Rumbula Air Base | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Location | Riga, Latvia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 26 ft / 8 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 56°53′00″N 024°13′36″E / 56.88333°N 24.22667°E | ||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Rumbula Air Base (ICAO: EVRC) is an air base located 11 kilometres (7 mi) southeast of Riga city centre in Latvia. The airfield was used for military purposes in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s it was used as temporary passenger airport for bigger planes until the new Riga International Airport was opened in 1973. At least since 2001 there has been no military or commercial aviation based in Rumbula. Now it is mainly used as the biggest auto market in Latvia, and only about five small general aviation planes are based here. The runway is in very poor condition. It has many potholes and concrete blocks are often used to learn how to drive a car, or for "test drives" of cars to be sold at the market. It is difficult to find a continuous stretch of road without obstacles longer than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). There are also a few "bomb-proof" camouflaged military hangars (one example is located at 56°53'08.39" N / 24°13'33.93" E). The hangars are mainly used as storage or general purpose facilities; they are not obvious on satellite images and are not freely accessible on the ground.
However, lately, mainly on weekends, motorized paragliders and ultra-light planes are using the runway. Airsport enthusiasts are taking control of the runway and stop students from driving cars so that they will not interfere with gliders and planes.
The air traffic from Rumbula can be seen flying mainly southward over Rumbula and along the Daugava river at heights of up to 300 metres (980 ft).