Reims-Prunay Airport
Encyclopedia
Reims – Prunay Aerodrome is an airfield serving the city of Reims
. It is located 10 km (10,000,000,000,000 nm) east-southeast of Reims, near Prunay
, both communes
in the Marne
department in the Champagne-Ardenne
region
in northeastern France
.
It is a class D aerodrome open to general aviation
traffic with no commercial airline service scheduled. Also, it hosts the factory of Reims Aviation
.
as a United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force
Advanced Landing Ground
in August 1944 to support the Northern France Campaign by Allied ground forces. Known as "St. Leonard Airfield" or simply "A-36", it was constructed by the IX Engineer Command, 846th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
The original construction was of Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing for a single runway of 5000' x 120' oriented north-south 00/18. In addition, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
The airfield was opened on 4 September 1944 and used by the 406th Fighter Group, which flew P-47 Thunderbolt
s from the field between 4 September and 4 October 1944.
The Americans moved east along with the advancing Allied forces in early October, turning the airfield over to French authorities. After the war, it was developed into the current airport. The wartime runway was removed, with a modern asphalt runway oriented 07/25 built. In addition, a parallel turf runway is available for light aircraft including gliders. Today, it is used by general aviation. Partial remains of the north-south wartime runway can be found south of the parallel grass runway. There is also a major manufacturing facility on the north side of the airfield.
of 313 feet (95 m) above mean sea level. It has one paved runway
designated 07/25 which measures 1150 by 30 m (3,773 by 98.4 ). It also has a parallel unpaved runway measuring 1170 by 80 m (3,838.6 by 262.5 ).
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. It is located 10 km (10,000,000,000,000 nm) east-southeast of Reims, near Prunay
Prunay
Prunay is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
, both communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
department in the Champagne-Ardenne
Champagne-Ardenne
Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in northeastern 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...
.
It is a class D aerodrome open to general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
traffic with no commercial airline service scheduled. Also, it hosts the factory of Reims Aviation
Reims Aviation
Reims Aviation Industries is a French aircraft manufacturer located in the city of Reims, currently producing the F406 Caravan II. Reims Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of GECI Aviation.-History:...
.
History
The airport was first established during World War IIWorld 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...
as a United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
in August 1944 to support the Northern France Campaign by Allied ground forces. Known as "St. Leonard Airfield" or simply "A-36", it was constructed by the IX Engineer Command, 846th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
The original construction was of Prefabricated Hessian Surfacing for a single runway of 5000' x 120' oriented north-south 00/18. In addition, tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
The airfield was opened on 4 September 1944 and used by the 406th Fighter Group, which flew P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s from the field between 4 September and 4 October 1944.
The Americans moved east along with the advancing Allied forces in early October, turning the airfield over to French authorities. After the war, it was developed into the current airport. The wartime runway was removed, with a modern asphalt runway oriented 07/25 built. In addition, a parallel turf runway is available for light aircraft including gliders. Today, it is used by general aviation. Partial remains of the north-south wartime runway can be found south of the parallel grass runway. There is also a major manufacturing facility on the north side of the airfield.
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 313 feet (95 m) above mean sea level. It has one paved 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 07/25 which measures 1150 by 30 m (3,773 by 98.4 ). It also has a parallel unpaved runway measuring 1170 by 80 m (3,838.6 by 262.5 ).
See also
- Advanced Landing Ground