Bardufoss Airport
Encyclopedia
Bardufoss Airport is situated at Bardufoss
in the municipality of Målselv
in Troms
, North Norway. The airport is primarily military, but also serves a few civilian flights. In 2009, the airport had 175,408 passengers.
Norwegian Air Shuttle
currently operates three daily flights with Boeing 737
aircraft to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
.
The Norwegian Aviation College
(NAC) is located at the airport. Other users of the airport include a flying club and a parachute jumping club.
At Bardufoss Air Station
, also located at the airport, the Royal Norwegian Air Force
operates Westland Lynx MK 86
helicopters (337 Squadron) for the Norwegian Coast Guard
as well as Bell 412SP
helicopters (339 Squadron). The Royal Norwegian Air Force Flight Training School is also located at Bardufoss. These three units are all parts of the 139 Air Wing.
During World War II
RAF
Gloster Gladiator
s (of No. 263 Squadron RAF
) and Hawker Hurricane
s (of No. 46 Squadron RAF
) operating from Bardufoss
played a vital part in keeping the Luftwaffe
at bay during the fighting on the Narvik
front in the 9 April-10 June 1940 Norwegian campaign
. After the allied withdrawal from Norway, the airbase was used by the Germans, mostly as a base for the fighters and bombers attacking the convoys between Great Britain and Murmansk in Northern Russia.
Royal Navy (UK) commando and Royal Marine units have used Bardufoss as a training base for many years. It is also used as a base for cold weather training for Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy helicopter crews. During the "cold war" training was especially concentrated during the winter, with repair parties during the Norwegian summer. These operations were given the title of "Clockwork".
of 252 feet (77 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 10/28 with an asphalt
surface measuring 2443 by 45 m (8,015.1 by 147.6 ).
Bardufoss
Bardufoss is a small village in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county, Norway. The population was 2,580. Bardufoss is located in the Målselvdalen valley near the confluence of the Barduelva and Målselva rivers. It is located about north of the city of Narvik and about south of the city...
in the municipality of Målselv
Målselv
Målselv is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Moen. Some other villages include Andslimoen, Bardufoss, Alappmoen, Holmen, Fossmoen, and Heggelia...
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
, North Norway. The airport is primarily military, but also serves a few civilian flights. In 2009, the airport had 175,408 passengers.
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA , trading as Norwegian, is the second-largest airline in Scandinavia. In 2010, it transported 13.0 million people. As of October 2011, Norwegian operates a total fleet of 62 aircraft; 17 Boeing 737-300s and 45 Boeing 737-800s...
currently operates three daily flights with Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
.
The Norwegian Aviation College
Norwegian aviation college
Norwegian Aviation College was a flying school with its base at Bardufoss Air Station in Norway. SAS’s most experienced airline pilots/instructors participated in selecting the location, designing the training facilities, selecting the equipment and in the design of the training programmes and the...
(NAC) is located at the airport. Other users of the airport include a flying club and a parachute jumping club.
At Bardufoss Air Station
Bardufoss Air Station
Bardufoss Air Station is located in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county in Northern Norway. It is the location for the 139th Air Wing and two helicopter squadrons; the 337 Squadron operating Lynx MK 86 for the Norwegian Coast Guard and the 339 Squadron equipped with Bell 412SPs...
, also located at the airport, the Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force
The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peace force is approximately 1,430 employees . 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF...
operates Westland Lynx MK 86
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
helicopters (337 Squadron) for 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...
as well as Bell 412SP
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
helicopters (339 Squadron). The Royal Norwegian Air Force Flight Training School is also located at Bardufoss. These three units are all parts of the 139 Air Wing.
History
Bardufoss Air Station was founded in 1938. The airfield is the oldest military airfield still operative in the country.During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
s (of No. 263 Squadron RAF
No. 263 Squadron RAF
No 263 Squadron was an Royal Air Force fighter squadron formed in Italy towards the end of World War I. After being disbanded in 1919 it reformed in 1939 flying mainly strike and heavy fighter aircraft until becoming No 1 Squadron in 1958.-First World War:...
) and Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s (of No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...
) operating from Bardufoss
Bardufoss
Bardufoss is a small village in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county, Norway. The population was 2,580. Bardufoss is located in the Målselvdalen valley near the confluence of the Barduelva and Målselva rivers. It is located about north of the city of Narvik and about south of the city...
played a vital part in keeping the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
at bay during the fighting on the Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
front in the 9 April-10 June 1940 Norwegian campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
. After the allied withdrawal from Norway, the airbase was used by the Germans, mostly as a base for the fighters and bombers attacking the convoys between Great Britain and Murmansk in Northern Russia.
Royal Navy (UK) commando and Royal Marine units have used Bardufoss as a training base for many years. It is also used as a base for cold weather training for Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy helicopter crews. During the "cold war" training was especially concentrated during the winter, with repair parties during the Norwegian summer. These operations were given the title of "Clockwork".
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 252 feet (77 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
designated 10/28 with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
surface measuring 2443 by 45 m (8,015.1 by 147.6 ).