RAF Wyton

Royal Air Force Wyton
IATA: QUY – ICAO: EGUY
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		Royal Air Force
Location		St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Elevation AMSL		135 ft / 41 m
Coordinates		52°21′26″N 000°06′28″W
Map
EGUY Location in Cambridgeshire
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
09/27	2,516	8,255	Asphalt
15/33	762	2,500	Asphalt

RAF Wyton (IATA: QUY, ICAO: EGUY) is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.

In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It is home to Equipment Support (Air) and Corporate Technical Services. The airfield is used for flying training by 57(R) Squadron EFT, the University Air Squadrons of London and Cambridge and No 5 Air Experience Flight.

Wyton has been a military airfield since 1916, when it was used for training by the Royal Flying Corps. In 1935 it was upgraded to contemporary standards. During World War II it was used primarily as a bomber base, flying Bristol Blenheim, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster aircraft. In 1942 it became the home of the Pathfinder Force under the command of Group Captain Don Bennett.

Entrance to RAF Wyton

After the war Wyton became home to the Strategic Reconnaissance Force, adding English Electric Canberra to the aircraft flown. Vickers Valiants, modified for reconnaissance, moved there in 1955 and a Handley Page Victor in 1959. Provision was made to store nuclear weapons if necessary.

The Victor belonged to a separate Radar Reconnaissance Flight (initially of one aircraft - rising to three by the time RRF was disbanded in 1962) to supplement the work of the Valiants of 543 Sqn. The Canberras of 58 Sqn were a mix of PR7 and PR 9s.

Also based at RAF Wyton were the T17 and T17A Canberras of 360 Sqn, the only joint RAF and RN Squadron specialising in ECM training. In the early 90's one of its pilots was Ft Lt Rory Underwood. Other residents at RAF Wyton were 100 Sqn with a mixture of Canberra types in the Targeting Role. Also resident but "never officially present" were the three Nimrod R1s belonging to 51 Sqn used in the Elint and Sigint role.

RAF Wyton hosts the annual Pathfinder March, a 46-mile (74 km) walk which starts and finishes at RAF Wyton.

During the middle 1990s, RAF Wyton hosted an RAF-sponsored Microlight club. Consisting of a small group of flex-wing microlight and 3 Axis aircraft, there was a thriving flight school with two instructors, Former Chief Inspector of BMAA David Marshall & Training Instructor Pilot Paul Foggoa. The school was based in the old crash building - the original purpose of which was to house the crash-rescue fire engines. The success of the club, and the inclusion of non-RAF members, led to the club expanding to the corner of one of the large hangars.

Operational units

• • 57(R) Squadron
  • Cambridge University Air Squadron
  • London University Air Squadron
  • 5 Air Experience Flight
  • Defence Equipment & Support
  • RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow HQ Wing

See also

• RAF Wyton Area Voluntary Band

External links

• Photos and history
• Official RAF site
• Airport information for EGUY at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• RAF Wyton Area Voluntary Band