Airports in the Falkland Islands - RAF Mount Pleasant, Port Stanley Airport, List of Airports in the Falkland Islands (Paperback)

Chapters: Raf Mount Pleasant, Port Stanley Airport, List of Airports in the Falkland Islands. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 18. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: RAF Mount Pleasant - Location of RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland IslandsRAF Mount Pleasant is the most recent purpose-built permanent airfield in the Royal Air Force. The RAF previously had a small base at Stanley airfield after the end of the hostilities in 1982. During the Falklands War when the islands were occupied by Argentine military forces, British aircraft were sent to disable the runway with RAF Strike Command Vulcan bombers (Operation Black Buck) and Royal Navy Sea Harriers. The raids were moderately successful, and on the first Black Buck mission one 1,000 lb bomb hit the runway in the middle, disabling it. However, temporary repairs by the Argentines did allow Hercules C130 transport aircraft to bring in supplies and take out casualties until the end of the conflict. After the end of hostilities the runway was fully repaired by British military engineers. After the surrender of the Argentine ground forces on the islands, the British still faced the problem of potential Argentine air attacks from the Argentine homeland, so an aircraft carrier had to remain on station to guard the islands with its squadron of Sea Harriers until the local airfield was prepared for jet aircraft. HMS Hermes was the first to take guard duty, whilst HMS Invincible went north to change (at sea) a main engine. Invincible then returned to relieve Hermes which urgently needed to return to the UK for boiler cleaning. Invincible returned until she was relieved by the newly built HMS Illustrious, which was quickly rushed south and commissioned during the journey. Once the Port Stanley runway was available for jets, Illustrious was relieved ...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=280728