about a month until the 438th Troop Carrier Group arrived in early February 1944 from Baer AAF, IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Operational squadrons of the group were:
- 87th Troop Carrier Squadron (3X)
- 88th Troop Carrier Squadron (M2)
- 89th Troop Carrier Squadron (4U)
- 90th Troop Carrier Squadron (Q7)
The 438th TCW was assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing
53d Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)
The 53d Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the IX Troop Carrier Command, based at Camp Shanks, New York. It was inactivated on 12 August 1945....
. Like its predecessor, the group was moved south after a month to a new station at RAF Greenham Common
RAF Greenham Common
RAF Station Greenham Common is a former military airfield in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of Thatcham; about west of London....
.
441st Troop Carrier Group
The 441st Troop Carrier Group arrived at Langar on 17 March Baer AAF IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
with four squadrons of 56 C-47s. Those being:
- 99th Troop Carrier Squadron (3J)
- 100th Troop Carrier Squadron (8C)
- 301st Troop Carrier Squadron (Z4)
- 302d Troop Carrier Squadron (2L)
The 441st was a group of Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
's 50th Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command
IX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
. It was scheduled to be assigned to Langar, however it only remained until 25 April until being moved to RAF Merryfield
RAF Merryfield
RAF Station Merryfield is a former Second World War airfield at the village of Ilton near Ilminster in southwest Somerset, England. The name comes from the ruins of Merryfield House. The airfield is located approximately north of Chard, about southwest of London...
.
IX Troop Carrier Command depot
Although no further flying combat units were stationed at Langar, the airfield became a major maintenance and supply depot for the IX Troop Carrier CommandIX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946...
. In addition, Langar became a center for assembly and modification of CG-4A Waco Gliders, primarily the fitting of reinforced noses for better crew protection in rough landings. During this time several hundred gliders were assembled there.
In August 1944 Langar was released to RAF control for operational use, however the need for forward operating bases in connection with Operation Market-Garden, the 441st Troop Carrier Group
441st Troop Carrier Group
The 441st Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve organization. Its last assignment was to the 441st Troop Carrier Wing, stationed at Chicago-Orchard Airport, Illinois, on 14 March 1951....
using the airfield as part of the operation.
On 17 September, forty-five C-47s of the 441st TCG dropped paratroops of the 82d Airborne near Nijmegen in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Five aircraft were lost to flak. On 18 September, 40 C-47s, all towing CG-4A gliders carried out a reinforcement mission without loss or casualties.
No further missions were flown until 23 September when 90 C-47s, all towing gliders to Holland encountered flak that brought down one C-47. This was the last operational mission by the USAAF from Langar, and ended the association of the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
with the airfield
Post D-Day use
In October 1944, RAF Bomber Command returned to Langar moving in with No. 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit with 32 Lancasters which used the station until March 1945. Although retained by the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. The airfield was used after the war for a short time for prisoners of war and then for displaced persons. Early in 1952 it was taken over by the RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
to become a supply base for their NATO squadrons. The Base was constructed on the old domestic and technical sites with completely new buildings, to a much higher standard than the Air Ministry was used to, by an English design team led by architect Peter Benton, under the direction of an RCAF officer. For 12 months nearly 1000 men worked constructing the Base, which worked around two two acre warehouses. another was added later and is nnow in private ownership . The first RCAF personnel arrived autumn 1952.
The air field was used for eleven years (1952–1963) by the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
as 30 Air Materiel Base, RCAF Langar. Langar was the RCAF's primary supply base for No. 1 Air Division RCAF in Europe, a complex of four fighter bases set up in nearby North Luffenham and in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
by Canada to help meet NATO's European air defence commitments during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. It was the only Canadian base in the UK.
The RCAF established No. 30 Air Materiel Base (AMB), to handle the transportation of supplies, equipment, aircraft, personnel, and other support essential for the operation of the four NATO air bases and its headquarters. Several units were attached to 30 AMB. No. 137 (Transport) Flight, which was attached to the Movements Unit of 30 AMB, operated several types of aircraft including six Bristol Freighter
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
s, one Beechcraft Expeditor
Beechcraft Model 18
The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
, and two Dakota
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
s. No. 312 Supply Depot handled medical supplies and spares for mechanical equipment, including aircraft (e.g. the F-86 Sabre) and vehicles. No. 314 Technical Services Unit was tasked with inspecting all supplies before they were forwarded to operational bases. This unit also assisted with repair contracts and provided technical advice.
Civil use
With the facility released from military control in 1963, the airfield is the base for the British Parachute SchoolsBritish Parachute Schools
British Parachute Schools also known as Langar DZ or Skydive Langar is a BPA affiliated parachuting centre and skydiving drop zone at Langar, Nottinghamshire in the area known as the Vale of Belvoir.-History:...
, who use the original control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
for their headquarters. The former Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
industrial complex is used by private industry. Local groups of modified car
Modified car
For the American oval track automobile racing series, see Modified racingThe term modified car is given to any vehicle that has been altered from its original state; most commonly with aftermarket components...
enthusiasts meet for speed tests. There is a go-karting
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
track.
The airfield is relatively intact, with most of its wartime facilities still in use. The main runway (01/19) and NE/SW secondary (07/25) are still active and in use. The original technical site is still in use, along with both wartime T-2 hangars. Additional postwar hangars and a secondary maintenance site built to the northwest, along with many of the loop dispersal hardstands around the wartime perimeter track still exist.
See also
- List of RAF stations
- Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
External links
- Photographs of RAF Langar from the Geograph British Isles project
- Aerial photo of RAF Langar from Multimap.com
- RAF Langar from RAF Bomber Command History site
- Crews of Lancasters EM-N and EM-V of 207 Squadron, kia 28th August 1943
- 207 Squadron Association website
- WikiMapia
Video clips
- Skydive in June 2008 by Archbishop John SentamuJohn SentamuJohn Tucker Mugabi Sentamu is the 97th Archbishop of York, Metropolitan of the province of York, and Primate of England. He is the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.-Life and career:...
- Skydiving
- 2007 skydive
- 2006 skydive