RAF Leuchars | |||||||||
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Leuchars, Fife in Scotland | |||||||||
Coordinates | 56°22′23″N 002°52′07″W / 56.37306°N 2.86861°W | ||||||||
Grid reference | NO460205[1] | ||||||||
Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||
Area | 357 hectares[2] | ||||||||
Site information | |||||||||
Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command | ||||||||
Condition | Closed | ||||||||
Site history | |||||||||
Built | 1920 | ||||||||
In use | 1920–2015 | ||||||||
Fate |
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Airfield information | |||||||||
Identifiers | IATA: ADX, ICAO: EGQL, WMO: 03171 | ||||||||
Elevation | 12 metres (39 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force Leuchars or more simply RAF Leuchars (IATA: ADX, ICAO: EGQL) is a former Royal Air Force station located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspace. The station ceased to be an RAF station at 12:00 hrs on 31 March 2015 when it became Leuchars Station and control of the site was transferred to the British Army. The RAF temporarily returned to Leuchars between August and October 2020 to carry out QRA (I) responsibilities while runway works were being carried out at RAF Lossiemouth.