🇬🇧 RAF Northolt Airport

RAF Northolt (IATA: NHT, ICAO: EGWU) is a Royal Air Force station located in South Ruislip, London, England, approximately 6 miles north of Heathrow Airport. It is the oldest continuously used RAF airfield, having opened in May 1915 as the Royal Flying Corps Military School, Ruislip.

Type of facility and operations: RAF Northolt serves as the RAF's strategic site in London, with defence engagement at the forefront of its operations. It is home to RAF Command Support Air Transport (CSAT) and supports 2,000 personnel from 38 resident units across all three Armed Forces and government departments. The station also handles a significant volume of commercial and private civil flights, functioning as London VIP Airport for private planes carrying up to 29 passengers. Its single runway measures 1,683 m x 40 m with a grooved asphalt surface.

Notable features and history:

• Battle of Britain: RAF Northolt played a crucial role in defending the UK during the Battle of Britain in 1940, being the only airfield used in the battle still operated by the RAF. It was the first station to receive the Hawker Hurricane and hosted squadrons, including the highly successful No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron.
• London Airport: From 1946 to 1954, during the construction of Heathrow Airport, Northolt served as London Airport and was, for a time, the busiest airport in Europe, a major base for British European Airways.
• Project MoDEL: Since 2006, RAF Northolt has undergone extensive redevelopment as part of Project MoDEL (Ministry of Defence Estates London), consolidating many London-based Ministry of Defence operations and relocating units from other closed RAF sites.
• Royal Role: The station plays an important royal role, with 32 (The Royal) Squadron and 63 Squadron RAF Regiment (King’s Colour Squadron) based there. In 2022, it was the site of the repatriation of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
• Olympic Security: During the 2012 London Olympics, RAF Northolt became a fighter station again, hosting four Typhoon fighter aircraft for air superiority protection, marking the first time fighter aircraft had been stationed there since World War II.

Current status: RAF Northolt is currently operational, supporting both military and civilian aircraft. It houses various units including No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron, the King's Colour Squadron, No. 1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit, the Air Historical Branch, and the Central Band of the RAF. The runway underwent resurfacing in 2019, which included the installation of an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS).

*Sources researched: raf.mod.uk, en.wikipedia.org, aidu.mod.uk, aurora.nats.co.uk, airspacechange.caa.co.uk*