RAAF Base Pearce

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RAAF Base Pearce
RAAF Pearce PC9s.jpg
Lineup of PC-9 aircraft from No 2 FTS at RAAF Base Pearce
IATA: none – ICAO: YPEA
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Royal Australian Air Force
Elevation AMSL 150 ft / 46 m
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Map
YPEA is located in Western Australia
YPEA
YPEA
Location in Western Australia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 1,691 5,548 Asphalt
18L/36R 2,439 8,002 Asphalt
18R/36L 1,741 5,712 Concrete
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1]

RAAF Base Pearce (ICAO: YPEA) is the main Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Western Australia. It is located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the RAAF and the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Pearce is the busiest RAAF base in the country in terms of total aircraft movements, including civil movements at the Joint User bases. Although its primary role is pilot training, it remains the only permanent Air Force base on the west coast, and thus has a significant logistics role.

RAAF Gingin is a small airfield located near Pearce that is also used for flying training. The airfield is owned by the Air Force and is managed by RAAF Base Pearce. A rotation of Air Traffic Controllers travel from Pearce each day to provide services, when requested by the flying units.

History

RAAF Base Pearce was officially granted "station" status on 6 February 1939. It was named in honour of Sir George Pearce, a long-standing Senator from Western Australia. Pearce was elected to the inaugural Senate in 1901 and remained a Senator for Western Australia until 1938. He was Minister for Defence in four separate ministries including the period 1910 to 1913 when the Central Flying School was established.[2]

The base opened with two resident squadrons, Nos. 14 and 25 Squadrons.

During World War II, No. 5 Initial Training School (ITS) was formed at RAAF Pearce as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Recruits commenced their military service at the ITS, learning fundamentals such as mathematics, navigation and aerodynamics.

Air shows

The 2005 Defence Force Air Show, held at Pearce on 19–20 November, marked the first visit to Perth of the United States Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer bomber. The 2012 Defence Force Air Show, held at Pearce on the 19–20 May, included visits by a USAF B-52 bomber, a USAF KC-135 tanker, an RAAF AEW&C Wedgetail and an RSAF C-130 Hercules.

Units

The Republic of Singapore Air Force's Flying Training School (No. 130 Squadron) is located at RAAF Base Pearce.

Data from RAAF Base Pearce official site,[3] except where noted:

Unit name Force Element Group Remarks
No. 2 Flying Training School Air Force Training Group[4] Operates PC-9 trainers
No. 25 (City of Perth) Squadron Air Force Training Group[4] Air Force Reserve
No. 79 Squadron Air Combat Group[5] Operates Hawk 127 fighter-trainers
No. 453 Squadron Pearce Flight Surveillance and Response Group[6][7] Air traffic control
No. 1 Airfield Operations Support Squadron Detachment Pearce Combat Support Group[8] Airfield engineering
No. 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron Detachment Pearce Combat Support Group[8]
No. 1 Security Force Squadron Detachment Combat Support Group[8]
Combat Support Unit Pearce Combat Support Group[9] Base managers

The Republic of Singapore Air Force's No. 130 Squadron is also located at Pearce, and operates training aircraft.

747-Mockup

The base is home a mockup of a Boeing 747 used for counter-terrorism training[10] and has been used by the Special Air Service Regiment. Built in 2010 the mockup is smaller than an average Boeing 747 and has two non-flying engines with a fictional Emu Airlines livery.

Other uses

RAAF Base Pearce is used by the Australian Air Force Cadets as a headquarters and for promotional courses, as well as serving as headquarters for No. 7 Wing and premises for No. 701 Squadron (AAFC).[11] An airliner mock-up has been built on base to serve as an anti-hijacking training aid for the Australian Special Air Service's counter-terrorism squadron, also known as Tactical Assault Group (West). It is used to practise airliner entry and hostage rescue drills.

In 2014 the base was the hub for the search of the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It hosted search aircraft from six other nations including a United States Navy P-8 Poseidon, P-3 Orions of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and Republic of Korea Navy, and Ilyushin Il-76s of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ YPEA – Pearce (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 3 March 2016, Aeronautical Chart
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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