RAF Upper Heyford Air Base

In the 1950s

NDB approach (March 1954) - Airfields in the vicinity: Barford St John, Chipping Norton, Croughton, Edgehill, Enstone, Finmere, Hinton-in-the-Hedges, Kidlington, Oakley, Silverstone, Turweston, Westcott, Weston-on-the-Green. (Source: US DoD)

The air base (March 1954) - There are two runways - 090/270: length 2932 m, width 61 m (9620 feet x 200 feet), 026/206: length 1570 m, width 46 m (5150 feet x 150 feet). (Source: US DoD)

In the 1960s

In the early 1960s, some US Air Force airfields were equipped with VHF omnidirectional radio beacons (VOR). After a few years, however, they were replaced by TACAN radio beacons.

VOR approach (Oktober 1960) (Source: US DoD)

ILS approach (Oktober 1960) (Source: US DoD)

TACAN approach (May 1966) - With the possibility of distance measurement, the TACAN allowed new procedures, e.g. an arc-shaped approach. (Source: US DoD)

ILS approach (May 1966) - The runways are now shown as - 09/27: length 2927 m, width 61 m (9604 feet x 200 feet), 03/21: length 1570 m, width 46 m (5150 feet x 150 feet). (Source: US DoD)

In the 1970s

Satellite image from 10 August 1977 (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)

In the 1990s

RAF Upper Heyford Air Base on a map of the US Department of Defense from 1993 (Source: ONC E-2 (1993), Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin)

Index to the objects shown on the maps

Aerodromes:

• Abingdon
• Barford St. John, Benson, Bicester, Brize Norton
• Chalgrove, Chipping Norton, Cranfield, Croughton
• Edgehill, Enstone
• Fairford, Finmere
• Hinton-in-the-Hedges
• Oakly, Oxford/Kidlington
• Silverstone
• Turweston
• Westcott, Weston-on-the-Green

Airspace:

• UK/D (E-103)

Radio beacons:

• Brize Norton NDB "BZ", TACAN "BZN"
• Cranfield VOR "CFD"
• Fairford TACAN "FFA"
• Upper Heyford NDB "UH", VOR "UH", TACAN "UH", "UPH", ILS "UH", Outer Marker, Middle Marker

Air traffic control:

• Brize Norton Approach Control
• Midland Control
• Upper Heyford Approach Control, Upper Heyford Tower

Source for all maps, if not marked otherwise: US Department of Defence (US DoD)