RAF Topcliffe

RAF Topcliffe
Near Topcliffe, North Yorkshire in England
Grob 109B 'Vigilant' motor glider. The glider is flown by 645 and 634 Volunteer Glider Squadron, which is based at Topcliffe.
EGXZ Shown within North Yorkshire
Coordinates
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1939 (1939)/40
In use	1940-Present
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: EGXZ, WMO: 03275
Elevation	28 metres (92 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 03/21 1,814 metres (5,951 ft) Asphalt 08/26 430 metres (1,411 ft) Asphalt 13/31 1,262 metres (4,140 ft) Asphalt

Royal Air Force Topcliffe or RAF Topcliffe (ICAO: EGXZ) is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England. It is a satellite station serving in the role of a Relief Landing Ground for Tucano aircraft of the Central Flying School (CFS) based nearby at RAF Linton-on-Ouse (one of two, the other being Dishforth Airfield). As such, no RAF personnel are based permanently at the airfield and airfield services are provided by personnel assigned to RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

Topcliffe is also used by the Air Training Corps as a motor glider airfield for Gliding induction courses and Gliding scholarships.

History

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. 419 and 424 Squadrons (RCAF) moved in flying Wellington bombers and later, the Halifax III. On 1 January 1943 the station was transferred to No. 6 Group RCAF and became a training station. The station, along with sub-stations at Wombleton, Dalton and Dishforth were designated as No. 61 (Training) Base in late 1943.

No1 Air Navigation School was located here between March 1957 & December 1961. The Air Electronics school came in January 1962 and from 1967 became the Air Electronics & Engineers School flying Vickers Varsity T1 aircraft.

From October 1964 Northern Communications Squadron flew Avro Anson C19 aircraft, replacing them with Beagle Basset CC1 in 1965 The squadron left Topcliffe in January 1969

The Airman Aircrew Initial Training School was located here from January 1967 until February 1970.

15 Aviation flight AAC flew Beaver AL1 aircraft from the early 1970s and 666 Aviation squadron AAC flew Scout AH1 helicopters from here between 1973 and 1978

The Army moved on to the site in 1974 and renamed much of it Alanbrooke Barracks. However all the flying facilities remain intact. The wartime control tower, with modifications, is still used, and the station is referred to as RAF Topcliffe by the RAF.

During the eighties it was the home of the Royal Navy Elementary Flying School. In the nineties it was temporarily home to a Tucano squadron of RAF Central Flying School. It was the home of the Tucano Air Navigation Squadron, teaching student navigators of both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy until April 2002 when it moved to RAF Linton on Ouse.

The station is now home to 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, who teach Air Cadets to fly The Grob 109B 'Vigilant' Motor Glider and is currently joined by 635 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, who have been temporarily re-located from their former airfield.

Other uses

Handley Page Hastings of 24 & 47 Squadrons based at Topcliffe in 1952

During the 1990s and until 2001, the airfield was utilised by Merlin Parachute Club, home to both the 4 Para Parachute display team and the York University Sport Parachute Club.

As of March 2012, RAF Topcliffe is the permanent base of one of the two Yorkshire Air Ambulances.

References

Bibliography

• Jefford, C.G, MBE,BA ,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.

External links

• Airport information for EGXZ at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• A National Serviceman remembers Topcliffe in 1959