RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
station at
Linton-on-OuseLinton-on-Ouse is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, about eight miles north-west of York.Since 1937 Linton-on-Ouse has been home to an airforce base, RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Since 1957 the main role of the base has been training pilots.-External links:*...
near
YorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence....
in
YorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the British Isles. Because of its great size, functions were increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have been subject to periodic reform. Throughout these changes, Yorkshire has continued to be recognised as...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is currently a major flying training centre, one of the RAF's busiest airfields. It has satellite stations at
RAF TopcliffeRAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
,
RAF Church FentonRAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Opened in 1937, it saw the peak of its activity during the years of World War II, when it served within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield,...
and
RAF DishforthRAF Dishforth is a Royal Air Force/British Army station in North Yorkshire, England. It is currently an Army Air Corps helicopter base and a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Linton-on-Ouse. The RAFGSA Clevelands Gliding Club used to operate from there but was closed on 29 April 2009...
.
The station motto
"A Flumine Impugnamus" translates from the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
as
"From the mighty river we strike".
The station's mission statement is:
RAF Linton-on-Ouse opened on 13 May 1937 as a bomber airfield and was the home of No 4 Group until 1940.
RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
station at
Linton-on-OuseLinton-on-Ouse is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England, about eight miles north-west of York.Since 1937 Linton-on-Ouse has been home to an airforce base, RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Since 1957 the main role of the base has been training pilots.-External links:*...
near
YorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence....
in
YorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the British Isles. Because of its great size, functions were increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have been subject to periodic reform. Throughout these changes, Yorkshire has continued to be recognised as...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is currently a major flying training centre, one of the RAF's busiest airfields. It has satellite stations at
RAF TopcliffeRAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
,
RAF Church FentonRAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Opened in 1937, it saw the peak of its activity during the years of World War II, when it served within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield,...
and
RAF DishforthRAF Dishforth is a Royal Air Force/British Army station in North Yorkshire, England. It is currently an Army Air Corps helicopter base and a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Linton-on-Ouse. The RAFGSA Clevelands Gliding Club used to operate from there but was closed on 29 April 2009...
.
Motto
The station motto
"A Flumine Impugnamus" translates from the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
as
"From the mighty river we strike".
Mission statement
The station's mission statement is:
History
RAF Linton-on-Ouse opened on 13 May 1937 as a bomber airfield and was the home of No 4 Group until 1940. The base's first commander was
Wing CommanderWing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Squadron Leader and immediately below Group Captain...
A D Pryor (1938 Air Force Lists).
When the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began, bombers were launched from Linton to drop propaganda leaflets over
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and the base was eventually used to launch bombing raids on
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
, The
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, and
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. Linton was one of 11 stations allocated to
No. 6 GroupNo. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active...
,
Royal Canadian Air ForceThe Royal Canadian Air Force was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces...
during the war.
At the end of the war the station was involved with transporting passengers and freight back to the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
. After which it became a fighter command station until it was closed for maintenance in 1957.
On 9 September 1957, the base was reopened as the home of
No 1 Flying Training SchoolNo 1 Flying Training School is the oldest military pilot training school in the world.-History:1 FTS was formed on 1919-07-29 at Netheravon in Wiltshire, England, using biplanes such as Bristol F.2 Fighters...
(FTS) and was responsible for training pilots for both the
RAFThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and the
NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
.
In 1985, engineering and supply services were contracted out to private firms. The contract for this is currently held by VT Aerospace.
Today, Linton-on-Ouse is used to provide fast jet pilot training before they move onto the
BAE HawkThe BAE Systems Hawk is a British single engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...
T.1 aircraft at No 4 FTS,
RAF ValleyRAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, less formally known as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk....
in Wales. Weapon Systems Operators receive part of their training here also. In addition, the base is used by 642 VGS (Volunteer Gliding Squadron) to teach Air Cadets how to fly the Grob Vigilant aircraft. The station houses a memorial room which recounts the history of the base and the units which have been associated with it.
Satellite stations
Linton is responsible for three satellite stations;
RAF Church FentonRAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Opened in 1937, it saw the peak of its activity during the years of World War II, when it served within the defence network of fighter bases of the RAF providing protection for the Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield,...
,
RAF TopcliffeRAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
and
RAF DishforthRAF Dishforth is a Royal Air Force/British Army station in North Yorkshire, England. It is currently an Army Air Corps helicopter base and a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Linton-on-Ouse. The RAFGSA Clevelands Gliding Club used to operate from there but was closed on 29 April 2009...
.
RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton was opened in 1937 and served as a fighter base during the Second World War. Since 1973 the main role of Church Fenton has been pilot training and from 1998–2003 the station was the RAF's primary Elementary Flying Training centre.
The base is currently home to the Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron. Although parts of the airfield are now derelict and fenced off, the airside parts of the base are still active. The base has an active runway, used primarily for light aircraft, and a manned
Air Traffic ControlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
tower.
RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe was opened in 1940 as a bomber station under the control of
RAF Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II, the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s was at the peak of its postwar power with the V bombers and a...
. In recent years the base has been primarily used for pilot training. It has been used by parachute display teams. The base is currently used by 645
Volunteer Gliding SquadronVolunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force flying training units, operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
to training members of the
Air Training CorpsThe Air Training Corps is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organization and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air Commodore Ian R W Stewart, serving...
to fly self-launching gliders.
RAF Dishforth
RAF Dishforth opened in 1936 as a bomber airfield. After the war it began work as a training airfield and was used to convert pilots to the Douglas Dakota transport aircraft. The base is currently used as an Army Air Corps helicopter base and as a relief landing ground for Linton on Ouse.
Resident squadrons
The basic fast-jet training
squadronA squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, armour, aircraft , or warships.-Army and Marines:A cavalry squadron , typically consists of four troops.-United States:...
s based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse are
207 SquadronNo. 207 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force, currently based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire.-Formation and World War I:...
and
72 SquadronNo. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force is currently a training reserve squadron based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse using the Short Tucano T1, a modified version of the Brazilian Embraer EMB-312 Tucano training aircraft.-First World War:...
.
76 SquadronNo. 76 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Currently, it is a training unit, equipped with the Short Tucano at RAF Linton-on-Ouse.- First World War :...
was re-formed on 1 April 2007 subsuming the Tucano Air Navigation School. All squadrons are Reserve squadrons and are designated as 72(R), 76(R) and 207(R) accordingly. All squadrons operate the Tucano and include both RAF and RN Fleet Air Arm personnel.
Also flying at Linton is No 642
Volunteer Gliding SquadronVolunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force flying training units, operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
, part of the
Air Cadet OrganisationThe Air Cadet Organisation is the collective name for the UK cadet forces sponsored by the Royal Air Force. The current Commandant is Air Commodore Ian Stewart...
.
November 2008 incident
In early November 2008
Wing CommanderWing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Squadron Leader and immediately below Group Captain...
Paul Gerrard, who is based at the station, was involved in an unusual mid-air rescue. Sixty-five-year-old Jim O'Neill was flying a two-seat Cessna aircraft from Scotland to Essex after a family holiday, when he had a stroke which caused temporary blindness. Gerrard was on a training flight, and after being alerted to the sistuation, located O'Neill's aircraft and over a 45 minute period, guided O'Neill to a safe landing at Linton.
External links