RAF Leeming

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RAF Leeming
IATA: none – ICAO: EGXE
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		Royal Air Force
Location		Leeming Bar
Elevation AMSL		132 ft / 40 m
Coordinates		54°17′33″N 001°32′08″W / 54.2925, -1.53556
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
16/34	7,520	2,292	Asphalt

RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.

It opened in 1940 as a bomber station during the Second World War. In 1943 the station was assigned to No. 6 Group Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with a sub-station at RAF Skipton-on-Swale. The main aircraft operated were Whitley, Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster bombers. Following the war, the station became a night fighter base, equipped initially with Mosquito and then with Meteor and Javelin aircraft before becoming a Training Command airfield in 1961. The Station was then home to No. 3 Flying Training School, equipped with the Jet Provost aircraft.^[1] It functioned as a training base until 1988 when it reopened as a frontline air defence base armed with Tornado F3s. Initially it hosted Nos 11, 23, and 25(XXV) Squadrons, all flying the F3.

Until October 2005, it housed two Tornado squadrons, which were half of the fighter squadrons of the RAF. Only one Tornado squadron remains (No XXV Squadron) which is also disbanding in March 2008. In addition there is a BAe Hawk squadron based at the station which provides an air combat training service.

Currently Leeming is one of the three UK air defence bases, the others being RAF Leuchars in Fife, Scotland which is also equipped with F3s and since June 2007 RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire which is home to Typhoon F2s. Coningsby will take over from Leeming as England's main air defence base by 2008 when 3 Sqn becomes fully operational.

The future of RAF Leeming following the disbandment of its remaining Tornado squadron was not clear for a period. Under current plans by the UK Ministry of Defence, Air Combat Service Support units of 2 Group and personnel from RAF Boulmer and elsewhere who were destined to move to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire will now be stationed at Leeming due to problems with accommodation at Scampton. As of 2006 this move is underway.

It is not clear if Leeming, which was substantially rebuilt less than twenty years ago, will continue as a flying base. However, the Red Arrows, who are also based at Scampton, will need relocating before the Scampton station is disposed of, likely by the end of the decade, and a move to Leeming is a possibility. Even the new Typhoon has not been ruled out.

No 135 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) was formed at the station on 1 April 2006 and encompasses most of the non-formed unit personnel. The EAW does not include the flying squadrons or any other formed units. The station commander at RAF Leeming is also the commander of the wing.

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