RAF Machrihanish
Former RAF station in Argyll and Bute, Scotland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Royal Air Force Machrihanish or RAF Machrihanish (formerly ICAO: EGQJ) is a former Royal Air Force station located near the town of Machrihanish and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Campbeltown, at the tip of the Kintyre peninsula, Argyll and Bute, in Scotland.
RAF Machrihanish | |||||||
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Near Campbeltown, Kintyre, Argyll and Bute in Scotland | |||||||
Coordinates | 55°26′15″N 005°41′17″W | ||||||
Type | Royal Air Force flying station | ||||||
Area | 415 hectares[2] | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Ministry of Defence (MOD) | ||||||
Operator | Royal Naval Air Service and RAF (1918) Fleet Air Arm (1941–1963) RAF (1963–1995) MOD (1995–2012) | ||||||
Condition | Closed | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 1918 (1918) | ||||||
In use | 1918–1996 (1996) | ||||||
Fate |
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Airfield information | |||||||
Identifiers | IATA: CAL, ICAO: EGQJ, WMO: 03111 | ||||||
Elevation | 12.8 metres (42 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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Two airfields known as Machrihanish have existed, the first was operational during the First World War and was used by the Royal Naval Air Service and RAF, before closing at the end of the Second World War. A second airfield, which was constructed during the Second World War, was used extensively by the Fleet Air Arm during the war. During the 1960s, it was redeveloped and became an RAF station and was made available to the US Navy as a nuclear weapons store and base for components of the US Navy SEALs Naval Special Warfare Group 2.
The draw-down of US military forces in Europe after the end of the Cold War resulted in the US Navy leaving Machrihanish and returning their facilities to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on 30 June 1995, after which the station became MOD Machrihanish and was retained on a care and maintenance basis.
In May 2012, the station was sold to the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) under community right-to-buy legislation. MACC now operates the site as a business park, with part of the airfield incorporating Campbeltown Airport.