| AFB Swartkop | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Museum open day at AFB Swartkop | |||
| IATA: none – ICAO: FASK | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | South African Air Force | ||
| Location | Centurion, Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 4,780 ft / 1,457 m | ||
| Coordinates | 25°48′25″S 28°09′52″E / 25.80694°S 28.16444°ECoordinates: 25°48′25″S 28°09′52″E / 25.80694°S 28.16444°E | ||
| Map | |||
  FASK | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 02/20 | 6,520 | 1,987 | Asphalt |
| 06/24 | 6,589 | 2,008 | Grass |
Air Force Base Swartkop (ICAO: FASK)[1] is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof[2] and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum. The name of the air force base, Swartkop means Black hill in Afrikaans.
AFB Swartkop is located in the town Centurion (previously Verwoerdburg) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between Pretoria and Midrand (Johannesburg), which is a part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
History[]
In April 1921 Zwartkop (which was a farm at the time) was acquired to build the airfield.[3] The SAAF claims Swartkop is the second oldest airstation in the world and the oldest operational airstation in the world.[4]
The Chief of the South African Air Force opened the relocated SAAF Museum at AFB Swartkop in 1993.[5]
Over the years many distinguished Squadrons have been based at Swartkop. This includes 26 Squadron SAAF which was formed there on 24 August 1942.[6]
South African Air Force Memorial[]
The SAAF Memorial at Swartkop, Pretoria
The South African Air Force Memorial is located at Swartkop. It contains an honour roll of SAAF personnel who have been killed on duty as well as a memorial to personnel of all nations that died during the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in South Africa.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "World Aeronautical Database". http://www.worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=SF01539&sch=swartkop. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ↑ "AFB Waterkloof". South African Air Force. http://www.af.mil.za/bases/afb_waterkloof/Default.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ↑ "Formation of the SAAF". saairforce.co.za. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090601155049/http://www.saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/history/saaf/formation-of-the-saaf. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ↑ "SAAF online news archive 2005". South African Air Force. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090514004743/http://www.af.mil.za/NEWS/2005/swkp.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ↑ "History of the South African Air Force". South African Air Force. http://www.af.mil.za/about_us/history.html. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ↑ "26 Squadron SAAF (WW2) Unofficial Website". http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/bd000006/.
External links[]
- AFB Swartkop on saairforce.co.za
- Swartkop SAAF Museum website
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