Air Force Base Hoedspruit (IATA: HDS, ICAO: FAHS) is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport. It was also an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle.[4]
Air Force Base Hoedspruit | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military and civil | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defence | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | South African Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Hoedspruit, Limpopo, South Africa | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 531 m / 1,742 ft | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 24°21′17″S 31°03′01″E / 24.35472°S 31.05028°E | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  FAHS Location in Limpopo | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2008-2009) | |||||||||||||||
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Units hosted
edit- 19 Squadron - Helicopter squadron
- 101 Squadron - Light transport (reserve)
- 514 Squadron - Security services
- 7 Aircraft Servicing Unit - Maintenance support
- Lowveld Airspace Control Sector - Airspace control
- Air Force Command and Control School - Training
History
editThe base was officially opened on 1 July 1978.[5] It was designed from the start to be a highly protected wartime base. As such, it has armoured and Hardened Aircraft Shelters, with revetments placed close to the runways for aircraft on immediate take-off standby duty.
The base is teeming with wildlife, being surrounded by the 25 km² AFB Hoedspruit Game Reserve. Keeping the runway clear of animals was a massive problem. This led the base to introduce three cheetahs on the airfield, with the end result that animal incursions onto the runway have decreased by 90%. Another SAAF base, AFB Makhado, has since also adopted this concept.
The base gained international media attention in 2000, when it hosted the United States Air Force's rescue contingent as part of Operation Atlas Response, the mission to provide rescue and humanitarian support to areas of Mozambique devastated by the severe flooding caused by Cyclone Eline.
The base motto is Pro Nostrorum Pace (Peace for our People).[6]
Eastgate Airport
editA civil airport terminal, known as the Eastgate Airport, was established at the southern end of the airfield in the early 1990s. The terminal's main business is serving tourists visiting private game reserves in the area as well as access to the Kruger National Park via the nearby Orpen Gate.[7] Facilities at the terminal include car hire[8] and foreign exchange.[9]
Charter flights are offered by Federal Air, Genair, Cesszani, Execujet, SA Historical Flight and Bataleur.[10]
Airlines and Destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Airlink | Cape Town, Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo[11] |
| CemAir | Cape Town, Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo[12] |
References
edit- ^ "Airport information for FAHS". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. - ^ Airport information for FAHS at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ Airport information for AFB Hoedspruit at Transport Search website.
- ^ "Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites". globalsecurity.org.
- ^ "AFB Hoedspruit". globalsecurity.org.
- ^ "Air Force Base Hoedspruit". South African Air Force. 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ "Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport website". Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- ^ "Avis - Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport".
- ^ "Eastgate Airport - Facilities - Banking".
- ^ "Private charters".
- ^ "FlyAirlink | Airlink Flight Deals to Hoedspruit from ZAR 1,400".
- ^ "CemAir / Hoedspruit". Flycemair.co.za. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
External links
edit- "Air Force Base Hoedspruit". Unofficial South African Air Force website.
- Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport on Manyeleti Game Reserve website
- AFB Hoedspruit on Google maps