Locarno airfield command

Locarno Airfield Command (LSMO)
Characteristics
ICAO code	LSMO
Coordinates	46 ° 9 '52 " N , 8 ° 52' 40" E Coordinates: 46 ° 9 '52 " N , 8 ° 52' 40" E
Height above MSL	198 m (650 ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	6 km east of Locarno
Street	Via Stradonino
Basic data
opening	Summer 1940
operator	Swiss Air Force Homepage of the Locarno airfield command. Retrieved July 31, 2010 .
Flight ; movements	9000
Employees	35
Runways
26R / 08L	800 m × 23 m asphalt
26C / 08C	700 m × 30 m grass
26L / 08R	700 m × 30 m grass

The Locarno Airfield Command (LSMO) is a military airfield of the Swiss Air Force . It is part of the Aeroporto Cantonale di Locarno (LSZL), a civil airport that uses the same runways but has a separate taxiway.

location

The airfield is located about 6 kilometers southeast of the center of Locarno and is therefore comparatively far removed from its namesake for its size. It is located in the Magadino plain near the Ticino River , which flows into Lake Maggiore just a little over a kilometer to the west . It is a few kilometers away from the A2 motorway and accessed via a cantonal road. Besides the river, it is mainly surrounded by meadows and a farm (due to the nature reserve Bolle di Magadino ). The places Cadenazzo , Magadino , Tenero and Gordola are in the immediate vicinity .

history

The civil part of the airfield was opened in the summer of 1939. The military part followed in the following winter. The army built a runway in 1941 and since that year the military has also carried out basic flying training for military pilots there due to the good weather conditions.

In the period from 1999 to 2007, the structural infrastructure of the airfield command was completely renewed for around 100 million Swiss francs . It has a new large hangar with a photovoltaic system in which all aircraft are housed, and its own fenced-in taxiway with its own taxiway to runway 26R / 08L. In addition, the new hangar 5 was set up for the parachute reconnaissance aircraft stationed there.

Used aircraft

The most important aircraft stationed at the Locarno airfield command is the Pilatus PC-7 , which is used there for basic training for prospective military pilots. At the same time, the Locarno airfield command is the unofficial base of the aerobatic formation PC-7 Team .