Andøya Air Station
Encyclopedia
Andøya Air Station is situated in the north of Norway
, in the municipality of Andøy
. At Andøya, the 333 Squadron is based with P-3C Orions
. The squadron is Norway's only surveillance squadron and stands as the airborne defence of northern Norway. Andøya Air Station is designed to handle fighters and should it become necessary, fighter squadrons can be deployed to protect this region. Squadron 333 is the only Norwegian squadron still in operation after its initial deployment.
The civil airport Andøya Airport, Andenes
and the civilian sounding rocket launch facility Andøya Rocket Range
is also located on the island.
The six Orion aircraft primary function is surveillance, mostly in the north and for both military and civilian functions. The planes are also the only that can help ship wrecked far from land. The aircraft also have a lot of cooperation with the Norwegian Coast Guard
.
The first idea of building a military airport was launched at a NATO meeting in Lisbon
in 1951. In March 1952 the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Nils Langhelle
announced that the airport was going to be build. There were multiple suggested locations, and the decision fell on the village Haugnes. The entire village with 310 residents was expropriated
to give enough area for the airport. The community at Andøy only had 2000 residents at the time, and a large growth was expected.
The first aircraft landing was on September 17, 1954, Douglas Dakota. The air station was operational from the fall 1957. The headquarters were located about 13 km away at Skarsteindalen, as part of NATOs spread tactic. In 1961 the first squadron, the 333, was moved to the air station, from Sola Air Station
, with HU-16B Albatross
aircraft.
After a bit civilian services were wanted, and April 2, 1964 the first schedules flight was flown by Scandinavian Airlines with a Metropolitan. In 1968 the second runway was finished. In the 1970s the airport became part of the new network of regional airports in Lofoten
and Vesterålen
with government subsidised operations with de Havilland
DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft seating 20 and operated by Widerøe
.
The Albatrosses were replaced in 1969 with P-3B Orion
aircraft. Though they lacked the ability to perform work for the Coast Guard and in 1989 they were sold to Spain
and replaced with new P-3C aircraft. After the end of the Cold War in the 1990s the air station has been reduced.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in the municipality of Andøy
Andøy
Andøy is the northernmost municipality in Nordland county, Norway, and it belongs to the Vesterålen archipelago. The largest island in the municipality is Andøya. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Andenes....
. At Andøya, the 333 Squadron is based with P-3C Orions
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
. The squadron is Norway's only surveillance squadron and stands as the airborne defence of northern Norway. Andøya Air Station is designed to handle fighters and should it become necessary, fighter squadrons can be deployed to protect this region. Squadron 333 is the only Norwegian squadron still in operation after its initial deployment.
The civil airport Andøya Airport, Andenes
Andøya Airport, Andenes
Andøya Airport, Andenes is the airport serving Andenes, Norway, in the municipality of Andøy. It is located right next to the town of Andenes network in Norway, being served by Widerøe. Andøya Airport is owned and operated by Avinor.-History:The first idea of building a military airport was...
and the civilian sounding rocket launch facility Andøya Rocket Range
Andøya Rocket Range
Andøya Rocket Range is a rocket launch site and rocket range on Andøya island in Andøy municipality in northern Norway...
is also located on the island.
The six Orion aircraft primary function is surveillance, mostly in the north and for both military and civilian functions. The planes are also the only that can help ship wrecked far from land. The aircraft also have a lot of cooperation with the Norwegian Coast Guard
Norwegian Coast Guard
The Norwegian Coast Guard, or Kystvakten in Norwegian, is a military force and part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built. All coast guard vessels have the prefix KV. Four of these vessels are capable of embarking one or more helicopters...
.
History
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in 1951. In March 1952 the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Nils Langhelle
Nils Langhelle
Nils Langhelle was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party and Minister of Labour 1945-1946, Norway's first Minister of Transport and Communications 1946-1951 and 1951–1952, Minister of Defense 1952-1954, Minister of Trade and Shipping 1954-1955 and President of the Storting from May 7, 1958...
announced that the airport was going to be build. There were multiple suggested locations, and the decision fell on the village Haugnes. The entire village with 310 residents was expropriated
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to give enough area for the airport. The community at Andøy only had 2000 residents at the time, and a large growth was expected.
The first aircraft landing was on September 17, 1954, Douglas Dakota. The air station was operational from the fall 1957. The headquarters were located about 13 km away at Skarsteindalen, as part of NATOs spread tactic. In 1961 the first squadron, the 333, was moved to the air station, from Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station
Sola Air Station in Sola municipality in Norway is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Air Wing 134 is stationed at Sola along with helicopter Squadron 330....
, with HU-16B Albatross
HU-16 Albatross
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
aircraft.
After a bit civilian services were wanted, and April 2, 1964 the first schedules flight was flown by Scandinavian Airlines with a Metropolitan. In 1968 the second runway was finished. In the 1970s the airport became part of the new network of regional airports in Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
and Vesterålen
Vesterålen
Vesterålen is a district and archipelago in Nordland, Norway, just north of Lofoten.-The name:The Norse forms of the name were Vestráll and Vestrálar . The first element is vestr n west, the last element is áll m ' sound, strait'...
with government subsidised operations with de Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft seating 20 and operated by Widerøe
Widerøe
Widerøe's Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a regional airline in Norway and part of the SAS Group. It operates a fleet of 34 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft , serving 41 domestic and 6 international destinations...
.
The Albatrosses were replaced in 1969 with P-3B Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
aircraft. Though they lacked the ability to perform work for the Coast Guard and in 1989 they were sold to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and replaced with new P-3C aircraft. After the end of the Cold War in the 1990s the air station has been reduced.
Accidents and incidents
- On February 1, 1982 a Lockheed SR-71, tail number 980, diverted to the airport. It stayed there four days before being flown out.
- On July 31, 1988 four people died when a private Cessna 172Cessna 172The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
aircraft crashed west of the airport just after take off. http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=1065350
External links
- Air Force page on Andøya (in Norwegian)