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Air Force Base Swartkop

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Revision as of 13:48, 15 August 2011 by Farawayman (talk | contribs) (Added map)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Airport in Gauteng, South Africa
AFB Swartkop
Museum open day at AFB Swartkop
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorSouth African Air Force
LocationCenturion, Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa
Elevation AMSL4,780 ft / 1,457 m
Map
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 526: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/Gauteng" does not exist.
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
02/20 6,520 1,987 Asphalt
06/24 6,589 2,008 Grass


AFB Swartkop (ICAO: FASK) is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum. The name of the air force base, Swartkop means Black hill in Afrikaans.

AFB Swartkop is located in the town Centurion (previously Verwoerdburg) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between Pretoria and Midrand (Johannesburg), which is a part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

History

In April 1921 Zwartkop (which was a farm at the time) was acquired to build the airfield. The SAAF claims Swartkop is the second oldest airstation in the world and the oldest operational airstation in the world.

The Chief of the South African Air Force opened the relocated SAAF Museum at AFB Swartkop in 1993.

Over the years many distinguished Squadrons have been based at Swartkop. This includes 26 Squadron SAAF which was formed there on 24 August 1942.

South African Air Force Memorial

The SAAF Memorial at Swartkop, Pretoria

The South African Air Force Memorial is located at Swartkop. It contains an honour roll of SAAF personnel who have been killed on duty as well as a memorial to personnel of all nations that died during the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in South Africa.

See also

References

  1. "World Aeronautical Database". Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  2. "AFB Waterkloof". South African Air Force. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  3. "Formation of the SAAF". saairforce.co.za. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  4. "SAAF online news archive 2005". South African Air Force. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  5. "History of the South African Air Force". South African Air Force. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  6. "26 Squadron SAAF (WW2) Unofficial Website".

External links

South African Air Force
Leadership
Active squadrons
Training and development units
Formation aerobatic teams
Reserve squadrons
Disbanded air and training squadrons
Disbanded air defence squadrons
Wings of the SAAF
Bases
Training areas
Equipment
History
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