RAAF Learmonth

RAAF Learmonth
Learmonth Airport
IATA: LEA – ICAO: YPLM
LEA
Location of airport in Western Australia
Summary
Airport type Military/Public
Operator Royal Australian Air Force/Shire of Exmouth
Serves Exmouth, Western Australia
Elevation AMSL 19 ft / 6 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 3,047 9,997 Asphalt/Concrete
Source: Australian AIP at Airservices Australia[1]

RAAF Learmonth, also known as Learmonth Airport (IATA: LEA, ICAO: YPLM), is a joint use Royal Australian Air Force base and civil airport. It is located near the town of Exmouth on the north-west coast of Western Australia. As an RAAF base, Learmonth is one of the RAAF's three 'bare bases'. No Air Force units are currently based at Learmonth and it is maintained by a small caretaker staff during peacetime.

The RAAF also operates the Learmonth Air Weapons Range which covers about 18,954 hectares and is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south-west of the airbase.[2]

Contents

History

During World War II a little-known landing field was constructed on the western shore of Exmouth Gulf. It was code-named "Potshot" and maintained by No. 76 Operational Base Unit. In the 1950s the landing field was further developed as a military base and named RAAF Learmonth in honour of Wing Commander Charles Learmonth DFC and Bar, who, while leading No. 14 Squadron, was killed in a flying accident off Rottnest Island, Western Australia on 6 January 1944.[3]

In the mid-1960s, the Federal Government gave its support to plans by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Val Hancock, to redevelop Learmonth as a 'bare base', due to its proximity to Indonesia. The major work was undertaken by No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron between 1971 and 1973.[4]

On 7 October 2008, Qantas Flight 72 made an emergency landing at RAAF Learmonth.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
Qantas operated by QantasLink Perth
Skywest Airlines Monkey Mia, Perth
Virgin Australia Perth

Notes

  1. ^ YPLM – LEARMONTH (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 17 November 2011
  2. ^ "Commonwealth heritage places in Western Australia". Commonwealth heritage places. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/commonwealth/wa.html#learmonth. Retrieved 4 December 2010. 
  3. ^ Sunday Times - 18 January 1954, p.3 Retrieved 2011-11-02
  4. ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp.283-286

References