RAAF Base Learmonth
{{Short description|Air Force base in Western Australia}}
{{about|the military air base|the civilian aerodrome|Learmonth Airport}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = RAAF Base Learmonth
| ensign =
| ensign_size =
| native_name =
| partof =
| location =
| nearest_town = {{WAcity|Exmouth}}, Western Australia
| country = Australia
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| image2 =
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| type = Military air base
| coordinates = {{coord|22|14|09|S|114|05|19|E|region:AU-WA|display=inline,title}}
| gridref =
| image_map =
| image_mapsize =
| image_map_alt =
| image_map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Western Australia
| pushpin_mapsize = 300
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Western Australia
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_image =
| pushpin_label = RAAF Learmonth
YPLM
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_mark =
| pushpin_marksize =
| ownership = Department of Defence
| operator = {{nowrap|{{air force|Australia}}}}
| controlledby =
| open_to_public =
| site_other_label =
| site_other =
| site_area =
| code =
| built =
| used = circa 1950s{{spaced endash}} present
| builder =
| materials =
| height =
| length =
| fate =
| condition =
| battles =
| events =
| current_commander =
| past_commanders =
| garrison =
| occupants = 'Bare base'
| website = {{URL|https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/bases/queensland/raaf-base-scherger|RAAF Base Learmonth}}
| IATA = LEA
| ICAO = YPLM
| FAA =
| TC =
| LID =
| GPS =
| WMO =
| elevation = {{Convert|19|ft|m|0|order=flip}}
| r1-number = 18/36
| r1-length = {{convert|3047|m|0}}
| r1-surface = asphalt/concrete
| r2-number =
| r2-length =
| r2-surface =
| r3-number =
| r3-length =
| r3-surface =
| h1-number =
| h1-length =
| h1-surface =
| airfield_other_label =
| airfield_other =
| footnotes = Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart{{AIP AU|YPLM|name=Learmonth}}, [http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/dap/PLMAD01-130.pdf Aeronautical Chart] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411024226/http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/dap/PLMAD01-130.pdf |date=11 April 2012 }}
{{Infobox designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Commonwealth heritage list
| designation1_offname = Learmonth Air Weapons Range Facility
| designation1_type = Listed place (Historic)
| designation1_date = 22 June 2004
| delisted1_date =
| designation1_partof =
| designation1_number = [http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;search=state%3DWA%3Blist_code%3DCHL%3Blegal_status%3D35%3Bkeyword_PD%3D0%3Bkeyword_SS%3D0%3Bkeyword_PH%3D0;place_id=105551 105551]
}}
}}
RAAF Base Learmonth, also known as Learmonth Airport {{airport codes|LEA|YPLM}}, is a joint use Royal Australian Air Force base and civil airport. It is located near the town of Exmouth on the north-west coast of Western Australia. RAAF Base Learmonth is one of the RAAF's three bare bases. It is maintained by the RAAF's 25 Squadron and a small caretaker staff during peacetime.
The RAAF also operates the Learmonth Air Weapons Range which covers about {{Convert|18954|ha|abbr=on}} and is located {{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} south-west of the airbase.{{cite web|title=Learmonth Air Weapons Range Facility, Learmonth |work=Commonwealth heritage places in Western Australia|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/commonwealth/wa.html#learmonth |publisher=Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Government |access-date=4 December 2010}}
History
During World War II a little-known landing field was constructed on the western shore of Exmouth Gulf. It was code-named "Potshot" and maintained by No. 76 Operational Base Unit, in support of Operation Potshot. In the 1950s the landing field was further developed as a military base and named RAAF Learmonth in honour of Wing Commander Charles Learmonth DFC and Bar, who, while leading No. 14 Squadron, was killed in a flying accident off Rottnest Island, Western Australia on 6 January 1944.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49611937#pstart3825299 |title=A Valiant Deed Off Rottnest Gave Learmonth Its Name |work=The West Australian |date=18 January 1954 |author1=Baker, H. W. |author2=Atkinson, Basil |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=2 November 2011 }}
Starting in June 1944, Qantas used Learmonth as an intermediate stop for two converted Consolidated Liberator bombers that flew a segment of the vital England–Australia air route, supplementing modified Consolidated PBY Catalinas flying The Double Sunrise route to Ceylon. The Liberators flew a shorter {{convert|3077|mi|km|order=flip|adj=on}} over-water route from Learmonth to an airfield northeast of Colombo, and could make the journey in 17 hours with {{convert|5500|lb|kg|order=flip}} of payload, whereas the Catalinas usually required at least 27 hours and had to carry so much auxiliary fuel that their payload was limited to only {{convert|1000|lb|kg|order=flip}}. The route was named Kangaroo Service and marked the first time that Qantas's now-famous kangaroo logo was used; passengers received a certificate proclaiming them as members of The Order of the Longest Hop.{{cite magazine |author= |title=Thirty Years of Qantas |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%201946.html |magazine=Flight |location=London |date=16 November 1950 |volume=LVIII |issue=2182 |access-date=6 April 2018 }} Qantas would again use the base, much later, during the emergency landing of Qantas Flight 72.
In the mid-1960s, the Federal Government gave its support to plans by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Val Hancock, to redevelop Learmonth as a bare base, due to its proximity to Indonesia. Though F-111Cs could have made a round-trip to Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, from RAAF Base Darwin, the route they took would have been very much limited by range. Learmonth's relative proximity added flexibility to the routes in and out, enhancing the likelihood of a successful strike.{{cite web|url=http://www.ausairpower.net/DT-F111-MAY03.pdf|title=Three decades of the F-111|author=Kopp, Carlo|work=DefenceTODAY|date=May 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507084430/http://ausairpower.net/DT-F111-MAY03.pdf|archive-date=7 May 2012}} The major work was undertaken by No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron between 1971 and 1973.{{cite book |last=Stephens |first=Alan |orig-year=2001 |year=2006 |title=The Royal Australian Air Force: A History |location=London |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-555541-4 |pages=283–286}}
In October 2022, Qantas announced they would be servicing Melbourne-Exmouth flights for the first time from April to October 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/agency-news/agency-news-october-22/east-coast-to-coral-coast-qantas-opens-first-direct-melbourne-exmouth-flights.html|title=East Coast to Coral Coast: Qantas opens first direct Melbourne-Exmouth flights|work=qantas.com|date=14 October 2022|access-date=1 June 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2022/10/New-direct-Qantas-flights-from-Melbourne-to-Exmouth.aspx|title=New direct Qantas flights from Melbourne to Exmouth|work=Government of Western Australia|date=14 October 2022|access-date=1 June 2023|archive-date=14 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014084123/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2022/10/New-direct-Qantas-flights-from-Melbourne-to-Exmouth.aspx|url-status=dead}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.airforce.gov.au/RAAFBases/Western-Australia/RAAF-Base-Learmonth/?RAAF-T2hjG6pqW1Vs3Ih5aClLucOiPhznhSPH RAAF Base Learmonth] at [http://airforce.gov.au airforce.gov.au]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081011005206/http://www.raaf.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/bases/learmonth.htm Learmonth] at RAAF Museum
- {{cite AV media|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-15/learmonth-raaf-base-in-wa/5201346|title=Learmonth RAAF Base in WA|date=15 January 2014|work=ABC News|location=Australia|format=image}}
{{Portal bar|Royal Australian Air Force|Western Australia|Aviation}}
{{RAAF Bases}}
{{Airports in Australia}}
{{Airports in Western Australia}}
{{Towns Gascoyne WA}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Learmonth}}
Category:Royal Australian Air Force bases
Category:Airports in Western Australia
Category:Military installations in Western Australia
Category:Military installations established in the 1950s
Category:1950s establishments in Australia
Category:Commonwealth Heritage List places in Western Australia