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West Wales Airport West Wales/Aberporth Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | West Wales Airport Ltd. | ||||||||||
| Serves | Cardigan | ||||||||||
| Location | Aberporth, Wales, UK | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 428 ft / 130 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°06′53″N004°33′34″W / 52.11472°N 4.55944°W /52.11472; -4.55944 | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  EGFA Location in Wales | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Sources: UKAIP atNATS[1] | |||||||||||
Aberporth Airport (ICAO:EGFA) is situated southwest ofAberporth,Ceredigion,Wales. Theairport is being developed as West Wales Airport for domestic flights.[2] It is also developing as a centre for the deployment of civil and militaryunmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), known as 'drones'. The airport underwent major improvements in 2008 which extended the length of the runway from 945 to 1,257 m (3,100 to 4,124 ft).
The site was previouslyRAF Aberporth, a formerRoyal Air Force satellite station which used by theRAF Army Cooperation Command, the site was also used theRoyal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), theDefence Research Agency (DRA) and theDefence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) under the control of theMinistry of Defence until 2001.
During 1956, a brand-new asphalt runway was built, with other extensions of the hangar apron occurring during 1968 and 1971.[3]
During the 1960s Aberporth was the HQ of the RAE Ranges Division.[4]
RAF Aberporth 1940-46 & 1959-84
The following military units were posted here at some point:
RAE Aberporth 1939-73
The following units were posted here at some point:
Polish Army Resettlement Corps Depot 1946-50
The airfield was used as a Polish Army Resettlement Corps Depot between 1946 and 1950.[23]
The nearby range,MoD Aberporth started out as a Second World War British Army firing range. Due to the threat of Nazi Germany invasion, the Projectile Development Establishment moved fromFort Halstead to the range during 1940, with the Royal Air Force Combined Services Projectile Development Establishment being in existence between September 1943 and January 1945.[24] The site was an outstation ofPDE Fort Halstead andRoyal Arsenal Woolwich.
The range was previously theAberporth Anti-Aircraft Artillery Range and theProjectile Development Range[25] along withThe Aberporth Range.[26] TheClausen Rolling Platform was built there to test radar and launchers against the rolling motion of ships at sea, without needing to go to sea.
It is used for testing rockets by theBritish military, as well as for launching civilian rockets foratmospheric research. The site is currently managed byQinetiQ[27] with air traffic services provided byNATS.[28]
The airport is mainly used for testing unmanned aerial vehicles in an area called the West Wales UAV Centre which is connected to the Welsh Government createdParcAberporth.
No. 636 Volunteer Gliding Squadron RAF was present between October 1996 and December 2001[29]
Aberporth Aerodrome has aCAA Ordinary Licence (Number P859) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee. The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.[30]
The airfield is being used as a base forThales Watchkeeper WK450 militaryunmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) trials overCardigan Bay. On 13 June 2018 a Watchkeeper crashed into a lane near the airfield; there were no injuries.[31][32]
