RAF Upper Heyford

RAF Upper Heyford
Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire in England
RAF Upper Heyford is located in Oxfordshire
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
Location in Oxfordshire
RAF Upper Heyford is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates51°56′13″N 001°15′12″W / 51.93694°N 1.25333°W / 51.93694; -1.25333
TypeRAF flying station (US Visiting Forces)
CodeUH
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force (1918–1919)
Royal Air Force (1927–1950)
United States Air Force (1950–1994)
Controlled byRAF Bomber Command
* No. 6 (T) Group RAF
* No. 92 (OTU) Group RAF
ConditionClosed
Site history
Built1918 (1918)
Built byJohn Laing & Son Ltd[1]
In use1918 (1918)–1919 (1919)
October 1927 (1927)–1994 (1994)
Fate
  • Site sold, several buildings in various civilian uses and other areas redeveloped for housing.
  • Several areas and buildings given scheduled or listed status.
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Cold War
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: UHF, ICAO: EGUA, WMO: 03655
Elevation132 metres (433 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
09/27 2,530 metres (8,301 ft) Asphalt

Royal Air Force Upper Heyford or more simply RAF Upper Heyford is a former Royal Air Force station located 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the Second World War the airfield was used by RAF Bomber Command. During the Cold War, Upper Heyford was one of the former RAF bases chosen to house the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) nuclear-capable bombers on 90-day TDY (Temporary Duty) deployments until 1959, SAC Reflex Alert deployments from 1959 until 1965, from 1966 United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) tactical reconnaissance aircraft, and from 1970 General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark strike aircraft.

  1. ^ Falconer 2012, p. 199.