RAF Northolt

Ruislip, Greater London in England

Ready to carry or to fight

EGWU

Shown within Greater London

Coordinates

51°33′11″N 000°25′06″W / 51.55306°N 0.41833°WCoordinates: 51°33′11″N 000°25′06″W / 51.55306°N 0.41833°W

Type

Royal Air Force station

Site information

Owner

Ministry of Defence

Operator

Royal Air Force

Website

www.raf.mod.uk/rafnortholt/

Site history

Built

1915

In use

1915-Present

Garrison information

Occupants

No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron RAF
No. 600 Squadron RAuxAF
621 EOD Squadron RLC
BFPO & Defence Courier Service
Northolt Station Flight

Airfield information

Identifiers

IATA: NHT, ICAO: EGWU

Elevation

124 ft (38 m) AMSL

Runways
Direction	Length and surface
07/25	1,687 m (5,535 ft) Grooved asphalt

Sources: UK AIP at NATS

RAF Northolt (IATA: NHT, ICAO: EGWU) is a Royal Air Force station in South Ruislip, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, west London. Approximately 6 mi (10 km) north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights. Northolt has one runway in operation, spanning 1,687 m × 46 m (5,535 ft × 151 ft), with a grooved asphalt surface.

Northolt pre-dates the establishment of the Royal Air Force by almost three years, having opened in May 1915. Originally established for the Royal Flying Corps, it has the longest history of continuous use of any RAF airfield. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the station was the first to take delivery of the Hawker Hurricane. The station played a key role during the Battle of Britain, when fighters from several of its units, including No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, engaged enemy aircraft as part of the defence of London. It became the first base to have squadrons operating Supermarine Spitfire aircraft within German airspace.

During the construction of Heathrow Airport, Northolt was used for commercial civil flights, becoming the busiest airport in Europe for a time and a major base for British European Airways. More recently the station has become the hub of British military flying operations in the London area. Northolt has been extensively redeveloped since 2006 to accommodate these changes, becoming home to the British Forces Post Office, which moved to a newly constructed headquarters and sorting office on the site. Units currently based at RAF Northolt are No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, the Queen's Colour Squadron, 600 (City of London) Squadron, No 1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit, the Air Historical Branch and the Central Band of the RAF. The station has also been used as a filming location for productions made at Pinewood Studios.

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Wikipedia