RAF Leeming

RAF Leeming
Near Leeming, North Yorkshire in England
An RAF C-17 above the runway at RAF Leeming
Straight and True[1]
RAF Leeming is located in North Yorkshire
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
Shown within North Yorkshire
Coordinates54°17′33″N 001°32′08″W / 54.29250°N 1.53556°W / 54.29250; -1.53556
Grid referenceSE305890[2]
TypeAir combat support station
Area508 hectares (1,260 acres)[3]
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byNo. 1 Group (Air Combat)
ConditionOperational
WebsiteOfficial website
Site history
Built1939 (1939)
In useJune 1940 – present
Garrison information
Current
commander
Group Captain P. T. Hamilton[4]
Occupants See Based units section for full list.
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: QXL, ICAO: EGXE, WMO: 03257
Elevation40.5 metres (133 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
16/34 2,291 metres (7,516 ft) Asphalt
Source: UK MIL AIP Leeming[5]

Royal Air Force Leeming or more simply RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station located near Leeming, North Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 1940 and was jointly used by the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Between 1950 and 1991, it operated mostly as a training base with Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Panavia Tornado F3 fighters based there in the latter stages of the Cold War and into the early 21st century. Since 2006, it has become the home of the deployable RAF communications cadre (No. 90 Signals Unit RAF) and the home of No. 135 Expeditionary Air Wing.

  1. ^ Pine, L. G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 222. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. ^ Birtles 2012, p. 36.
  3. ^ "Defence Estates Development Plan 2009 – Annex A". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 3 July 2009. p. 12. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  5. ^ "UK MIL AIP Leeming" (PDF). UK Military AIP. No.1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.