RAF Valley

RAF Valley (IATA: N/A, ICAO: EGOV) is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales. It provides advanced pilot training using the BAE Hawks for pilots. No. 4 Flying Training School takes RAF and Royal Navy pilots from 1FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and trains them to fly fast jets, prior to training on an Operational Conversion Unit. 4 FTS is divided into two squadrons; 208 Sqn provides the advanced flying training, students then moving onto 19 Sqn to receive tactics and weapons training. Valley is also home to 'C' Flight of 22 Sqn with Sea King helicopters. These are busy in the Search and Rescue role, rescuing people from ships in the Irish Sea, from the mountains of nearby Snowdonia and elsewhere. The mountain rescue work in Snowdonia is coordinated with the Wales Mountain Rescue Association. The base is also home to a SARTU (search and rescue training unit) using modified huey helicopters. RAF Mona, also on Anglesey, acts as a relief landing ground.

Civilian use

The National Assembly for Wales announced on 21 February, 2007, that Public Service Obligation (PSO) services will be launched, from RAF Valley, in April 2007, connecting north Wales with Cardiff International Airport. "North-south airlines is revealed", BBC News, February 21, 2007.  A terminal facility, costing £1,500,000, has been constructed at RAF Valley, which will be named Anglesey Airport (Maes Awyr Môn); the capacity of which is projected to handle up to ten such PSO flights, each day. Inverness based Highland Airways will operate the Cardiff route, using BAe Jetstream 31 aircraft. The first public flight took place on 8 May.

References

1. ^ Airport information for EGOV at World Aero Data

External links

• RAF Station Valley
• Anglesey Airport at Anglesey Today