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Norwich International Airport also just Norwich Airport, is an Airport 2.5 Nautical Mile s (5.2 km) north of the city centre of Norwich , Norfolk on the edge of the city's suburbs. Along with a long history of flights to Schiphol Airport , Amsterdam via KLM Cityhopper (formerly KLM Uk ), it offers flights to various destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe. Besides the commercial flights, charter helicopters also operate out of Norwich flying crews to North Sea gas rigs. Norwich Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P723) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. FACILITIES NWI has two runways, one 1,842 m (6,043 ft) long (09/27), the other 1,285 m (4,215 ft) (04/22). It has 9 Parking stands. AIRLINES AND DESTINATIONS
HISTORY The first Norwich airport was set up on a former First World War aerodrome on Mousehold Heath under what is now the Heartsease Housing Estate . This fell into disuse in the early part of the Second World War . RAF use The current site, known as RAF Horsham St Faith was first developed in 1939 and officially opened on 1 June 1940 as a bomber station. It had been built pre-war and had five C-type hangars, permanent brick and tiled buildings with central-heating and a high standard of domestic accommodation. The first aircraft there were and No. 66 squadrons from RAF Duxford . Boulton Paul Defiant s of A Flight No. 264 Squadron RAF began sorties on 12 May 1940 . The first operational bomber units were No. 139 Squadron RAF and No. 114 Squadron RAF of No. 2 Group of Bomber Command with the Blenheim IV. No. 114 then moved onto RAF Oulton which was a new satellite station for Horsham Two of the early visitors to the new airfield were the Right Honourable Neville Chamberlain and General Sir Alan Brooke . In August 1941, an aircraft from No. 18 Squadron RAF flying from Horsham St. Faith en route to attack a power station at Gosnay , dropped a box by parachute over the south-west corner of the airfield at St. Omer-Longeunesse, containing a pair of legs for Wing Commander Douglas Bader who had been shot down over France and had lost his artificial limbs in the process. In December 1941 No. 105 Squadron RAF arrived from RAF Swanton Morley to begin training on the new De Havilland Mosquito fast bomber and from June 1942, the squadron carried out photographic and bombing missions over Germany . USAAF use In September 1942 Horsham St. Faith was made available to the United States Army Air Force for use by the Eighth Air Force . The USAAF designated the airfield as Station 123 (HF). ;319th Bombardment Group (Medium) The first USAAF tenants at the airfield was the 319th Bombardment Group (Medium) , arriving from RAF Shipdham on 4 October 1942. Flying the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the group only stayed until 11 November when the group was transferred to Twelfth Air Force at St-Leu, Algeria . The airfield then lay unused over the winter. ;56th Fighter Group With the departure of the Mitchells to North Africa, the next USAAF group to use Horsham St. Faith was the 56th Fighter Group , transferring from RAF Kings Cliffe on 6 April 1943 . The group consisted of the following squadrons:
The group entered combat with a fighter sweep in the area of St Omer on 13 April 1943 , and flew numerous missions over France , the Low Countries , and Germany to escort bombers that attacked industrial establishments, V-weapon sites, Submarine Pen s, and other targets on the Continent. On 8 July , the group had to move to RAF Halesworth when work started on enlarging Horsham St. Faith for use as a heavy bomber station with hard surface runways and concrete hardstands and a perimeter track. The move was not particularly popular with the men of the 56th who had to give up the comparative comfort of Horsham's barracks for the temporary hut (and muddy) accommodations at Halesworth. ;458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) See Also: 458th Bombardment Group With runway construction finished, The 458th Bomb Group (Heavy) , arrived at Horsham St. Faith late in January 1944 from Tonopah AAF Nevada . The group flew its first mission on February 24 with B-24 Liberator s. On 2 March a returning bomber crashed on nearby Hellesdon which was under the flightpath. In September 1944, like other bomber groups in the area it participated in shipping fuel for American forces to France. The group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945 , flying 240 missions losing 47 aircraft in combat along with another 18 before returning to Sioux Falls AAF South Dakota in July 1945. Postwar military use The airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command on 10 July when it was occupied by four Gloster Meteor Squadrons one of which. No. 307, was entirely composed of Polish personnel. Meteor jet aircraft arrived during 1946-48 and in June, an echo of the airfield's former occupants was provided by a visit from a Swedish P-51 Mustang squadron. RAF Horsham St. Faith was a front-line RAF station for many years, and its squadrons participated in many post-war exercises. The station was inactivated on 1 August 1963 . Public use The Royal Air Force left Horsham on 24 March 1967 . Over the following two years the major part of the airfield and buildings were sold to Norwich City and Norfolk County Council, a small part being retained by the MOD. Norwich Airport Ltd under ownership of the County and City Councils developed the modern day Norwich International Airport. Most of the World War II buildings used by the United States Army Air Force remain, although converted for a variety of purposes. Three of the five large pre-war hangars are still being used for aircraft maintenance. Two have been converted for commercial use. The control tower still exists although the top has been restored and a new tower has been built adjacent to the present main runway. Other wartime buildings now form part of the airport industrial estate (owned by the County and City Councils) and are intermingled with many newer structures. The former RAF accommodation blocks situated towards Catton were until 1993 used by the University Of East Anglia as accommodation for students, known to students as "Fifers Lane" halls these have since been demolished and the site redeveloped as housing. The remaining MOD property, formerly enlisted men's quarters, has become married quarters for nearby RAF stations. Whilst most runways and taxi-tracks from the military airfield remain, only one runway is primarily used, east-west runway 09-27, which was extended eastwards by the RAF in 1956, to avoid take-offs and landings over built-up areas. A section of the old main runway is currently used for light aircraft. Adjacent to the airport terminal building opened in 1988 there is a memorial display relating to the USAAF, consisting of photographs, paintings, and a plaque commemorating the American use of the airfield. In March 2004, the City and County Councils sold 80.1% of Norwich Airport Ltd to Omniport whilst retaining the further 19.9%. Omniport has also acquired 100% of Norwich Airport Travel Ltd. Since the sale to Omniport the airport has become one of the UK hubs for budget carrier Flybe and the number of flights and destinations served have rapidly increased. In 2005 a £3.5M terminal expansion programme began. SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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