BEX · medium airport

RAF Benson

Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Airports

BEXmedium airport

RAF Benson

Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

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Routes out

Destinations

EGUB

ICAO

226 ft

Elevation

TravelerPulse profile

Royal Air Force station serving Oxfordshire since World War II.

Opened

1937

Location

Wallingford, United Kingdom

RAF Benson is a military airfield operated by the Royal Air Force, located near Wallingford in Oxfordshire, England. It serves as a primary base for the RAF's helicopter support operations and is home to several rotary-wing squadrons providing support to the British Army and other defence roles. The station plays a significant role in UK Search and Rescue and VIP transport operations, having previously hosted the Queen's Helicopter Flight. It is not open to commercial passenger traffic, functioning exclusively as an active military installation under the Ministry of Defence. Although assigned the IATA code BEX and ICAO code EGUB, RAF Benson handles no scheduled civilian flights. Access to the base is strictly controlled, and it remains one of the UK's important rotary-wing military aviation hubs.

Notable facts

›RAF Benson was established in 1937 and became operational in the early years of World War II.
›The station is home to rotary-wing squadrons providing battlefield and support helicopter operations.
›It previously hosted the Queen's Helicopter Flight, providing VIP transport for the Royal Family.
›The airfield is not open to civilian or commercial air traffic.
›RAF Benson falls under No. 2 Group RAF and is a key helicopter support base in the UK.

Official website Wikipedia

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Encyclopaedia

Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station located at Benson, near Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. It is a front-line station and from 2009 to 2025 was home to the RAF's fleet of Westland Puma HC2 support helicopters, which were used primarily for the transportation of troops & equipment. Flying squadrons comprise No. 22 Squadron which provides operational test, evaluation, tactics and training for all aviation in Joint Aviation Command and No. 28 Squadron, which is the Boeing Chinook HC6A training unit. Other units include the Oxford University Air Squadron and No. 6 Air Experience Flight, both flying the Grob Tutor T1 light training aircraft used for student and cadet flying training. The National Police Air Service and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance are also based at the station, both operating Airbus H135 helicopters.

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