Mainz-Finthen airfield

Mainz-Finthen airfield
Characteristics
ICAO code	EDFZ
Coordinates	49 ° 58 '8 "  N , 8 ° 8' 54"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 58 '8 "  N , 8 ° 8' 54"  E
Height above MSL	232 m (761  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	9 km southwest of Mainz
Basic data
opening	1939
operator	Mainz-Finthen Airport
Runways
08/26	1000 m × 22 m asphalt
08/26	1000 m × 80 m grass

The Mainz Finthen Airport is a commercial airport in the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital Mainz . The operator is Flugplatz Mainz Finthen Betriebs GmbH on behalf of the previous operator, the Aviation Association Mainz . The airfield was operated from 1993 to August 1, 2008 by a non-profit association.

History of the airfield

Destroyed plane in April 1945

The special thing about the Mainz-Finthen airfield is that it was built in the Second World War as a round grass field for night fighter planes (→ Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 ) and has an efficient drainage and drainage system over its entire area - this is circular with a diameter of about 1, 2 km across the entire airfield. Both the Reich Labor Service (from 1939 to 1942) and male forced laborers at two branch offices (Finthen 1 and Finthen 2) of the SS special camp in Hinzert (especially from 1942 to 1945) were used for this purpose. Very large amounts of blast furnace slag (more than 60 rail car loads) were buried in the surface of the airfield and a net-like drainage system was laid between them, which causes the entire airfield site to be drained quickly, including the areas that are now unused. The entire Finther forest was cleared for the construction of the airfield .

After the war, first took over French army airfield and built the 1,000-meter asphalt track for its Army Aviation Aviation légère de l'armée de terre . A user in the second half of the 1950s was the Ecole de Spécialisation de l'Aviation Légère d'Observation d'Artillerie , a training facility for artillery observers.

After their departure, the Americans took over the airfield, which was henceforth called Finthen Army Airfield (FAA Mainz-Finthen). The US Army stationed in the mid-1970s, the 205th Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) "Geronimo" with about 20 helicopters, which is majority by CH-47C Chinooks acted. From 1988 this unit was relocated to Mannheim and replaced here by the 295th ASHC "Cyclones". In connection with the reorganization of the US armed forces, the Finthen Army Airfield was shut down from December 1991 to September 1992 and after the evacuation by the US Army in November 1992 it was returned to the Federal Republic of Germany except for a radar station and a small training area.

On November 16 and 17, 1980, Pope John Paul II celebrated Holy Mass with thousands of believers on the airfield during his first major pastoral visit to Germany.

In the course of Operation El Dorado Canyon of the USA against Libya, the area was fenced off and militarily cordoned off in 1986/87 because of the increased need for security. Most of this fence is still intact.

The US Army gave up the airfield in 1992. Subsequently, on September 30, 1993, the first joint user agreement concluded between the Federal Republic of Germany and the USA was signed. This gave the state of Rhineland-Palatinate the right to use the airfield for civil purposes from January 1, 1994. On January 5, 1995, the ICAO code was changed from EDOT to EDFZ. Since then , the airfield has been operated by the Aviation Association Mainz , which handed over operations to the newly founded Flugplatz Mainz-Finthen Betriebs GmbH on August 1, 2008.

In 2003 the American Army, which still operates a radar station and an urban combat training area there, expanded the fencing in the east of the area.

Infrastructure

Tower building from the former US base Finthen Army Airfield (FAA)

Refueling system on the left - airfield fire engine

Old tower building from Mainz-Finthen airfield

Hangar and tower area

Jobs in companies around the airfield

Parking positions in Mainz-Finthen

Technical specifications

The airfield with two runways is located around 9 km southwest of Mainz city center, around one kilometer west of the Mainz district of Finthen at an altitude of 232 meters. Night flights ( PPR ) are allowed. The two runways are an asphalt runway with lights and a grass runway, each 1000 m long in the 08/26 orientation. The airfield is the employer of two permanent officers for air supervision ( BfL ). The airfield is approved for aircraft (including helicopters ) up to 14 t MTOW , gliders and air sports equipment . AVGAS , Jet-A1 and premium petrol can be refueled at the airport's own petrol station on the apron during opening hours . In addition to the operating club, there are several different commercial flight schools at the airfield where flying with various types of air sports equipment and small aircraft can be learned. There is also an aircraft yard with three permanent employees on the site.

training

Training for helicopters, ultralight aircraft and gyroscopes is possible at the airfield. Motor flight and glider training is also offered.

Airfield Restaurant

In the course of the new construction of the tower building, the former club's own canteen was converted into a professionally run restaurant. The Tower-One restaurant has been open since March 3, 2012. From the enlarged viewing terrace you have a good overview of the apron and flight operations.

Motorsport

The airfield was regularly used for motorsport events. In 1964 the International HMSC Airfield Race took place. Formula 3 also held a race here in 1967 on a 2.1 km long track. The German racing championship took place from 1972 to 1983.

From 1984 to 1990 the Mainz Finthen airfield race was held here as part of the DTM .

Automobile slaloms have been held since 1967.

Transport links

The Layenhof stop of the Rhein-Main transport association is located 200 m from the airfield . Access with motor vehicles is only permitted via the Layenhof. A private bike path runs through the airfield on the northeastern edge between Layenhof, Ober-Olmer Wald and Finthen, which can be used during operating hours.

The next motorway junction is Mainz-Finthen on federal motorway 60 (19) .

Ecological peculiarities

Thanks to the fencing, the southern part of the site serves as a retreat for migratory birds, such as B. for lapwing. Even the hoopoe has been sighted on the site. Even endangered insects, such as B. the blue-winged wasteland insect can be found in large numbers on the airfield.

After long concerns that the area would be released for development and flight operations would cease, the area and the adjacent forest were declared a nature reserve in 2017 under the name Wiesen am Layenhof - Ober-Olmer Wald . The further "proper use" of the airfield should be guaranteed.

View of part of the runway, 2007

Web links

Commons : Flugplatz Mainz-Finthen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Operator's website

Individual evidence

1. ^ Jeppesen Sanderson Inc .: Bottlang Airfield Manual , BAM 94 A2 , November 29, 1994
2. ↑ Statistics Formula 3 1964
3. ↑ Statistics Formula 3 1967
4. ↑ Results DRM 1972 (English)
5. ↑ Results Classic Cars 1981 (English)
6. ^ Statistics DRM 1982
7. ↑ DTM statistics ( Memento from June 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
8. ↑ http://www.msc-slalom-finthen.de/
9. ↑ State capital Mainz: Press release on the inauguration of the nature reserve Wiesen am Layenhof - Ober-Olmer Wald from June 20 , 2017, accessed on April 1, 2018