Airport in Trory
Enniskillen/St Angelo Aerodrome
(
IATA
:
ENK
,
ICAO
:
EGAB
) is located 3
nautical miles
(5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north of
Enniskillen
,
County Fermanagh
,
Northern Ireland
. The aerodrome has a
CAA
Ordinary Licence (Number P875) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Enniskillen Airport Limited).
[2]
First built and used during
World War II
as
RAF St Angelo
and later renamed
St Angelo Barracks
while in use as a
British Army
base, the airfield has been in private ownership as a civilian facility since 1996. The original two runways were reduced to one following the development of the main Enniskillen to Kesh road.
History
[
edit
]
Royal Air Force station
[
edit
]
The airfield was originally established in April 1941 as a relief landing ground (RLG) for
RAF Aldergrove
. Later that year on 15 September RAF St Angelo opened as a fighter sector station in its own right, operating
Spitfires
and
Hurricanes
to intercept enemy reconnaissance aircraft off the west coast of
Ireland
and in the air defence role over
Belfast
.
In 1943 the station also became home to several squadrons of
Catalina
and
Sunderland
flying boats
operating from
Lough Erne
. Later that year,
Bristol Beaufighters
were based at St Angelo during anti-submarine patrols in the Irish Sea and over the Atlantic Ocean.
[3]
As the level of operations over Northern Ireland wound down in 1944 No. 12 (Operational) Flying Instructor School was established at both Killadeas and St Angelo and remained until February 1945, when the school was relocated to
RAF Turnberry
in Scotland.
[4]
Between the end of the war and February 1947 St Angelo was home to No. 272 Maintenance Unit RAF and served as a storage and dismantling depot for mothballed
Avro Ansons
prior to their eventual sale or disposal.
Use by the army
[
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]
The station later became a centre of helicopter operations over Northern Ireland when St Angelo was transferred to the Army and used as an accommodation barracks for the
Ulster Defence Regiment
and other
British Army
regiments during
The Troubles
in the province, with most personnel housed in a vast array of temporary
portacabins
.
The military use of St Angelo came to a close in March 1996 when the temporary accommodation buildings were demolished, since when St Angelo airfield has been in use as a civilian facility.
[5]
Operations
[
edit
]
Scheduled passenger flights have, in the past, operated from this airport, but these ceased in 2006. There are a number of companies based at the airfield offering a range of flying- and aircraft-related services. A helicopter training and hire company,
Unique Helicopters
, offers pleasure flights from the airfield, while there are also two helicopter maintenance facilities.
[
citation needed
]
Enniskillen also has been a host venue for Heli Challenge: The Premier Helicopter Championship, an international competition to test the skill of helicopter pilots from across the British Isles. It hosted the event in 2009 & 2011.
[
citation needed
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
St Angelo Airfield
at Wikimedia Commons