# RAF Inverness

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Inverness
> Source revision: 1311855570
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Defunct civil and military airfield in Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = RAF Longman<BR>RAF Inverness
| ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
| ensign_size = 90px
| native_name = 
| partof = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location = [Inverness](/source/Inverness), [Highland](/source/Highland_(council_area))
| nearest_town = <!-- used in military test site infobox -->
| country = Scotland
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| image2 = <!--secondary image, major command emblems for airfields -->
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = 
| type = [Royal Air Force station](/source/List_of_former_Royal_Air_Force_stations)
| coordinates = {{Coord|57|29|20|N|4|13|07|W|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = Scotland Highland#UK
| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Scotland Highlands
| pushpin_label = RAF Inverness
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_mark = 
| pushpin_marksize = 
| ownership = [Air Ministry](/source/Air_Ministry)
| operator = [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force)
| controlledby = [RAF Fighter Command](/source/RAF_Fighter_Command)
| open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
| site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| site_other = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types etc -->  
| site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc -->
| code = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US -->
| built = {{Start date|1940}}
| used = 1940-{{End date|1945}}
| builder = 
| materials = 
| height = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level -->
| length = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs -->
| fate = <!--changed from demolished parameter-->
| condition =Demolished, now Industrial Estate 
| battles = [European theatre of World War II](/source/European_theatre_of_World_War_II)
| events = 
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison = [No. 13 (Fighter) Group](/source/No._13_Group_RAF)
| occupants = <!-- squadrons only -->
| designations = 
| website = 
| footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code -->
<!-- begin airfield information  -->
| IATA = 
| ICAO = 
| GPS = 
| WMO = 
| elevation = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| r1-number = 
| r1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| r1-surface = 
| h1-number = 
| h1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| h1-surface = 
| airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| airfield_other = <!-- for other sorts of airfield facilities -->
<!--  end airfield information   -->
}}

'''Royal Air Force Inverness''' or more simply '''RAF Inverness''' is a former [Royal Air Force station](/source/Royal_Air_Force_station) located by the [Moray Firth](/source/Moray_Firth) in [Highland](/source/Highland_(council_area)), [Scotland](/source/Scotland). It was also known as RAF Longman and previously Longman Airfield.

==History==

Longman Airfield was built in 1933 by the local council as a civilian airport for [Highland Airways](/source/Highland_Airways_Limited) to link [Orkney](/source/Orkney) and [Wick](/source/Wick%2C_Caithness) to Inverness and its major rail links. The airfield was converted to a [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) base at the [Outbreak of World War II](/source/Outbreak_of_World_War_II), but didn't officially become an RAF base until 1941. The airfield was identified by German reconnaissance units which incorrectly noted it as a seaplane base, which probably saved Inverness from any major bombing by the [Luftwaffe](/source/Luftwaffe).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forgottenairfields.com/airfield-longman-904.html|title=Forgotten airfields|website=forgottenairfields.com|access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref>

During the war, [Scottish Airways](/source/Scottish_Airways), the successor to Highland Airways, continued to use the airfield for intensive civilian operations supporting the Orkney and Shetland Isles.<ref name="BEAline">{{cite book |last1=Lo Bao |first1=Phil |last2=Hutchison |first2=Iain |title=BEAline to the Islands |date=2002 |publisher=Kea Publishing |location=Erskine, Scotland |isbn=0951895842 |page=99 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5JZ9GBTZwwC}}</ref>

Under the command of [No. 13 (Fighter) Group](/source/No._13_Group_RAF), it hosted No. 70 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight between 17 February 1941 and 25 August 1945.<ref>[http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-I.htm RAFWeb.org] ''(Retrieved 30 September 2009)''</ref>

===Operational Squadrons & Aircraft===
{|class="wikitable"
! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version !! Notes
|-
| [No. 241 Squadron RAF](/source/No._241_Squadron_RAF) || Sep 1940 || Apr 1942 || [Westland Lysander](/source/Westland_Lysander) || MK. II ||Formed from 'A' Flight of 614 Squadron.
|-
| [No. 289 Squadron RAF](/source/No._289_Squadron_RAF) || 1 May 1939 || Sep 1939 || [Avro Anson](/source/Avro_Anson) || ? || 
|-
| [No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron](/source/No._309_Polish_Fighter-Reconnaissance_Squadron) ||  ||  || [Supermarine Spitfire](/source/Supermarine_Spitfire) || Mk. I || 
|-
| [No. 526 Squadron RAF](/source/No._526_Squadron_RAF) || June 1943 ||  1 May 1945 || [Airspeed Oxford](/source/Airspeed_Oxford) || MK. I || Absorbed into 527 Squadron
|-
| [No. 527 Squadron RAF](/source/No._527_Squadron_RAF) || 1 May 1945 || 8 Nov 1945 || [de Havilland Dominie](/source/de_Havilland_Dominie) || || 
|-
| [No. 598 Squadron RAF](/source/No._598_Squadron_RAF) || 1 Dec 1943 || 12 Mar 1945 || [Airspeed Oxford](/source/Airspeed_Oxford) || Mk. II || 
|-
| [No. 614 Squadron RAF](/source/No._614_Squadron_RAF) 'A' flight || 8 Jun 1940 || 5 Mar 1941 || [Westland Lysander](/source/Westland_Lysander) || Mk. II || Became 241 Squadron
|-
| [782 Naval Air Squadron](/source/782_Naval_Air_Squadron)  ||  ||  ||  ||  || <ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/longman-inverness/ |title=Longman (Inverness) |publisher=[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust](/source/Airfields_of_Britain_Conservation_Trust)|accessdate=27 May 2020}}</ref>
|-
|}

===Other units===
* [No. 14 Group Target Towing Flight RAF](/source/No._14_Group_Target_Towing_Flight_RAF) (October – November 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=188}} became [No. 1491 (Target Towing) Flight RAF](/source/No._1491_(Target_Towing)_Flight_RAF) (December 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=136}}
* [No. 1 (Coastal) Engine Control Demonstration Unit RAF](/source/No._1_(Coastal)_Engine_Control_Demonstration_Unit_RAF) (October – November 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=94}}
* [No. 1 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight RAF](/source/No._1_Radio_Servicing_Section_Calibration_Flight_RAF) (November 1940 – February 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=254}} became [No. 70 Wing Calibration Flight RAF](/source/No._70_Wing_Calibration_Flight_RAF) (February 1941 – June 1943){{sfn|Lake|1999|p=290}}
* [No. 13 Group Communication Flight RAF](/source/No._13_Group_Communication_Flight_RAF) (July 1943 – December 1945){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=182}}
* [No. 14 Group Communication Flight RAF](/source/No._14_Group_Communication_Flight_RAF) (July 1940 – July 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=182}}
* Detachment of [No. 1479 (Anti-Aircraft Cooperation) Flight RAF](/source/No._1479_(Anti-Aircraft_Cooperation)_Flight_RAF) (August & November 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=134}}

thumb|Longman Aerodrome c.1947, Junkers Ju 52 in mid right
Following the war it was converted to general use under the title ''Longman Airfield'' until [Inverness Airport](/source/Inverness_Airport) at [Dalcross](/source/Dalcross) became the primary hub in 1947, due to Longman being regarded as too small for safe operations. Prior to its closure, it was served by [British European Airways](/source/British_European_Airways), and its fleet of captured ex-Luftwaffe [Junkers Ju 52](/source/Junkers_Ju_52). It is believed that for some time [Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler)'s personal Ju 52 (registration D-2600) was stored at Longman after the war.

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book |last1=Lake |first1=A |title= Flying units of the RAF |year=1999 |publisher= Airlife |location= [Shrewsbury](/source/Shrewsbury) |isbn= 1-84037-086-6 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R|last2=Hamlin|first2=J|last3=Halley|first3=J|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units |year=1997 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=0-85130-252-1}}

{{Royal Air Force}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inverness}}
Category:Royal Air Force stations in Scotland
Category:Military airbases established in 1940
Category:Military airbases closed in 1946

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RAF Inverness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Inverness) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Inverness?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.