1944–1950 (Royal Air Force) 1950 – present (US Air Force)
Events
Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT)
Garrison information
Occupants
99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron
420th Air Base Squadron
420th Munitions Squadron
Airfield information
Identifiers
IATA: FFD, ICAO: EGVA, WMO: 036440
Elevation
87 metres (285 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction
Length and surface
09/27
3,045 metres (9,990 ft) Asphalt
Source: UK Military Aeronautical Information Publication[2]
Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAF Fairford (IATA: FFD, ICAO: EGVA) is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. While being an RAF station, Fairford hosts United States Air Force personnel. Since 2019, the base has played host to a Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady detachment from the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. It is the USAF's only European airfield for heavy bombers and routinely supports Bomber Task Force (BTF) operations.[3][4] Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in 1991.
RAF Fairford was the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK. As well as having a sufficiently long runway for a shuttle landing (the runway is 3,045 m (9,990 ft) long), it also had NASA-trained fire and medical crews stationed on the airfield.[5] The runway is rated with an unrestricted load-bearing capacity, meaning that it can support any aircraft with any type of load.
RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), an annual air display. RIAT is one of the largest airshows in the world, with the 2003 show recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest military airshow ever, with an attendance of 535 aircraft.[6]
^"Defence Estates Development Plan 2009 – Annex A". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 3 July 2009. p. 43. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
^"AD 2-EGVA-1-3, Fairford, UK MIL AIP" (PDF). UK Military AIP. No. 1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
^USAF Yearbook 2000 p.13
^"BOMBER TASK FORCE EUROPE: STRATEGIC BOMBERS SOAR THROUGH NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL 2-MONTH ROTATION". Allied Air Command. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
^"Key Facts About Defence: Did You Know..." Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
Royal Air Force Fairford or more simply RAFFairford (IATA: FFD, ICAO: EGVA) is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. While...
world's largest military air show, held annually in July, usually at RAFFairford in Gloucestershire, England in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable...
4 km) west of Lechlade and 9 miles (14 km) north of Swindon. Nearby are RAFFairford and the Cotswold Water Park. There was a major roundhouse settlement...
Now aligned under the 422 ABG, its future is secure. "RAF Welford – RAFFairford". "RAFFairford maps, postcode, frequencies, flight tracker - UK Military...
to move further west, behind RAF fighter forces, to Brize Norton, RAF Greenham Common, RAF Upper Heyford, and RAFFairford. As with the other stations...
Air Base Group (RAF Croughton, United Kingdom) 420th Air Base Squadron (RAFFairford, United Kingdom) 420th Munitions Squadron (RAF Welford, United Kingdom)...
SkyGuardian was flown from North Dakota to RAFFairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo where it was given RAF markings. In July 2020, the Ministry of...
by Wire to Fly-By-Wire – 80 Years of the Royal Air Force 1918–1998. RAFFairford: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises. p. 158. ISBN 1-899808-06-X...
move further west, behind RAF fighter forces, to RAF Greenham Common, RAF Brize Norton, RAF Upper Heyford and RAFFairford. The airfield came under SAC's...
sits in close proximity to RAFFairford, with Whelford Road running parallel to the easterly end of the runway. With RAFFairford hosting United States Air...
from the North Sea. New bases were developed at RAF Brize Norton, RAF Upper Heyford, RAFFairford and RAF Greenham Common were therefore developed as bases...
England during February 1942. VIII BC was established at RAF Bomber Command Headquarters at RAF Daws Hill, in High Wycombe, on 22 February. With the end...
1918–1998. RAFFairford: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises. p. 162. ISBN 1-899808-06-X. "611 Volunteer Gliding Squadron operational again". RAF Air...
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Royal Air Force Menwith Hill (RAF Menwith Hill) is a Royal Air Force station near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, which provides communications and...
Upper Heyford was one of those selected, the others being RAF Brize Norton, RAFFairford and RAF Greenham Common. On 26 June 1950, men of the 801st Engineer...
rooftop portholes. G-BSST (002) first flew on 9 April 1969 from Filton to RAFFairford. Its last flight was on 4 March 1976 when it flew to the Fleet Air Arm...
Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath (IATA: LKZ, ICAO: EGUL) is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England,...
life at RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire, then the Central Flying School before moving to RAFFairford. The Red Arrows moved to RAF Kemble, now...
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