AFB Hoedspruit

AFB Hoedspruit

Air Force Base Hoedspruit is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport.

Units Hosted

* 19 Squadron - Helicopter squadron
* 85 Combat Flying School - Jet training
* 101 Squadron - Light transport (reserve)
* 514 Squadron - Security services
* 7 Aircraft Servicing Unit - Maintenance support
* Lowveld Airspace Control Sector - Airspace control
* Air Force Command and Control School - Training

History

The base was officially opened on 1 July 1978. It was designed from the start to be a highly-protected wartime base. As such, it has armoured and underground hangars, with revetments placed close to the runways for aircraft on immediate take-off standby duty.

The base is teeming with wildlife, being surrounded by the 25 km² AFB Hoedspruit Game Reserve. Keeping the runway clear of animals was a massive problem. This led the base to introduce three cheetahs on the flight line, with the end result that animal incursions onto the runway have decreased by 90%. Another SAAF base, AFB Makhado, has since also adopted this concept.

It is an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/facility/sts-els.htm Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites ] ]

In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport.

The base gained international media attention in 2000, when it hosted the United States Air Force's rescue contingent as part of Operation Atlas Response, the mission to provide rescue and humanitarian support to areas of Mozambique devastated by the severe flooding caused by Cyclone Eline.

The base motto is "Pro Nostrorum Pace" (Peace for our People).

Eastgate Airport Scheduled Services

*South African Airways (Johannesburg)

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 19 Squadron SAAF — Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, similar to that flown by the squadron Active Sep Dec 1939 12 August 1944 10 July 1945 1 March 1970 Present …   Wikipedia

  • 1 Squadron SAAF — 1 Squadron Two retired Mirage F1 s (CZ s and not AZ s as flown by 1 Sqn)at Ysterplaat AFB Museum Active February 1920 to 25 November 1997 …   Wikipedia

  • 2 Squadron SAAF — 2 Squadron 2 Squadron Mustang fighters during the Korean War Active 1 October 1940 to current …   Wikipedia

  • 85 Combat Flying School SAAF — SAAF BAE Hawk 85 Combat Flying School is a unit of the South African Air Force. It is currently a jet flight training and combat operations school. The school also has a wartime reserve role, although it has publicly been stated that the school… …   Wikipedia

  • South African Air Force — South African Air Force …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Flughäfen in Südafrika — Die Liste der Flughäfen in Südafrika führt die Flughäfen der Republik Südafrika, geordnet nach Typ und Lage auf. Stadt ICAO IATA Name Höhe in Fuß Zivile Flughäfen Aggeneys FAAG AGZ Aggeneys Airport 2648 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • 16 Squadron SAAF — 16 Squadron Denel Rooivalk Active 14 September 1939 to present Country …   Wikipedia

  • 41 Squadron SAAF — 41 Squadron Aermacchi AM3 Bosbok as previously flown by 41 Sqn Active 16 October 1940 30 November 1944 January 1963 Present …   Wikipedia

  • 17 Squadron SAAF — Augusta 109 Active 1939 to present Country …   Wikipedia

  • 22 Squadron SAAF — 22 Squadron Atlas Oryx M 2 Active 1 July 1942 to present Country …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”