Royal Air Force Odiham or more simply RAF Odiham (IATA: ODH, ICAO: EGVO) is a Royal Air Forcestation situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Boeing Chinook, and of the King's Helicopter Flight (TKHF) . Its current station commander is Group Captain Donal McGurk.[4]
History
Aircraft operations began from the site in 1925 but it was not until October 1937 that it was opened as a permanent airfield.[4]
The squadron returned on 7 August 1943 using the Mustang I until 15 September 1943 before returning again on 6 October 1943 and staying until 14 November 1943.[7]
4 Squadron returned again with Supermarine Spitfire XI between 27 June 1944 and 16 August 1944 with a detachment at B 10/Plumelot.[7]
No. 46 Squadron was re-formed at RAF Odiham on 15 August 1954 as a night fighter unit equipped with Meteor NF12s and 14s.[15] In 1955 No. 54 Squadron and No. 247 Squadron started receiving Hunters and, in 1956, No. 46 Squadron began converting to Javelins with the first arriving in February.[15] Odiham closed as a fighter base in 1959.[15]
The first Chinook HC.1s arrived at Odiham in 1981. These were replaced by the Chinook HC.2 in 1993. The RAF ordered the Chinook HC.3, a special forces variant, in 1995. After being in storage for eight years due to avionics certification problems, the HC.3 airframes were retro-fitted with HC.2 avionics during 2009 and 2010, to enable them to finally enter RAF service.[4] The Mk6, which incorporates a new Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS), is a new buy of 14 aircraft which arrived in 2013.[18]
No. 618 Volunteer Gliding Squadron arrived in July 2000. The Unit operated the Vigilant T Mk 1 self-launching glider, providing basic flying and gliding training to members of the Air Cadet Organisation. Due to a fleet-wide airworthiness issue, the Vigilant (and its cousin, the Viking conventional glider) were grounded in April 2014. No. 618 Volunteer Gliding Squadron was subsequently disbanded.[19]
In May 2015, it was announced that the Chinook Operational Conversion Flight, comprising six Chinooks and 150 personnel would transfer from Odiham to RAF Benson to form a joint Puma and Chinook Operational Conversion Unit.[20] The move began in December 2015 as the unit joined their Puma counterparts at Benson under a reformed No. 28 Squadron.[21]
To extend their life for at least 15 years, Odiham's runways were upgraded in early 2021. The runway surfaces and lighting were replaced, with the airfield remaining open throughout the works.[23]
Role and operations
RAF Odiham's mission statement is to Deliver and sustain Chinook and Special Forces aviation operations world-wide, in order to support UK defence missions and tasks".[24]
To fulfil this mission, the station is home to No. 7 Squadron, No. 18 Squadron and No. 27 Squadron, all operating the Boeing Chinook and forming part of the RAF's Support Helicopter Force.[25] The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter used for tactical troop and load movements and casualty evacuation across the battlefield. The aircraft can carry up to fifty-five troops or around ten-tonnes of mixed cargo either internally or as an under-slung load.[26]
The Chinook Display Team is also based at the Station.[25]
The Kestrel Gliding Club continues to fly from Odiham at weekends, having become part of the Royal Air Force Gliding and Soaring Association in 2006.[28]
Based units
The following flying and notable non-flying units are based at RAF Odiham.[25][28][29]
RAF Odiham's badge, awarded in November 1951, features a port portcullis between two towers each displaying a red rose behind two silver arrows with red feathers, crossing one another. The arrows are entwined by a jess and surmounted by a bell. The portcullis and towers relate to Odiham Castle, a ruin dating from the 13th century, located approximately 2 km north of the station. The portcullis also originates from the badge of Fighter Command, under which the station operated during the 1950s. The roses reference the Hampshirecoat of arms and the arrows represent the speed of the aircraft flown from the station. Representing a falconer and bird, jess and bell, refer to the control of hunting aircraft and refer to the role of squadrons at the station.[30]
Birtles, Philip. UK Airfields of the Cold War. Midland Publishing, 2012 ISBN978-1857803464.
Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 2001. ISBN1-84037-141-2.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Odiham.
