Air Force Base Hoedspruit

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
Summary
Airport typeMilitary and civil
OwnerDepartment of Defence
OperatorSouth African Air Force
LocationHoedspruit, Limpopo, South Africa
Elevation AMSL531 m / 1,742 ft
Coordinates24°21′17″S 31°03′01″E
Websitewww.eastgateairport.co.za
Map
FAHS
Location in Limpopo
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,115 6,939 Asphalt
18/36 3,991 13,094 Asphalt
Statistics (2008-2009)
Passengers57 000
Sources: WAD,[1] GCM,[2] STV[3]

Units hosted
  • 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

The 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

A 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
AirlinesDestinations
Airlink Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo[11]
CemAir Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo[12]

References
  1. Airport information for FAHS at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
  2. Airport information for FAHS at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. Airport information for AFB Hoedspruit at Transport Search website.
  4. "Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites". globalsecurity.org.
  5. "AFB Hoedspruit". globalsecurity.org.
  6. "Air Force Base Hoedspruit". South African Air Force. 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  7. "Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport website". Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  8. "Avis - Hoedspruit Eastgate Airport".
  9. "Eastgate Airport - Facilities - Banking".
  10. "Private charters".
  11. https://www.flyairlink.com/destinations/flights-to-hoedspruit
  12. https://www.flycemair.co.za/destinations_r/dest_hoedspruit.php
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