| Royal Air Force Henlow | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: none – ICAO: EGWE | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Owner/Operator | Royal Air Force | ||
| Location | Henlow, Shefford, Bedfordshire | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 148 ft / 45 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Map | |||
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EGWE
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 02/20 | 3,868 | 1,179 | Grass |
| 09L/27R | 2,333 | 711 | Grass |
| 09R/27L | 3,442 | 1,049 | Grass |
| 13/31 | 19,514 | 948 | Grass |
| Henlow Radio - 121.100 (Mhz) | |||
RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the RAF Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.
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Henlow was chosen as a military aircraft repair depot in 1917. The Officers Engineering School moved there in 1927. During the Second World War Henlow was used to assemble Hawker Hurricanes which had been shipped from Canada as skeletons in shipping containers and to fit all of the parts. It was also used as a repair base. Hurricane fighters were dismantled there to be shipped to Malta as well. After the war, Henlow became the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment, but was reduced to a Radio Engineering Unit in 1980.
A major RAF technical training college was also formed at Henlow after the Second World War and this was amalgamated with RAF College Cranwell in 1965. The RAF Officer Cadet Training Unit then moved in, but this also moved to Cranwell in 1980. In 1983, the Land Registry took over part of the site.
Henlow Camp, a civilian settlement, has grown up around RAF Henlow since the station's establishment.
Today, RAF Henlow houses the Directorate of Engineering Interoperability (DEI), which is part of the Defence Communication Services Agency (DCSA) within the Defence Logistics Organisation. In addition it houses the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG), HQ Specialist Police Wing (including the Tactical Provost Wing), the RAF Centre for Aviation Medicine (RAF CAM) , DE&S, 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron which operates Vigilant T1 motor gliders and a training section for the Bowman (communications system). A civilian flying school also operates from the site.
Administratively, RAF Henlow is now part of a combined base, RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow.
Facilities include a fully fitted gym and swimming pool, small bowling alley and a 9 hole golf course, open to the public.
RAF Henlow is also home to 2482 (Henlow) Sqn Air Training Corps.
The RAF Signals Museum is focused on the development of electronic communications by the RAF since World War I. Exhibits include radio and electronic equipment and memorabilia, a typical RAF Y Station from World War II, and the training of Aircraft Apprentices and boy entrants for Signals and Communications trades.
The museum is open by appointment. Due to the museum's location in a working air base, all visitors must present a photo ID for entry.
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