1564 Flight in World War II

No. 1564 (Meteorological) Flight was first formed at RAF Mellaha

Wheelus Air Base

-See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****...

, near Tripoli

Tripoli

Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...

, Libya

Libya

Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....

, on 1 February 1943, flying 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 and Supermarine Spitfire

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

s, and was disbanded at Istres

Istres

Istres is a commune in southern France, some 60 km northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 on 15 June 1946.

1564 (Helicopter) Flight in the 1960s

No. 1564 (Helicopter) Flight was re-formed at RAF El Adem

Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base

Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base is a Libyan Air Force base, located about 16 km south of Tobruk. It is believed to have once had about 60 or 70 Mirage F.1EDs aircraft assigned....

, Libya on 14 August 1963, flying Bristol Sycamore

Bristol Sycamore

-See also:-External links:* on the Bristol Sycamore* on the Bristol Sycamore*...

s and Westland Whirlwinds, from an element of 103 Squadron

No. 103 Squadron RAF

No. 103 Squadron was a Royal Air Force bomber squadron during World War I, World War II and the Cold War, switching to helicopters in the late 1950s until it was disbanded for the last time in 1975.-Formation in World War I:...

, disbanding on 31 December 1966 at El Adem.

The flight was re-formed at El Adem again on 1 May 1969, from 'D' Flight of 202 Squadron

No. 202 Squadron RAF

No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force presently operates the Sea King HAR.3 in the Search and rescue role at three stations in the northern half of the United Kingdom. It was originally formed as one of the first aeroplane squadrons of the RNAS before it became part of the RAF.-Formation and...

, only to be disbanded again on 31 March 1970 on Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

.

1564 (Tactical Support) Flight on the Falklands

Following the Falklands War

Falklands War

The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

 of 1982, the Westland Sea King

Westland Sea King

The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...

 search and rescue aircraft of C Flight, 202 Squadron, RAF Coltishall

RAF Coltishall

The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....

 were deployed to provide search and rescue

Search and rescue

Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...

 cover for BFFI (British Forces Falkland Islands), flying from Navy Point opposite Port Stanley. The unit had a variety of designations before formally adopting No. 1564 (Tactical Support) Flight as its title in 1983. When the Sea King and Chinook

CH-47 Chinook

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...

 units in the Falkland Islands were combined on the opening of RAF Mount Pleasant, they took on the title of 78 Squadron

No. 78 Squadron RAF

No. 78 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Merlin HC3/3A transport helicopter from RAF Benson.Until December 2007 it was the operator of two Westland Sea King HAR3s from RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands.-History:No...

.

1564 Flight was reformed in November 2007, by re-designating 78 Squadron on the departure of the Chinook aircraft from the Falklands. The Flight continues to operates two Sea King HAR3 helicopters, with crews provided on rotation from Nos. 22

No. 22 Squadron RAF

No. 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Sea King HAR.3 and HAR.3A at three stations in the southern United Kingdom. The squadron was originally formed in 1915 as an aerial reconnaissance unit of the Royal Flying Corps serving on the Western Front during First World War...

 and 202 Squadrons in the UK.

Aircraft operated

Aircraft operated by no. 1564 Flight RAF, data from

From	To	Aircraft	Version	Example
1 Feb 1943	July 1945	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...	Mk.I	Z4855
1 Feb 1943	July 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIb	KZ134
1 Feb 1943	July 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IIc	LD209
1 Feb 1943	July 1945	Hawker Hurricane	Mk.IId	HV590
July 1945	15 June 1946	Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...	Mk.Vc	EF683
July 1945	15 June 1946	Supermarine Spitfire	Mk.IX	MA518
14 August 1963	1 November 1963	Bristol Sycamore Bristol Sycamore -See also:-External links:* on the Bristol Sycamore* on the Bristol Sycamore*...	HAR.14	XL824
1 November 1963	31 December 1966	Westland Whirlwind	HAR.10	XP354
1 May 1969	31 March 1970	Westland Whirlwind	HAR.10	XP300, XJ764
20 August 1983	22 May 1986	Westland Sea King Westland Sea King The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...	HAR.3	XZ597 SC
November 2007	Present	Westland Sea King	HAR.3	XZ597 SC

Flight bases

Bases and airfields used by no. 1564 Flight RAF, data from

From	To	Base
1 February 1943	14 December 1943	RAF Mellaha Wheelus Air Base -See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****... , Libya Libya Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
14 December 1943	14 January 1946	RAF Castel Benito RAF Castel Benito RAF Castel Benito was a Royal Air Force station near Tripoli in Libya between 1943 and 1966.-History:Originally a Regia Aeronautica airfield where later the first units of Italian parachutists were trained and formed shortly before the Second World War. The first Italian Military Parachute... , Libya
14 January 1946	15 June 1946	FAF Istres, France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
14 August 1963	31 December 1966	RAF El Adem Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base Gamal Abdul El Nasser Air Base is a Libyan Air Force base, located about 16 km south of Tobruk. It is believed to have once had about 60 or 70 Mirage F.1EDs aircraft assigned.... , Libya
1 May 1969	January 1970	RAF El Adem, Libya
January 1970	31 March 1970	RAF Akrotiri RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force Station Akrotiri, more commonly known as RAF Akrotiri , is a large Royal Air Force station, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
20 August 1983	22 May 1986	RAF Navy Point Port Stanley Airport Port Stanley Airport is a STOLport in the Falkland Islands, two miles outside the capital, Stanley. The airport is the only civilian airport in the islands with a paved runway... , Falkland Islands Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
November 2007	Present	RAF Mount Pleasant RAF Mount Pleasant RAF Mount Pleasant is a military base for the Royal Air Force in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The facility is part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands... , Falkland Islands