RAF Lyneham | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyneham, Wiltshire in England | |||||||||
 Aerial view of RAF Lyneham during 2010. | |||||||||
 Support Save Supply[1] | |||||||||
  RAF Lyneham Shown within Wiltshire | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°30′19″N 001°59′36″W / 51.50528°N 1.99333°W | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force flying station | ||||||||
| Area | 494 hectares | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Condition | Closed | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1939 | ||||||||
| In use | 1940–2012 | ||||||||
| Fate | Transferred to British Army and became MOD Lyneham. | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: LYE, ICAO: EGDL, WMO: 03740 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 156 metres (512 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force Lyneham otherwise known as RAF Lyneham (IATA: LYE, ICAO: EGDL) was a Royal Air Force station located 6.3 miles (10.1 km) northeast of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and 10.3 miles (16.6 km) southwest of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RAF) before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.
RAF Lyneham was the Royal Air Force's principal transport hub, operating the modern Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, and the older Lockheed C-130K Hercules. The airfield was designated as a Master Diversion Airfield; it was one of the primary airfields to which aircraft could divert in the eventuality of their home bases being closed due to weather, or other unforeseen events such as aircraft crashes.
The airfield became renowned for being the "gateway" between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan; the station was also where repatriation of British personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan took place. The bodies were transported through the nearby town of Royal Wootton Bassett, with crowds lining the streets to pay tribute.
The station closed on 31 December 2012 with the majority of its personnel and other assets having moved to RAF Brize Norton. On 31 May 2011, a parade was held, attended by the Princess Royal, to mark the departure of the squadrons. The final Hercules left Lyneham on 1 July 2011.[2] Daily flying operations ceased on 30 September 2011.[3]
The site is now known as Ministry of Defence Lyneham (or MoD Lyneham) and is home to the Defence School of Electro-Mechanical Engineering (DSEME).
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 226. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
- ^ "RAF Lyneham farewell parade for departure of squadrons". BBC News. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "Changes to airspace around RAF Lyneham announced by CAA". Civil Aviation Authority. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.