Air Force Station Port Elizabeth

Air Force Station Port Elizabeth
IATA: PLZ – ICAO: FAPE
Summary
Operator	South African Air Force
Location	Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Elevation AMSL	226 ft / 67 m
Coordinates	33°59′24″S 25°36′37″E / 33.99000°S 25.61028°E / -33.99000; 25.61028Coordinates: 33°59′24″S 25°36′37″E / 33.99000°S 25.61028°E / -33.99000; 25.61028
Website	www.af.mil.za
Map
Air Force Station Port Elizabeth Location in the Eastern Cape Province
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 1,980 6,496 Asphalt 17/35 1,677 5,501 Asphalt 10/28 1,160 3,805 Grass

Air Force Station Port Elizabeth is a South African Air Force facility situated on the north-eastern side of the Port Elizabeth Airport main runway. It was downgraded from an Air Force Base in the early 1990s.^[1]

It is home to C Flight of 15 Squadron which currently operates four BK 117 helicopters. Their primary role is maritime and landward search and rescue. Conversion to AgustaWestland AW109 helicopters has been postponed due to delays in developing emergency flotation equipment for the type, thus precluding its use in a maritime environment.^[2]

Units hosted

• C Flight of 15 Squadron
• 108 Squadron - Territorial Reserve squadron operating various civil light aircraft in the utility transport role.^[3]

See also

• Port Elizabeth branch of the SAAF Museum - another SAAF facility located at the airport

References

South African Air Force
Leadership	Chiefs of the Air Force Sergeants Major of the Air Force
Active squadrons	2 15 16 17 19 21 22 28 35 41 44
Training and development units	68 Air School 80 Air Navigation School 85 Combat Flying School 87 Helicopter Flying School Central Flying School Test Flight and Development Centre South African Air Force College
Formation aerobatic teams	Silver Falcons
Territorial reserve squadrons	101 102 104 105 106 107 108 110 111
Disbanded air and training squadrons	1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 18 20 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 40 42 43 50 60 103 109 112 114 86 Multi-Engine Flying School 88 Maritime Training School 89 Combat Flying School
Disbanded air defence squadrons	120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129
WW2 Wings of the SAAF	2 3 5 7 21 24 25
Bases	AFB Bloemspruit AFB Durban AFB Hoedspruit AFB Langebaanweg AFB Makhado AFB Overberg AFB Swartkop AFB Waterkloof AFB Ysterplaat AFS Port Elizabeth
List of training areas of the South African Air Force	Roodewaal Bombing Range Ditholo Training Area TAB Upington Vastrap Weapons Area
Equipment	List of current and historical SAAF aircraft List of weapon systems of the South African Air Force
History	History of the South African Air Force List of obsolete weapon systems of the South African Air Force South African Air Force Memorial South African Air Force Museum Military history of South Africa SAAF squadron identification codes
Official website: www.af.mil.za