Ramat David Airbase
| Ramat David Air Force Base בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִויר רָמַת דָּוִד |
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 Ramat David AFB
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| Coordinates | 32°39′59.77″N 035°10′59.97″E / 32.6666028°N 35.1833250°E |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Israeli Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| Built by | Royal Air Force |
| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Israeli Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 138 ft / 42 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°40′0″N 35°11′0″E / 32.66667°N 35.18333°ECoordinates: 32°40′0″N 35°11′0″E / 32.66667°N 35.18333°E | ||||||||||||||||||
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Ramat David Israeli Air Force Base (ICAO: LLRD, Hebrew: בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִיר רָמַת דָּוִד Basis Kheil HaAvir Ramat David) is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force, located southeast of Haifa, close to kibbutz Ramat David and Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley. It was originally built as a Royal Air Force station in 1942 under the British Mandate when it was known as RAF Ramat David. It is reported to be the most likely location for a new International airport to complement Ben Gurion Airport.
Roald Dahl, in his World War II autobiography 'Going Solo', mentions landing his RAF Hawker Hurricane at Ramat David in 1941. At the time it was a hastily prepared grass airstrip rolled out in a cornfield by the residents of the nearby Kibbutz.
RAF Ramat David was a Royal Air Force station in the British Mandate of Palestine between 1942 and 1948, located approximately 4 km south of Ramat Yishay (Northern District); 80 km north-northeast of Tel Aviv.
Royal AirForce operational units at RAF Ramat David:
After the Israeli Declaration of Independence and the start of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the base was temporarily maintained by the RAF to cover the withdrawal of British forces from Palestine. On 22 May, the Royal Egyptian Air Force attacked the base, mistakenly believing it was an Israeli airbase. In a series of three attacks, several aircraft were destroyed or damaged, a hangar was destroyed, and four airmen were killed. Five Egyptian fighter planes were shot down.
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Wikipedia