RAF Benson
Royal Air Force main operating base in Oxfordshire, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson (IATA: BEX, ICAO: EGUB) is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a front-line station and home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, used primarily for the transportation of troops & equipment. Flying squadrons comprise No. 33 Squadron flying the Puma, No. 22 Squadron which provides operational evaluation and training for all aircraft in Joint Helicopter Command and No. 28 Squadron, which is the combined Puma and Boeing Chinook HC6A training unit. Other units include the Oxford University Air Squadron and No. 6 Air Experience Flight, both flying the Grob Tutor T1 light training aircraft used for student and cadet flying training. The National Police Air Service and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance are also based at the station, both operating Airbus H135 helicopters.
RAF Benson | |||||||
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| Near Wallingford, Oxfordshire in England | |||||||
_(2).jpg) Benson village (left) and RAF Benson (centre and right) from the air | |||||||
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  RAF Benson Shown within Oxfordshire | |||||||
| Coordinates | 51°36′59″N 001°05′45″W | ||||||
| Type | Main Operating Base | ||||||
| Code | EB | ||||||
| Area | 261 hectares (640 acres) | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | Joint Helicopter Command No. 2 Group RAF | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1938 (1938)–1939 | ||||||
| Built by | John Laing & Son Ltd | ||||||
| In use | April 1939 – present | ||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II Cold War | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Current commander | Group Captain Chris Royston-Airey | ||||||
| Occupants |
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| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: BEX, ICAO: EGUB, WMO: 3658 | ||||||
| Elevation | 61.8 metres (203 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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| Source: RAF Benson Defence Aerodrome Manual[2] | |||||||
RAF Benson opened in 1939 and during the Second World War it was tasked with training aircrews on the Fairey Battle light bomber and Avro Anson training aircraft. It was later home to squadrons flying the Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito which operated in the photographic reconnaissance role. Benson operated under RAF Transport Command throughout the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s, various communications and administrative units were present and in the early 1990s the station began its association with the support helicopter force.