Dübendorf Air Base

Dübendorf Air Base
Aerial view of the Dübendorf Air Base
IATA: none ICAO: LSMD
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Swiss Air Force
Serves	Dübendorf
Occupants	Swiss Air Force, JuAir, Rega (air rescue), Skyguide, Solar Impulse, Motorfluggruppe Zürich
Elevation AMSL	448 m / 1,470 ft
Coordinates	47°23′55″N 8°38′53″E / 47.39861°N 8.64806°E / 47.39861; 8.64806Coordinates: 47°23′55″N 8°38′53″E / 47.39861°N 8.64806°E / 47.39861; 8.64806
Map
LSMD Location in Switzerland
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 11/29 7,726 2,355 Asphalt 11R/29L 2,133 650 Grass

Militärflugplatz Dübendorf (ICAO: LSMD) is a military airfield northeast of Dübendorf in Switzerland, located east of Zürich.

The search for a suitable site for an airfield started in 1909. On 1 August 1910 geography improvement of the swamp started and on 22 October 1910 the first airshow was held on the Airfield Dübendorf. Since 1914 Dübendorf has been used as an air base by the Swiss Air Force. From 1919 on Dübendorf was also an airport for civil airlines, first for the predecessor of the Swissair, the Ad Astra Aero, and from 1932 on for Swissair.

During World War II there was virtually no civil flight activity. Any foreign military aircraft that was interned by Switzerland was held at Dübendorf, including about 120 US B-17s and B-24s, together with one German Me 262. From 1943 Switzerland shot down American and British aircraft, mainly bombers, overflying Switzerland during World War II: six aircraft by Swiss Air Force fighters and nine by anti-aircraft cannons; 36 American and British airmen were killed. Besides, there were 137 emergency landings to May 1945 resulting in about 120 US aircraft that were interned at the Dübendorf airfield. The officers were interned in Davos, airmen in Adelboden. Although US military attaché Barnwell Legge instructed the soldiers not to flee, many soldiers ignored his warning; after their escape from the internment camps, the airmen usually were detained in the Wauwilermoos penal camp near Luzern. Repaired by USAF technicians, on 7 September 1945 around 60 US aircraft started from Dübendorf to return to their bases, where they were scrapped. The Swiss Air Force used in this time Me-109E, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 and so on.