RAAF Base Williams

RAAF Base Williams
Characteristics
ICAO code	YMPC
Coordinates	37 ° 55 '54 "  S , 144 ° 45' 12"  O Coordinates: 37 ° 55 '54 "  S , 144 ° 45' 12"  O
Height above MSL	4 m (13  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center	22 km southwest of Melbourne
Basic data
opening	1912 & 1916
operator	Royal Australian Air Force
Runways
04/22	1137 m × 45 m asphalt
08/26	1066 m of grass
17/35	1374 m × 45 m asphalt

RAAF Base Williams ( ICAO : YMPC ) is a base of the Royal Australian Air Force consisting of the two previously independent military airfields RAAF Base Point Cook and RAAF Base Laverton, which were administratively merged in 1999 . Both are west of Melbourne . The move came after many units of the Australian Defense Forces had been relocated north in the previous decades.

The dual base, named after Air Marshal Sir Richard William , the 'father' of the Australian Air Force, is now used primarily for training.

Due to its historical importance, the ensemble of the airport is a national monument and was inscribed on the Australian National Heritage List in 2007 .

history

RAAF Williams Point Cook Base

Point Cook was acquired in 1912 with the vision of setting up the Australian Flying Corps as part of the army. After the First World War , the Royal Australian Air Force was established as an independent branch. Until 1925, Point Cook was the only base of the RAAF until that year the two other bases RAAF Base Richmond and RAAF Base Laverton were opened.

In the 1920s and 30s, some memorable flights took off here for the time. In 1919, 1924 and 1926 Point Cook was the starting point for the first north-south crossing of the continent, the first flight along the coast around the entire continent and the first long-haul flight from Australia to the Pacific.

The base then functioned as the main training complex of the RAAF for many decades. In the Second World War were more educated than 2700 pilots. This era did not end until 1992 when the basic training was moved to the former RAAF Base Tamworth in New South Wales (training was carried out there from 1993 to 2020 by BAE Systems ) and the advanced training was moved to RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia .

RAAF Williams Laverton Base

Laverton is the third oldest RAAF base, which was built at the same time as RAAF Base Richmond , but opened a little later.

Laverton was home to airborne units, support and training units, headquarters for the support and training command, and a hospital.

The airfield was closed at the beginning of the 1990s and at the beginning of 2007 it was decided to develop the areas no longer required for urban expansion measures.

Todays use

RAAF Williams Point Cook Base

Point Cook is still an operational airfield, but military movements are usually related to the RAAF Museum located on the edge of the field . Although it is still a military airfield, most aircraft movements are now of a civil nature. It is said to be the longest continuously used airfield in the world with a number of buildings and facilities from the early days of aviation.

Due to its historical importance, RAAF Willams Point Cook Base was inscribed on the Australian National Heritage List as a National Monument on August 29, 2007 as it was the "birthplace" of the Royal Air Force and the first military airport base, the oldest complex of military airport buildings as well as Australia's first military flight school.

The administrative functions are all provided by Laverton.

RAAF Williams Laverton Base

Laverton is home to the headquarters of the Air Force Training Group , the former Training Command, and all administrative functions for Point Cook. There are also some schools, the Airworthiness Directorate and the 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron , a reserve unit. Units of the Australian Army and the material procurement organization (comparable to the German BWB) are also stationed .

Web links

Commons : RAAF Base Williams  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• RAAF Base Williams on the side of the Royal Australian Air Force

Individual evidence

1. ↑ environment.gov.au ( November 2, 2011 memento in the Internet Archive ): Point Cook Air Base, Victoria , in English, accessed October 29, 2011