🇬🇧 Leuchars Station Airfield

Leuchars Station (IATA: ADX, ICAO: EGQL) is a British Army installation located in Leuchars, Fife, Scotland, near St Andrews.

Type of Facility and Operations: Leuchars is primarily a British Army barracks, but it maintains an active airfield. The Royal Air Force (RAF) operates a fully operational airfield 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, within Leuchars Station. This RAF unit is known as Leuchars Diversion Airfield (LDA). The airfield is maintained by the RAF as a diversion airfield for military aircraft. Limited flying also occurs for training purposes.

Notable Features or History: Aviation at Leuchars dates back to 1911 with a balloon squadron of the Royal Engineers. It served as a training airfield during World War I and a Coastal Command station during World War II. In 1950, it became a fighter station, hosting jet air defence aircraft for both the RAF and Royal Navy due to its coastal location. It remained an air defence airfield through the Cold War until 2015. The station was formerly known as RAF Leuchars. The airfield has a single asphalt runway, 08/26, measuring 2,586 meters (8,484 ft).

Current Status: Leuchars Station was transferred from the RAF to the British Army on March 31, 2015, and was renamed Leuchars Station. It is currently home to British Army units, including the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME), and the Royal Military Police. The RAF continues to operate a unit, Leuchars Diversion Airfield, with approximately 50 RAF Regular, Reserve, and Civil Servants. The airfield is maintained for military aircraft diversion and limited training. There are no aircraft permanently based at Leuchars, but there are plans to increase both civilian and military usage of the airfield.

*Sources researched: raf.mod.uk, aidu.mod.uk, en.wikipedia.org, abct.org.uk, skybrary.aero*