RAF Valley | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Llu Awyr Brenhinol Y Fali | |||||||||
| NearHolyhead,Anglesey in Wales | |||||||||
 A RAF Hawk T.1 flying over RAF Valley. | |||||||||
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| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Training station | ||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | No. 2 Group No. 22 Group (Training) | ||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  RAF Valley Shown within Anglesey Show map of Anglesey RAF Valley RAF Valley (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 53°14′53″N004°32′07″W / 53.24806°N 4.53528°W /53.24806; -4.53528 | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1941 (1941) | ||||||||
| In use | 1941 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | No. 2 Group RAF -Group Captain Gez Currie No. 22 Group - Group Captain Matt Hoare[2] | ||||||||
| Occupants |
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| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: VLY,ICAO: EGOV,WMO: 03302 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 11 metres (36 ft)AMSL | ||||||||
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| DAFIF[3][4] | |||||||||
Royal Air Force Valley or more simplyRAF Valley (Welsh:Llu Awyr Brenhinol Y Fali) (IATA:VLY,ICAO:EGOV) is aRoyal Air Forcestation on the island ofAnglesey, Wales, and which is also used asAnglesey Airport. It provides both basic and advanced fast-jet training using theBeechcraft Texan T.1 andBAE Systems Hawk T.2 and provides mountain and maritime training for aircrew using theAirbus Jupiter HT.1 helicopter.
The airfield was constructed to the south of the village ofValley (Y Fali) or Y Dyffryn in the latter part of 1940 and opened for operations on 1 February 1941 as a Fighter Sector Station underNo. 9 Group RAF with the task of providing defence cover for England's industrial north-west and shipping in theIrish Sea. Initial detachments were made byHawker Hurricanes of312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF and615 (County of Surrey) Squadron RAuxAF. A detachment ofBristol Beaufighters of219 (Mysore) Squadron provided night fighter cover.[5]
No. 456 SquadronRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF) formed at Valley on 30 June 1941 and became operational on 5 September flyingBoulton Paul Defiants. By November the squadron had been completely re-equipped with Beaufighter IIs, and these provided defensive night patrols over the Irish Sea until March 1943, when the unit moved toRAF Middle Wallop.[6]
As a result of many accidents in the Irish Sea, due to the number of training aircraft active in the area,275 Squadron formed at Valley in October 1941, equipped withWestland Lysanders andSupermarine Walrus amphibians and these performedAir-sea rescue (ASR) missions until the unit moved toRAF Warmwell in April 1944.[7]
The runways and taxiways were extended in early 1943, and on 19 June 1943 theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Ferry Terminal became operational. This handled American aircraft arriving from transatlantic flights and on European sorties. ElevenConsolidated B-24 Liberators of theUnited States Navy arrived fromIceland on 17 August. During the winter of 1943/1944, the ferry route was switched to a southerly route via theAzores andMarrakesh and on 18 February, 62Douglas C-47 Skytrains arrived from North Africa. One of Valley's busiest days was on 17 September 1944 when 99 USAAFBoeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Liberators were ferried in from Iceland. In the middle of 1944 there was a daily transatlanticDouglas C-54 Skymaster service fromStephenville bringing airmen of all ranks, who continued their journeys toLondon on theLMSRIrish Mail train fromHolyhead.[8]
Because of the large scale USAAF activities at Valley, RAF operations were scaled down, but on 1 November 1944, No. 1528 BAT Flight re-formed here operatingAirspeed Oxford twin-engined aircraft which were used in theBeam Approach training role until moving out on 17 December 1945.[9]
RAF Valley's USAAF ferry role was reversed as soon as theEuropean War ended, and over 2,600 bombers passed through on their way back to the US for redeployment, each carrying 20 passengers and crew. The USAAF Movement Section closed in September 1945, and in June 1947 the airfield was put on a care and maintenance basis.[10]
During 1950 many improvements were made to the hangars and buildings at Valley, and on 1 April 1951 No. 202 Advanced Flying School was reformed here withinNo. 25 Group to train fighter pilots onde Havilland Vampire andGloster Meteor jet aircraft. Vampire FB.5 and T.11 and Meteor T.7 marks were used until the unit was redesignatedNo. 7 Flying Training School (FTS) on 1 June 1954.[11] On 15 August 1960 the unit was renumbered No. 4 FTS RAF which is still based at the airfield.[12]
The firstFolland Gnat jet trainers were received on 7 November 1962 and many examples of the type were successfully operated for many years. These were supplemented byHawker Hunters for advanced training, marks F.6 and T.7 being used. The firstHawker Siddeley Hawk T.1s arrived on 11 November 1976[12] and a modified version of this type is still in use by 4 FTS called the BAE Systems Hawk T.2.[13]
RAF Valley previously hosted the Headquarters and 'C Flight' ofNo. 22 Squadron, part of the RAF'sSearch and Rescue Force. By October 2015, the RAF SAR Force had been relieved of their responsibility by a newcontractor-led operation, run byBristow Helicopters, and the nearest SAR unit is now based atCaernarfon Airport. The RAFOperational Conversion Unit,203(R) Squadron, was also based at Valley to train new aircrew onto theWestland Sea King HAR.3/3A, and prepare them for their SAR operations.The then Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, now heir apparent to theBritish Throne, was assigned to C Flight, 22 Squadron at RAF Valley, as a pilot flying theSea King search and rescue helicopter. He finished his last shift as a pilot on Tuesday 10 September 2013.[14]
No.208(R) Squadron, which provided legacy Hawk T.1 advanced flying training and tactical weapons training, disbanded in June 2016.[15]
In September 2017, a project to upgrade the airfield was completed. The project involved resurfacing of the runway and link taxiways and the creation of a new section of airside perimeter road. New visual aids, aeronautical lighting and signage were installed. A hangar was refurbished to accommodate threeJupiter HT.1 helicopters which will be used to train pilots from all threeBritish armed services, as part of theUK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS).[16] On 20 March 2018 aBAE Systems Hawk of theRed Arrows aerobatic team crashed, killing Corporal Jonathan Bayliss, an engineer.[17] The pilot, Flight Lieutenant David Stark, survived and was treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.[17]
Due to increased demand for RAF and Royal Navy pilots,No. 25 Squadron reformed at Valley on 8 September 2018. The squadron operates the Hawk T.2 alongside No. 4 Squadron as part of No. 4 Flying Training School.[18][19]
On 28 November 2019,No. 72 Squadron was officially "stood up" at RAF Valley, flying the Beechcraft Texan T.1 aircraft in the basic flying training role. The squadron transitioned fromShort Tucano (RAF Linton-on-Ouse) to Texan (RAF Valley) in a major investment by the UK Military Flying Training System. The squadron operates a fleet of 10 Texan T.1s, so that RAF Valley is now home to two-thirds of fast jet training, delivering both basic and advanced courses.[20]
In May 2020,Virginia Crosbie, MP forYnys Môn and members of theSenedd wrote to theMinistry of Defence (MoD) seeking assurance that travel to and from the base was limited to critical journeys during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[21] The MoD told theLocal Democracy Reporting Service that training remained under "constant review".[21]
On 25 May 2020 aPilatus PC-12 landed at RAF Valley while the base was closed for maintenance work.[22] Initially staff thought it was an emergency landing, but the pilot said he landed there "to go to the beach".[22] When told about the lockdown and coronavirus restrictions he was reported to have replied "it was okay, because he had [the virus] two months ago".[22] He had flown fromFairoaks Airport and had noticed RAF Valley onGoogle Earth and decided to land there asWikipedia said it served civilian traffic.[22] He left shortly after landing.[22] The Ministry of Defence said that while civilian traffic were allowed at its sites, 24 hours notice is required to make sure it does not impact military activity.[22] The incident was reported to theCivil Aviation Authority.[22]
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No. 4 Flying Training School (No. 4 FTS) trainsRAF andRoyal Navy pilots to fly fast jets, prior to training on anOperational Conversion Unit. No. 4 FTS consist of three units,No. 72 Squadron,No. 4 Squadron andNo. 25 Squadron, flying the Texan T.1 and BAE Systems Hawk T.2.[23]
The base is also home to No. 202 Squadron, part ofNo.1 Flying Training School, flying threeAirbus Jupiter HT.1. The squadron trains RAF and Royal Navy students on maritime and mountain flying training and those who are destined for the Royal Navy's anti-submarine warfareMerlin orWildcat.[24]
Flying and notable non-flying units based at RAF Valley.[25]
| No. 38 Group (Air Combat Service Support) RAF
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TheNational Assembly for Wales announced on 21 February 2007 thatpublic service obligation (PSO) flights would be launched from RAF Valley in April 2007, connecting north Wales withCardiff International Airport.[26] Flights from RAF Valley to Cardiff stopped after the first set of government COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in March 2020. On 8 June 2022, the Welsh Government axed the service, leaving the purpose-built civilian airport terminal disused.[27]
