RNAS Yeovilton

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Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS Heron) is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases and is currently home to the Royal Navy's Lynx helicopters and the Royal Marines Commando Westland Sea Kings and Lynx helicopters.

The facility also serves as home to the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

HMS Heron is located near Yeovil, Somerset consisting of 1,000 acres (4 km²) of airfield sites plus ranges and minor estates. Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton is a large multi-role air station with an annual budget of some £61 million.

It is home to Royal Navy (RN) Lynx Helicopters and RN Commando Helicopter Force and until April 2006 BAE Sea Harrier FA2s. RNAS Yeovilton operates over 100 aircraft in four different categories and is manned by around 1675 service and 2000 civilian personnel including MoD employees and permanent contractors.

Training of aircrew and engineers of resident aircraft types is also carried out at Yeovilton. It is also the location for the RN Fighter Controller School, training surface based aircraft controllers.

Established over 60 years ago, HMS Heron is the only Royal Naval establishment in this beautiful part of the country, and over the years has developed a very close liaison with the local community.

Construction began in 1939 and the Naval Observer School moved to HMS Heron in mid 1940, while building works were still in progress. The paved runways were completed by 1941 and the base was home to the Naval Air Fighter School and units which were working up prior to embarkation.

With the coming of the jet era, Yeovilton's main runways were extended during 1952 and it became the HQ of Flag Officer Flying Training in May 1953. Carrier jet fighter operations continued until 1957 when the runways were again improved and upgraded aprons were provided while the base was temporarily closed.

The control tower was improved during 1961 and the School of Fighter Direction moved back the same year, whose last Sea Venoms were retired in 1965. Further works to improve the airfield were completed in time for the arrival of the Phantom FG.1 as a carrier-borne fighter in 1968.

In 1970, it became the HQ of Flag Officer, Naval Air Command (FONAC), when the Flag was transferred in from RNAS Lee-on-Solent (then known as HMS Daedalus). With the wind-down of RN fixed wing operations, the Phantoms transferred to the RAF and departed for RAF Leuchars in 1972, leaving the base as the home for the Commando Helicopter Squadrons and the fixed wing Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit (FRADU).

RNAS Yeovilton was selected as the main shore base for the Navy's fleet of Sea Harrier FRS.1 (and later, F/A.2s) and the first examples arrived in 1979. After trials of Lieutenant Commander Douglas Taylor's innovative ski-jump in 1977, a ramp was installed at Yeovilton for practice ski-jump assisted take-offs, near the eastern end of Runway 09/27.

The Sea King HC.4 gradually replaced the Wessex HU.5 with the Commando Assault Squadrons from 1980 and following the closure of RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey) in 1999, HMS Heron became the main shore base for the Lynx fleet, again.

During periods of busy flying training, pressure on the Yeovilton circuit is relieved by the use of RNAS Merryfield, nearby.

FA2 Sea Harriers are no longer present, the two squadrons have disbanded and now operating RAF GR7/GR9 aircraft until the replacement F-35B Joint Strike Fighter enters service in 2012.

References

Mike Verier Yeovilton: Defenders of the Fleet, 1991, Osprey Superbase Series no. 22, 128pp, ISBN 1855321386

External links

[About the Fleet Air Arm]
[Fleet Air Arm Museum]
[RNAS Yeovilton] section of helis.com Helicopter History site.
[Aerial photo] of . Other [map and aerial photo sources].

Royal Navy Bases
HMNB Devonport \| HMNB Clyde \| HMNB Portsmouth \| RNAS Yeovilton \| RNAS Culdrose

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