RAF Benson

About

Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson (IATA: BEX, ICAO: EGUB) 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.

RAF Benson opened in 1939 and during the Second World War it was tasked with training aircrews on the Fairey Battle light bomber and Avro Anson training aircraft. It was later home to squadrons flying the Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito which operated in the photographic reconnaissance role. Benson operated under RAF Transport Command throughout the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1970s, various communications and administrative units were present and in the early 1990s the station began its association with the support helicopter force.

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