Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove, also known as simply JHC FS Aldergrove, is a British military base located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Antrim, Northern Ireland and 18 miles (29 km) 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 Forcestation 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:
A detachment of No. 4 Squadron RAF between 30 April 1920 and 26 September 1922 again with the Bristol F2B.[4]
No. 2 Squadron RAF initially at full strength between 2 June 1922 and 27 September 1922 and then as a detachment until 17 September 1923 flying the Bristol F2B Fighter.[5]
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.[26]
Various squadrons were posted here between 1945 and 1985:
No. 518 Squadron RAF operated the Halifax III, Hurricane IIC, Spitfire VII and Halifax VI between 18 September 1945 and 1 October 1946 when the squadron was disbanded here.[6]
No. 1913 Light Liaison Flight of No. 651 Squadron RAF between 1 November 1955 and 4 April 1957 operated the Taylorcraft Auster AOP.6.[30] The flight was renamed 13 Flight No. 651 Squadron AAC on 1 September 1957 and stayed here until November 1952 when it was replaced by 2 Reconnaissance Flight, 2 Royal Tank Regiment.[31]
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.[57]
Britten-Norman Defender landing at Aldergrove in 2013.
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.[58]
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.[61][62]
Docherty, Tom. Ours to Hold: RAF Aldergrove at War, 1939–1945. Cowbit, Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK: Old Forge Publishing, 2008. ISBN978-1-906183-03-5.
Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN978-1-85780-349-5.
Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN1-85310-053-6.
Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN0-85130-252-1.
