Coulommiers-Voisins airfield
| Aerodrome de Coulommiers-Voisins | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Characteristics | |
| ICAO code | LFPK |
| Coordinates | |
| Height above MSL | 143 m (469 ft ) |
| Transport links | |
| Distance from the city center | 5 km northwest of Coulommiers |
| Street |
D 934 12 km to 
|
| Basic data | |
| operator | Aéroports de Paris |
| Runways | |
| 09C / 27C | 1400 m × 20 m asphalt / concrete |
| 09R / 27L | 660 m × 80 m grass |
The Aérodrome de Coulommiers-Voisins is an airfield of the general aviation He is in the Region Ile-de-France in the Seine-et-Marne mainly on the territory of the municipalities Giremoutiers , Maisoncelles-en-Brie , Mouroux and Pommeuse about five kilometers northwest of Coulommiers .
history
Coulommiers Airfield was opened in 1938 as a military airfield for the Armée de l'Air , although aviation in the area began long before that. The Montgolfier brothers flew here with their hot air balloons as early as 1783 and other aviation pioneers tried out various gliders in the 19th century. During the First World War , the Marne battles took place here, during which both French and German aircraft operated in the area.
The l'Armée de l'Air initially stationed two hunting groups here, Groupes de Chasses (GC), the GC III / 6 and GC III / 7, which were equipped with Morane-Saulnier MS406 and Bloch MB.220 . After the outbreak of World War II , other French aircraft, including reconnaissance aircraft and Dewoitine D.520 from GC I / 3, were relocated to Coulommiers. Then there were Blenheim of the 59th and 212th Squadron of the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
During the German occupation of France during World War II , the airfield was used by the German Air Force . The first users were in July 1940 for a few weeks staff, I. and II. Group of Kampfgeschwader 54 (S., I. and II./KG 54), whose Ju 88A took part in the Battle of Britain .
After a period of rest during which the airfield was expanded, the airfield was reactivated in 1943 as a future base for interceptors against incoming Allied bombers. Initially, however, the Do 217 E / K / M of the III used it for night attacks on England and mine-laying operations in the English Channel between mid-April and mid-August 1943 . Group of Kampfgeschwader 2 (III./KG 2). In September / October 1943 the Fw 190A - fighter-bombers of the IV. Group of the Schnellkampfgeschwader 10 (IV./SKG 10) lay here . Between the beginning of May and August 1944, Coulommiers was the Bf 110 night fighter in Group II of Night Fighter Wing 4 (II./NJG 4). In June of that year, the airfield was repeatedly targeted by American air strikes.
The airfield, which was partially destroyed by the June air raids, was taken by the Allies at the beginning of September and after a one-week repair as Airfield A.58 , its Allied code name, a deployment site of the Ninth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The first short-term user was the 425th Night Fighter Squadron equipped with P-61 Black Widow night fighters , followed by the 410th Bombardment Group . This group, equipped with Douglas A-20 Havoc , remained stationed in Coulommiers until February 1945.
Subsequently, the place became the transport air base of the 437th Troop Carrier Group equipped with Douglas DC-3 / C-47 . Parallel to this, the 540th Squadron of the RAF with its Mosquito Mk.VI was still here between the end of March and the end of September 1945 . The airfield was returned to France on August 8, 1945 after the American transport planes had withdrawn in the summer of 1945.
The area was initially not used in the post-war period before it was considered as an alternative civil airport from Paris to Le Bourget in the 1950s . At the same time, the site was expanded into a NATO standard base with parking areas for combat aircraft. In the 1960s, however, it was decided to open Orly , at the time a US air base, as the capital's airport, whereby the plans regarding Coulommiers became irrelevant.
Todays use
Today's airfield was built on the military airfield, with the main runway being re-asphalted and two shorter grass runways for sport planes and gliders.
Remnants from the various phases of military use exist to this day on and in the vicinity of today's airfield area.