Llanbedr Airport
| Llanbedr Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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Looking westwards from Llanbedr across the airfield with the Llyn Peninsula in the background.
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Private-owned, Public-use | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Llanbedr Airfield Estates LLP | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Llanbedr, Gwynedd | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 80 ft / 24 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°48′18″N 004°07′38″W / 52.80500°N 4.12722°WCoordinates: 52°48′18″N 004°07′38″W / 52.80500°N 4.12722°W | ||||||||||||||||||
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 EGOD
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Llanbedr Airport (ICAO: EGFD), formerly RAE Llanbedr (ICAO: EGOD), is an operational general aviation airport located in the Snowdonia National Park near the village of Llanbedr, Gwynedd, northwest Wales.
It opened in 1941 as part of RAF Fighter Command's 12 Group. During its life, the base has been known as:
The site was (from Spring 1942) an operational base for Towed Target (and in 1943, became the home of the RAF's No. 12 Fighter Gunnery School), and later, Target Drone services to the UK Armed Forces. Target provision services were typically to the Cardigan Bay Ranges (UK Danger Area EGD201, under the control of Aberporth) but Llanbedr targets also worked other UK ranges, including the Royal Artillery range off the Hebrides and occasionally overseas.
During the Second World War, RAF Llanbedr was home to thirty-two different RAF Squadrons on rotation who flew a variety of aircraft (Spitfire, Mustang, Typhoon, Anson, Lysander and Martinet). The longest serving Squadron was No. 631 Squadron (RAF) who arrived at Llanbedr in May 1945 from RAF Towyn and stayed until February 1949. The Squadron was re-numbered as No. 20 Squadron RAF.
From 1957, civilianisation of the base services (typically airfield operation) began with Short Brothers holding a series of contracts until 1979, when Airwork Services took over and held them until 1991. In 1991, contracts and scope of work changed again and FR Serco took over its running.
Secondarily, it served as a Royal Air Force V bomber dispersal airfield, more recently used for military weapons training. The site closed in October 2004. Navigational and ATC equipment was removed by the military and the site put up for sale.
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Wikipedia