Beauvechain Air Base
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Beauvechain Air Base (Advanced Landing Ground A-89) |
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Belgian Air Component | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Beauvechain, Belgium | ||||||||||||||
| Built | 1936 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 370 ft / 113 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°45′28″N 004°46′01″E / 50.75778°N 4.76694°ECoordinates: 50°45′28″N 004°46′01″E / 50.75778°N 4.76694°E | ||||||||||||||
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 EBBE
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Sources: Belgian AIP
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Beauvechain Air Base (ICAO: EBBE) is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium, located 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south of Beauvechain (Walloon Brabant Province); 20 miles (32 km) east-southeast of Brussels.
It is home to the 1st Wing, operating A109BA helicopters, and the Basic Flying Training School, operating SIAI Marchetti SF.260 trainer aircraft.
It is used as a base for the operational helicopter squadrons, and as a training center for pilots. Beauvechain also houses the Wing Meteo and the Air Force Band. It employs 1,100, therefore being the second employer of Walloon Brabant.
Beauvechain Air Base was a pre-World War II Belgian Air Force military airfield established in 1936 as "Le Culot Airfield". It was captured during the Battle of Belgium by the invading German Wehrmacht on 10 May 1940, destroying several Hawker Hurricane and Gloster Gladiator aircraft stationed at the airfield.
During the occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany, the facility became a major Luftwaffe air base during the Battle of France. During the battle, two Junkers Ju 88A units Kampfgeschwader 3 and Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 3; KG 30) supported the offensive, especially the crucial breakthrough at Sedan. Other elements supported the drive to the Swiss border, encircling the French forces on the Maginot Line. When KG 30 moved into France, KG 3 remained at Le Culot, taking part in the Battle of Britain. At the beginning of the battle KG 3 had a total of 108 Ju 88 bombers, of which 88 were combat ready. kg 3 operated during all phases of the battle. In March 1941, it left for bases in Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
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