Cambrai-Niergnies Airport
| Aérodrome de Cambrai-Niergnies | |
|---|---|
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| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | LFYG |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 95 m (312 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 5 km southeast of Cambrai |
| Street |
D 960 ,
|
| Basic data | |
| opening | 1935 |
| operator | Communauté d'Agglomération de Cambrai |
| Runways | |
| 08/26 | 870 m × 18 m asphalt |
| 08/26 | 1020 m × 100 m grass |
The Aérodrome de Cambrai Niergnies is an airfield of the General Aviation It lies in the region of Hauts-de-France in the department of North mainly in the field of Niergnies about five kilometers south-east of Cambrai . The airfield was used as a military airfield during World War II and the Cold War .
history
Before the Second World War, the airfield near Niergnies served as the civil airfield for nearby Cambrai. Next to the grass landing area there were hangars and a small terminal.
During the war, both the Cambrai-Épinoy military airfield (Base aérienne de Cambrai-Épinoy) , located north of Cambrais and existing until 2013, and the Aérodrome de Cambrai-Niergnies (referred to as Cambrai-South) south of the city were used by the air force. At the beginning of the Battle of Britain in August 1940, the III. Group of kampfgeschwader 2 here. It is not always clear from the available sources where the respective units were stationed. After a long period of rest, the Germans concreted two runways in 1943, aligned in 15/33 and 09/27. In addition, there were a large number of scattered parking spaces, maintenance halls and hangars. As a result, the airfield was attacked by Allied bombers in early December 1944.
The area around Cambrai was liberated by the Western Allies in September 1944 and the airfield held the code name Airfield A.74 . The first users of the poorly repaired airfield were the P-47D Thunderbolt of the 48th Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in September 1944 and between October 1944 and May 1945 there was another task force with the 394th Bombardment Group , which was equipped with a Martin B-26 Marauder .
After the end of the war, the area, which was still largely destroyed and contaminated with ammunition residues, was initially used for agriculture, as the French air forces did not need the airfield and the funds for the reconstruction of the civilian area were lacking.
After the outbreak of the Cold War, however, the site was offered to NATO , which from 1953 built an alternative area with a minimum of support facilities, but on one of the old German runways a runway suitable for jet fighters in orientation 17/35. The second old runway was also repaired with alignment 08/26 and the storage areas from the war were renewed and integrated into the new base.
However, the base was rarely used and closed as a military facility after France left NATO in 1967. The northern part was then again a civil airfield for Cambrai with a reduced runway length, while the rest fell into a "slumber" for decades.
Todays use
The northern part houses the "Louis Blériot" flying club and a gliding school.
The southern part was finally given a new use after 2010. In addition to a golf course, a solar park was built here.