Please note that the owner of this channel has been a Historian for more than 40 years also we have had a lot of support from military veteran's as well that help use in getting the right information on this channel a lot of want you read has come from our own words but taken from information that has been passed down by people that have work in the armed forces or from local Museum's and research if they is something that isn't right or needs adding please contact the team thank you all your support is most greatful .
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The Station
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RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire is one of two RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Stations which protect UK airspace. RAF Lossiemouth is the other.
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RAF Coningsby is home to two frontline, combat-ready squadrons and is the training station for Typhoon pilots.
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Almost 3,000 Service Personnel, Civil Servants, and contractors work at RAF Coningsby.
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Who's based here
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
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Key dates
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1941 - RAF Coningsby opened, serving as an RAF Bomber Command station until the early 1960s.
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1960 - The arrival of the Phantom in the late 60s marked the base as a Fighter Station.
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1976 - Coningsby became home to the world-famous RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
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1987 - The Tornado came into service.
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2008 - Typhoon aircraft replace the Tornado and have been flown here ever since.
History
RAF Coningsby was built just before World War Two and became the home of 617 Squadron, known as the Dambusters, during the second half of the war.
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Later, it was the base for the Vulcan bomber.
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RAF Coningsby is still a 24 hour bomber base and staff are on base and on call 24 hours a day
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Address: Baxter Cl, Coningsby, Lincoln LN4 4TG
Area: 420 hectares (1,000 acres)
Code: QCY
Open to the public: Access to BBMF Hangar only
Elevation: 8 m
Built: 1940
Current commander: Group Captain Billy Cooper
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Low flying
Low flying is an essential skill for aircrew and must be practised in order to fulfil the tasks demanded by current operations.
Complain About Low Flying
Find out more about low flying and how to complain on GOV.UK.
Drone Flying
It is now widely understood that Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) flights in proximity to aircraft are potentially unsafe.
To keep our people and our aircraft safe, any person sighting suspicious UAS activity around RAF Coningsby must report this immediately to the RAF Police on 01526 347928.
New legislation has come into effect which further prohibits the operation of UAS around an aerodrome to include an area of 5km from the runway ends. Operating UAS in these restricted areas without the permission of the Aerodrome Operating Authority is a criminal offence with a potential sentence of five years in prison.
As well as representing a significant safety risk to aircraft in flight, unauthorised UAS operations on or around Defence Establishments are of immediate security concern. Authorised UAS operations will be advised through Station Announcements and Community Support channels.
For more information please visit: www.dronesafe.co.uk
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Night flying
Night flying can take place from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
It is carried out during military operations and to train aircrew.
Night flying training usually takes place from Monday to Thursday. The night flying period will often be for one week, but can be extended if required for operational or weather reasons.
Current expected dates for night flying are:
Week commencing 09 May 2023
Week commencing 15 May 2023
Week commencing 03 July 2023
Week commencing 07 August 2023
Please note, these dates are subject to change.
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Please check the Royal air force website for more dates as this may not be up to date.
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Local Residents
If you live locally to Coningsby and wish to register for our mailing list to allow you to be emailed about flying activity that has a potential to cause disruption please send an email to: CON-GMBMediaCommsGrp@mod.gov.uk
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Viewing area
You can safely watch aircraft from the viewing area at Dogdyke Road, Coningsby, LN4 4SY.
There is a free public car park.
Defence Aerodrome Manual
The Defence Aerodrome Manual (DAM) contains accurate aerodrome data for RAF Coningsby.
All airfield users, both military and civilian, are to ensure they are familiar with the relevant sections of the DAM prior to operating at RAF Coningsby.
For further information regarding the DAM and its contents, please contact Station Operations on 01526 347716.