| JHC FS Aldergrove | |
| Location: | Aldergrove, County Antrim |
| Country: | Northern Ireland |
| Alt2: | Joint Helicopter Command badge |
| Type: | Joint flying station |
| Pushpin Map: | Northern Ireland#UK |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Northern Ireland |
| Pushpin Label: | JHC FS Aldergrove |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Ownership: | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator: | British Army |
| Controlledby: | Joint Helicopter Command |
| Site Area: | 96ha[1] |
| Code: | JV |
| Used: |
|
| Condition: | Operational |
| Iata: | BFS |
| Icao: | EGAA |
| Elevation: | 69m (226feet) |
| Wmo: | 03917 |
| R1-Number: | 07/25 |
| R1-Length: | 2780m (9,120feet) |
| R1-Surface: | asphalt |
| R2-Number: | 17/35 |
| R2-Length: | 1891m (6,204feet) |
| R2-Surface: | asphalt |
| Footnotes: | Source: UK AIP Belfast Aldergrove[2] Airfield shared with Belfast International Airport |
Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove, also known as simply JHC FS Aldergrove, is a British military base located south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and northwest of Belfast, and adjoins Belfast International Airport. It is sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of a nearby hamlet.
The military flying units share Aldergrove's runways with Belfast International Airport, but have their own separate facilities and helipad.
The site was formerly RAF Aldergrove, a Royal Air Force station which was in operation between 1918 and 2009.
RAF Aldergrove first opened in 1918 but was not designated as an operational RAF station until 1925.
Various squadrons were posted here during this time:
Aldergrove's location made it an important station of RAF Coastal Command in the Battle of the Atlantic, during the Second World War. From the base, long-range reconnaissance aircraft were able to patrol the Eastern Atlantic Ocean for U-boats. Some of these patrols ranged as far out as the distant islet of Rockall.Various squadrons were posted here during this time:
Aldergrove was designated as a dispersal airfield for the RAF's V bomber force in the 1950s and was included in a reduced list of 26 airfields in 1962. In 1968 No. 23 Maintenance Unit RAF was responsible for the maintenance of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs in RAF service, with 116 aircraft passing through on their way to front-line service. Aldergrove was also the main servicing and reconditioning station for the English Electric Canberra from their introduction in 1951. In 1976, the station had a staff of 2,500 RAF personnel and 1,500 civilians.[3]
Various squadrons were posted here between 1945 and 1985:
No. 72 Squadron operated Westland Wessex HC.2 helicopters from Aldergrove from 12 November 1981 until its disbandment in 2002.[5]
No. 230 Squadron RAF was re-deployed from Germany to RAF Aldergrove in 1992, where it operated Westland Puma HC.1 helicopters until its relocation to RAF Benson in November 2009.[6]
No. 18 Squadron RAF also operated detachments of Boeing Chinook during the late 80s in support of the British Army in Northern Ireland.
The following units were here at some point:[7]
The Army Air Corps also operated Westland Lynx and Westland Gazelle helicopters as well as de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft in its joint operations with the RAF's Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (Northern Ireland); the Beaver was replaced by the Britten-Norman Islander late in 1988.
The 17/21st Lancers Air Squadron based at RAF Aldergrove from 1969 to 1971 operating with Sioux Helicopters and a Fixed Wing Beaver aircraft.
During 1991, No. 655 Squadron AAC moved from RAF Ballykelly to Aldergrove with the Westland Lynx AH Mk 7 helicopter.[4]
On 1 October 1993, the Northern Ireland Regiment Army Air Corps was retitled 5 Regiment Army Air Corps.[4]
On 4 August 2008, 651 Squadron Army Air Corps moved back to Northern Ireland from RAF Odiham almost 50 years after its first deployment there.[4]
During the latter years of Operation BANNER, 5 Regiment Army Air Corps and 230 Squadron RAF came under the control of the Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) and formed the Joint Helicopter Force Northern Ireland (JHF(NI)). As the site was no longer a major RAF establishment it became Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove.
After the end of Operation BANNER, a number of other Army units were relocated to Aldergrove. The base was no longer therefore administered by the JHC and on 1 Apr 2013 became Aldergrove Flying Station under command of 38 (Irish) Brigade.
5 Regiment Army Air Corps continued to operate at Aldergrove, providing Gazelle, Defender and Islander aircraft in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and military units for Operation Helvetic, and for other operations abroad.[8] Due to the closure of RAF Machrihanish, the base is now used for University Air Squadron and Air Training Corps cadets as a training camp, where cadets from Scotland and Northern Ireland gather for flying experiences, fieldcraft, shooting, first aid and other activities.
In 2003, Air Force One arrived at the airport in support of U.S. presidential visits to Northern Ireland.
Aldergrove officially ceased to be an RAF Station on 20 September 2009 when, after the annual Battle of Britain parade, the RAF ensign was lowered for the last time and the Joint Helicopter Command flag was hoisted in its place.[9]
No. 651 Squadron's Britten-Norman Islander and Defender aircraft were retired from service in June 2021.[10] In August 2021, No. 651 Squadron was transferred to the command of 1 Regiment, AAC.[11]
No. 665 Squadron is currently the only Army Air Corps squadron based at Aldergrove. It formerly operated the Gazelle helicopter in a manned surveillance role, until it was retired from service in October 2023.[12] [13]
Units based at Aldergrove:
Joint Helicopter Command / Army Air Corps