Moi Air Base
Encyclopedia
Moi Air Base, formerly known as RAF Eastleigh and Eastleigh Airport is a military airport located to the east of Nairobi
, in the Eastleigh
suburb. The airport is used by the Kenya Air Force
. Additionally, the air base is the home of the East African School of Aviation run by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
, which was established at the airport in 1954 as the DCA training school. The airport is also used to train Kenyan Air Cadets.
It has a single 7900 ft runway.
Due to its military status, the airport is not shown in any official map of Nairobi. Instead, the area is left blank. This does not affect Google Earth
, though.
airbase in Kenya
, in the Eastleigh
suburb of Nairobi
. The name "RAF Eastleigh" was also used during 1935 for the airbase in England that became RAF Southampton in 1936.
Eastleigh was the primary RAF station for East Africa. However because of its high elevation and short runways (which could not be extended because of its location close to the city), jet fighters and bombers had to operate out of nearby Embakasi Airport
. Eastleigh also operated as a civilian airport with BOAC
operating flights through the fifties and sixties.
It was the base for No. 1414 (Meteorological) Flight equipped with Gladiator, Defiant, Hurricane, Spitfire, Proctor and No. 1569 (Meteorological) Flight equipped with Hawker Hurricane
s.
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, in the Eastleigh
Eastleigh, Nairobi
Eastleigh is a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the Central business district. Predominantly inhabited by Somali immigrants, it has been described as "Little Mogadishu", as well as "a country within a country with its own economy" on account of its robust business...
suburb. The airport is used by the Kenya Air Force
Kenya Air Force
The Kenya Air Force is the national Air Force of Kenya.The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the HQ & operations Kenya Air Force. Other bases include FOB Mombasa The Kenya Air Force (KAF) is the national Air Force of...
. Additionally, the air base is the home of the East African School of Aviation run by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is a state corporation of Kenya that is responsible for regulating the aviation industry in Kenya and for providing air navigation services in the Kenya flight region....
, which was established at the airport in 1954 as the DCA training school. The airport is also used to train Kenyan Air Cadets.
It has a single 7900 ft runway.
Due to its military status, the airport is not shown in any official map of Nairobi. Instead, the area is left blank. This does not affect Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
, though.
RAF Eastliegh
RAF Eastleigh was a Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airbase in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, in the Eastleigh
Eastleigh, Nairobi
Eastleigh is a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the Central business district. Predominantly inhabited by Somali immigrants, it has been described as "Little Mogadishu", as well as "a country within a country with its own economy" on account of its robust business...
suburb of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. The name "RAF Eastleigh" was also used during 1935 for the airbase in England that became RAF Southampton in 1936.
Eastleigh was the primary RAF station for East Africa. However because of its high elevation and short runways (which could not be extended because of its location close to the city), jet fighters and bombers had to operate out of nearby Embakasi Airport
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
-Charter airlines:-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has its head office in the KAA Complex on the airport property. African Express Airways has its head office on the airport property...
. Eastleigh also operated as a civilian airport with BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
operating flights through the fifties and sixties.
It was the base for No. 1414 (Meteorological) Flight equipped with Gladiator, Defiant, Hurricane, Spitfire, Proctor and No. 1569 (Meteorological) Flight equipped with Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s.
External links
- Photographs of Eastleigh and other Nairobi airports from 50 years ago - Eastleigh Airport