| RAAF Base Learmonth | |||||||
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| Near Template:WAcity, Western Australia in Australia | |||||||
 <div style="position: absolute; top: Expression error: Missing operand for *.%; left: -661.8%; height: 0; width: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> RAAF Learmonth YPLM Location in Western Australia
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| Coordinates | 22°14′09″S 114°05′19″E / 22.23583°S 114.08861°ECoordinates: 22°14′09″S 114°05′19″E / 22.23583°S 114.08861°E | ||||||
| Type | Military air base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Department of Defence | ||||||
| Operator |
 Royal Australian Air Force | ||||||
| Website | RAAF Base Learmonth | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| In use | circa 1950s – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Occupants | 'Bare base' | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: LEA, ICAO: YPLM | ||||||
| Elevation | 6 metres (19 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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| Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1] | |||||||
RAAF Base Learmonth, also known as Learmonth Airport (IATA: LEA, ICAO: YPLM), is a joint use Royal Australian Air Force base and civil airport. It is located near the town of Exmouth on the north-west coast of Western Australia. RAAF Base Learmonth is one of the RAAF's three "bare bases". No RAAF units are currently based at Learmonth and it is maintained by a small caretaker staff during peacetime.
The RAAF also operates the Learmonth Air Weapons Range which covers about 18,954 ha (46,840 acres) and is located 30 km (19 mi) south-west of the airbase.[2]
History[]
During World War II a little-known landing field was constructed on the western shore of Exmouth Gulf. It was code-named "Potshot" and maintained by No. 76 Operational Base Unit. In the 1950s the landing field was further developed as a military base and named RAAF Learmonth in honour of Wing Commander Charles Learmonth DFC and Bar, who, while leading No. 14 Squadron, was killed in a flying accident off Rottnest Island, Western Australia on 6 January 1944.[3]
In the mid-1960s, the Federal Government gave its support to plans by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Val Hancock, to redevelop Learmonth as a 'bare base', due to its proximity to Indonesia. Though F-111Cs could have made a round-trip to Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, from RAAF Base Darwin, the route they took would have been very much limited by range. Learmonth's proximity added flexibility to the routes in and out, enhancing the likelihood of a successful strike.[4] The major work was undertaken by No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron between 1971 and 1973.[5]
See also[]
- List of airports in Western Australia
- List of Royal Australian Air Force installations
References[]
- ↑ YPLM – Learmonth (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 29 May 2014, Aeronautical Chart
- ↑ "Learmonth Air Weapons Range Facility, Learmonth". Commonwealth heritage places in Western Australia. Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Government. http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/commonwealth/wa.html#learmonth. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ↑ "A Valiant Deed Off Rottnest Gave Learmonth Its Name". West Australian. National Library of Australia. 18 January 1954. p. 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49611937#pstart3825299.
- ↑ Kopp, Carlo (May 2003). "Three decades of the F-111". DefenceTODAY. http://www.ausairpower.net/DT-F111-MAY03.pdf.
- ↑ Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 283–286. ISBN 0-19-555541-4.
External links[]
- RAAF Base Learmonth at airforce.gov.au
- Learmonth at RAAF Museum
- "Learmonth RAAF Base in WA" (image). ABC News. Australia. 15 January 2014. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-15/learmonth-raaf-base-in-wa/5201346.
The original article can be found at RAAF Base Learmonth and the edit history here.