Hòa Lạc Air Base Explained

Hòa Lạc Air Base
Ensign Size:	50px
Partof:	Vietnam People's Air Force
Coordinates:	21.038°N 105.49°W
Type:	Air Force Base
Built:	1967
Used:	1967-Present
Controlledby:	Vietnam People's Air Force
Battles:	Vietnam War

Airfield information
Icao:	VVYL

Hòa Lạc Airfield is a Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) (Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam) military heliport located approximately 24km (15miles) west of Hanoi.

History

Vietnam War

The airfield started operation in February 1967.^[1] On 26 March 1967 Col Robert Scott flying an F-105 shot down a Hòa Lạc-based MiG-17.^[2] In May the base was first attacked by the USAF.^[3]

Hòa Lạc, Kép and Phúc Yên were targeted on the first night of Operation Linebacker II on 18 December 1972 to suppress fighters that might otherwise intercept US attack aircraft.^{[4] [5]}

Current use

The VPAF 916th Helicopter Squadron is based at Hòa Lạc.

On 7 July 2014 a VPAF Mi-171 crashed while on a parachute training mission near Hòa Lạc killing 17 passengers and crew.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Book: Vietnam War After Action Reports. BACM Research. 35.
2. Book: Davies, Peter. F-105 Thunderchief MiG Killers of the Vietnam War. Osprey Publishing. 2014. 9781782008040. 64.
3. Web site: Operations Summary, May 1967 . National museum of the U.S. Air Force . 6 December 2006 . 12 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150112153140/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1360 . 12 January 2015 .
4. Book: Lake, Jon. B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1955-73. Osprey Publishing. 2004. 9781841766072. 64.
5. Book: McCarthy, James. USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series Volume VI Monograph 8 Linebacker II: A View from the Rock. Office of Air Force History. 1985. 978-1477541937. 39. 2019-12-09. 2013-02-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20130215064045/http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101013-045.pdf. dead.
6. Web site: Military helicopter crash kills 17 near Hanoi. Nhan Dan. 7 July 2014. 12 January 2015.