Aachen-Merzbrück Airport
| Aachen-Merzbrück Airport | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | EDKA |
| IATA code | AAH |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 190 m (623 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 4 km east of Würselen, 6 km west of Eschweiler, 10 km north-east of Aachen |
| Street |
 L 223
|
| Basic data | |
| opening | 1914 |
| operator | Aachen-Merzbrück GmbH airfield |
| Start-and runway | |
| 07/25 | 1160 m × 18 m asphalt |
The airfield Aachen-Merzbrück is a German airfield and lies with Würselener district Broichweiden , directly on the L 223 between Eschweiler and Broichweiden and the A 44 in the Aachen region . The operator is "Flugplatz Aachen-Merzbrück GmbH". The airfield is approved for:
- Aircraft up to 3000 kg MTOW (maximum take-off weight)
- Helicopters up to 5700 kg MTOW
- self-starting motor gliders
- Gliders in F-tow
- Ultralight aircraft (three-axis steered)
- Free balloons ( PPR )
- Airships (PPR).
The ADAC rescue helicopter Christoph Europa 1 is stationed at the airfield . The Aachen University of Applied Sciences , the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen , a commercial flight school, various companies and several aviation clubs use the space as residents.
history
In 1914 Merzbrück was founded as a makeshift field airfield . After the First World War , it was taken over by the then Belgian occupation forces in 1919 and used as a military field airfield and expanded accordingly. In 1929 the Belgian soldiers withdrew and the airfield became a civilian airfield. In 1930, the Graf Zeppelin airship landed and took off in Merzbrück as part of a sightseeing flight over the Rhineland. In 1931 a line connection to Cologne-Butzweilerhof Airport was set up, which was operated with the Junkers G 24 until 1935 . In 1935 the regular scheduled flight to Cologne was discontinued for economic reasons. In 1932 the world's largest aircraft at the time, the Junkers G 38 , landed in Merzbrück. The flying legend Richard Perlia founded a flying school here in 1932. During the Second World War, Merzbrück was a military deployment port of the 2nd order and the location of an anti-aircraft position. The permanent air force command (6-8 soldiers) was provided by the Cologne Butzweilerhof airfield. From May 11th to 16th, 1940, the staff moved the I and II groups of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 with machines of the Ju 87 B and Do 17 types from Cologne Butzweilerhof to Merzbrück to take part in the attack on Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France (Yellow case). At the same time the IV. Group of Lehrgeschwader 1 was stationed here. From January 1945 to May 1945 the United States Army Air Forces used the space, u. a. also as a bomb depot. Mainly Thunderbolt P-47 fighters took off there . (The letter "P" in the name stands for fighter aircraft, English pursuit , pursuit).
- Aircraft that have approached the airport
Count Zeppelin
Junkers G 38
Thunderbolt (Thunderbolt) P-47
In 2009, in the course of the preparations for the swiveling of the runway, a 5 quintals bomb was found and defused.
After the Second World War , the Belgian military returned . The 18th ESC LtAvn, an Alouette helicopter squadron of the Belgian army, used the airport from 1956. From 1956 a civil sharing was also granted. In 1963 the "Westflug Aachen Luftfahrtgesellschaft" was founded by Herbert Kampsmann senior, Erich Scholz and Eva-Maria Jeckewitz and in 1964 the "Fluggemeinschaft Aachen eV" was founded with seven clubs. In 1965 the runway was "fortified" by the Belgian military. In 1967 the training license was granted for the "Westflug Aachen", and the "Westflug Aachen" license was quickly granted in 1968 as an aeronautical company and in 1971 the license for the civil use of the Aachen-Merzbrück military airfield as a commercial airfield. With the construction of the A 44 motorway (Aachen-Kassel) in 1975, the airfield and its runway in a westerly direction reached its expansion limit.
November 26, 1993 is the day the "Flugplatz Aachen-Merzbrück (FAM) GmbH" was founded by the Aachen district, the cities of Aachen, Eschweiler and Würselen, the Aachen Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the "Fluggemeinschaft Aachen eV". In October 1995 the Belgian armed forces withdrew and handed over management to the "Fluggemeinschaft Aachen". The takeover of the air rescue base Würselen-Merzbrück from the German Armed Forces by the ADAC and the stationing of the rescue helicopter Christoph Europa 1 followed on February 28, 1998.
From October 2019 to May 2020, the originally 535 m long runway was pivoted 10 degrees and extended to 1160 m in length.
Accidents
The Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation was notified of a total of 19 reportable accidents at the Merzbrück site between 1998 and 2019.
traffic
The next junction is "Broichweiden" on the A 44 .
The airfield is to have a station on the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway line again . The railway line, which was closed in 1981, was reactivated by EVS GmbH in June 2016 and is served by the Euregiobahn . At the beginning of 2015 it became known that the planned electrification of the railway line could not be approved because the overhead line would be in the approach lane. The construction of the Merzbrück stop, which was originally planned at the time the railway line went into operation, will also be postponed indefinitely.
Others
In the coat of arms of the municipality of Broichweiden, which was dissolved in 1972, there is an aircraft based on the airfield.
The radio building of the local radio Antenne AC is located in part of the former Belgian barracks building .
You can observe various historical aircraft on the airfield, for example the North American T-6 or CCF-Harvard , Yak 18 , Boeing Stearman , Pilatus P-3 and other vintage cars are parked here.
Founded in 2018 company e.SAT GmbH would like at the airport, the Silent Air Taxi , a closed wing with hybrid drive , develop and produce in the adjacent business park. Günther Schuh is the company's managing director .
Events
The Westflug Festival took place on the airfield until 2010. The tightened safety regulations for major events that could not be complied with led to the cancellation of the festival for 2011. It was not until 2014 that there was another flight festival with the celebration of the 100th anniversary. From 2011 to 2016, the two-day festival for electronic music Strange Behavior took place at the Merzbrück airfield .
Web links
- Official homepage of the Aachen-Merzbrück airfield
- Aerodrome data
- EDKA webcam with three views
- Planning approval decision
Individual evidence
- ↑ Space Operator: The airfield Aachen-Merzbrück GmbH introduces itself and the airfield. on :flugplatz-aachen.de from January 15, 2011
- ↑ http://www.flugplatz-aachen.de/02_FLUGPLATZ/02_flugplatzdaten.htm
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ [1937% 20Borders .pdf Henry L. deZeng IV: Luftwaffe Airfields 1935–45 Germany (1937 Borders) , p. 3], accessed on January 13, 2019.
- ↑ http://www.living-history-1945.de/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=32&category_id=26&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=4
- ↑ http://www.ixengineercommand.com/airfields/general.php see under Y46
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ [1] Air accidents in Merzbrück, 1998-2019
- ↑ euregiobahn: The closing of the ring is delayed. Aachen Transport Association, March 10, 2015, accessed on March 10, 2015 .
- ↑ e.SAT. Retrieved June 4, 2019 .
- ↑ Wolfgang Birkenstock: Nationwide mobile . In: Flight Revue . tape 2019 , no. 7 . Motor Presse Stuttgart , June 3, 2019, ISSN 0015-4547 , p. 86-87 .
- ↑ Heike Eisenmenger: Merzbrück: flight festival canceled. In: Aachener Zeitung. June 26, 2011, accessed April 21, 2015 .
- ↑ Sigi Malinowski: Merzbrück: The fascination of flying attracts many guests. In: Aachener Zeitung. August 31, 2014, accessed April 21, 2015 .
- ↑ http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/region/schluss-mit-dem-seltsamen-lösungen-1.1511272
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