Everything about Seletar Airport totally explained
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Seletar Airport (
Chinese: 实里达机场) was
Singapore's first international airport. It was completed in 1928 originally as
RAF Seletar.
It is located in
Seletar in the north-eastern area of the
main island, and is operated by the
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. There has been a proposal to extend its runway to 2,000
metres, so as to be able to receive the
Boeing 737 used by many budget airlines. However, after considerations by the Singapore Government and the CAAS, they decided to build a Budget Terminal in
Singapore Changi Airport instead.
RAF Seletar
RAF Seletar was a
Royal Air Force station in
Singapore between 1928 and 1971.
Plans for establishing an airfield, flying boat and naval base in Singapore were first agreed by the RAF in 1921. In 1923 two sites in the northern region of the island were approved. The first planes to arrive at the base were four
Supermarine Southampton seaplanes on the 28th of February 1928.
RAF Seletar served as a civil airport from
1930 before the opening of Singapore's first civil airport at
Kallang on
12 June 1937 (to the late 1940s).
The air base was briefly host to
Amy Johnson during the May of 1930 on her UK - Australia flight in her
Gipsy Moth named 'Jason'.
Pre-WW2 and during WW2
As war clouds gathered over Singapore the RAF started building up their forces in the Far East in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Seletar airfield was the target of
Carpet bombing when Japanese navy bombers conducted the
First air raid on Singapore, sometime after their ground forces
invaded Kota Bahru. It was abandoned when the Japanese took
Johore Bahru, which brought their artillery in range of the airfield.
When the Japanese launched their invasion of Malaya and Singapore, Seletar housed the RAF’s
205 Sqn with
PBY Catalina Flying boats and
36 and
100 Sqns with obsolete
Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers, along with 151 Maintenance Unit. These units stayed until Jan-Feb 1942, soon before the surrender to the invading Japanese.
During the Japanese occupation Seletar was under the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, and a number of IJN squadrons were based or transited through there mainly, for training. Among the units known to be based there during this time were 936 Kokutai (B5N Kate, D3A Val and E13A1 Jake), 381 Kokutai (A6M Zero and J2M Raiden). The 601 Kokutai was also stationed there for training in early before its destruction on board Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Philippine Sea (Marianas Turkey Shoot) in June. Seletar’s present runway was built during the Japanese Occupation.
Post WW2
After World War 2 the base went back to the RAF, and in the late 1940s and 1950s the base was heavily involved in the Malayan Emergency, with Beaufighters, Spitfires and Mosquitos based there while operating against Malayan Communist insurgents. Among the many squadrons based there during this time were Nos
60, 81 and
205 Sqns of the
RAF.
During the 1960s RAF Seletar was home base to No's
103 and
110 Squadrons both of which were equipped with
Westland Whirlwind Mk 10 helicopters and to
34 Squadron which was equipped with
Blackburn Beverleys. All three Squadrons (among several others) were involved with support of operations in North Borneo during the
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. The helicopter squadrons provided a search and rescue service for the Singapore area. The station was also at that time home to 209 Squadron, RAF equipped with
Single and
Twin Pioneer aircraft.
Closure
The RAF station closed at the end of March 1971 and Seletar was handed over to the Singapore Air Defence Command (later the
Republic of Singapore Air Force) by 1973, after the British pullout.
Among Seletar’s claim to fame was the fact that several classic aircraft type flew their last RAF Operational sorties from there including the
Short Singapore flying boat (Mk.III K6912 of
No. 205 Squadron RAF 14 October 1941, aircraft transferred to
No. 5 Squadron RNZAF),
Supermarine Spitfire (PR.XIX PS888 of 81 Sqn 1954)
De Havilland Mosquito (PR.34 RG314 of 81 Sqn 1955),
Short Sunderland flying boat (ML797 205 Sqn 1959) and
Bristol Beaufighter (TT.X RD761 Station Flight 1960).
Photo Gallery
Image:RAF Seletar Crest.jpg|RAF Seletar Crest Badge.
Image:CH 002556.jpg|A Short Singapore-III flying boat, similar to those operated by 205 Sqn.
Image:HU 059790.jpg|Short Singapore-III flying boat of 205 Sqn, in flight below three 'vic' formations of Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers of 100 Sqn.
Image:K 001102.jpg|Consolidated Catalinas of 205 Sqn undergoing servicing in their hangar at RAF Seletar. One of the Sqn's Short Singapore-III bi-plane flying boats can be seen in the right background.
Image:RAF Seletar ramp 205 Sqn Sunderland.jpg|A 205 Sqn Shorts Sunderland at the ramp of RAF Seletar.
Image:CI 001735.jpg|An aerial view of Seletar airfield, Singapore, with RAF Mosquito and Dakota aircraft parked up.
Image:Spitfire PR Mk XIX.jpg|A Spitfire PR Mk XIX, similar to those operated by No. 81 Squadron RAF from RAF Seletar.
Image:Viewing gallery.jpg|The viewing gallery of Singapore Youth Flying Club overlooking the runway of Seletar. Note the Club's CT-4E rolling on the runway.
Seletar Airport
Seletar Airport now operates as a general aviation airport, mainly for chartered flights. As of 2007, the only scheduled services operating from Seletar are
Berjaya Air's flights to
Tioman and
Redang. It has a single runway and 27 aircraft stands, and is opened 24 hours a day.
In 1998, Seletar Airport received 7,945 scheduled flights altogether, handling 23,919 passengers and 6,025 tons of cargo.
The
Republic of Singapore Flying Club,
Seletar Flying Club and
Singapore Flying College are situated at Seletar Airport. The Singapore Flying College also conducts its flying training at
Jandakot Airport in
Perth,
Western Australia and at
Sunshine Coast Airport in
Maroochydore,
Queensland.
Another prominent flying school is the
Singapore Youth Flying Club which has its headquarters built on western side of the airport's
runway. Completed in June 2001, the clubhouse also has its own parking bays for its fleet of
Piper Warrior II and
CT-4E.
In
2007,
JTC Corporation announced the plan to upgrade the Seletar Airport to support the upcoming
Seletar Aerospace Park. The plan includes the lengthening of the airport's
runway from its current length to 1,800 metres and the upgrading of its
avionics systems to allow bigger aircraft to land and take off.
Passenger facilities
There are 2 check-in counters, outdoor car park, 3 sets of credit card telephone, lavatory for the handicapped, soft drink vending machine, drinking water tap, outdoor covered waiting seats, Passenger Service & VIP Lounge, taxi stall, etc.
Food is available from a canteen, opposite West Camp Road.
Freight facilities
Seletar Airport can handle 840 tons of freight per day. It also has 100 square meters of warehouse space.
Operating Airlines
Charter flights are also operated to
Batam in
IndonesiaFurther Information
Get more info on 'Seletar Airport'.
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