Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove
| JHFS Aldergrove |
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| Near Aldergrove, County Antrim in Northern Ireland | |||||||||
 JHFS Aldergrove
Shown within Northern Ireland
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| Coordinates | 54°38′58″N 006°13′31″W / 54.64944°N 6.22528°WCoordinates: 54°38′58″N 006°13′31″W / 54.64944°N 6.22528°W | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Joint Helicopter Command | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1918 | ||||||||
| In use |
Royal Air Force 1918-2009 Joint Helicopter Command 2009-present |
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| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 69 metres (226 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove or more simply JHFS Aldergrove is a Joint Helicopter Command flying station located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Belfast. The flying station adjoins Belfast International Airport, sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of the surrounding area. The station shared the Aldergrove runways but had its own separate facilities and helipad.
The site was formerly RAF Aldergrove a Royal Air Force station which was in operation between 1918 and 2009.
RAF Aldergrove first opened in 1918 but was not designated as an operational RAF station until 1925.
Various squadrons were posted here during this time:
Aldergrove’s location made it an important station of RAF Coastal Command in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. From the base, long-range reconnaissance aircraft were able to patrol the Eastern Atlantic for U-boats. Some of these patrols ranged as far out as the distant islet of Rockall.
Various squadrons were posted here during this time:
Aldergrove was designated as a dispersal airfield for the RAF's V bomber force in the 1950s and was included in a reduced list of 26 airfields in 1962. In 1968 No. 23 Maintenance Unit RAF was responsible for the maintenance of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II's in RAF service, with 116 aircraft passing through on their way to front line service. Aldergrove was also the main servicing and reconditioning station for the English Electric Canberra from their introduction in 1951. In 1976, the station had a staff of 2,500 RAF personnel and 1,500 civilians.
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