Airport type Military 05/23 1,691 5,548 Asphalt Phone +61 1300 333 362 | Elevation AMSL 150 ft / 46 m 1,691 5,548 Elevation 49 m | |
 | ||
Operator Royal Australian Air Force Address Bullsbrook WA 6084, Australia Similar Perth Airport, The Maze - home of Outback, Buddhist Society of Western, Avon Valley National, Travelex | ||
Hawk 127 doing a touch and go at raaf base pearce
RAAF Base Pearce (ICAO: YPEA) is the main Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base in Western Australia. It is located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the RAAF and the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Contents
- Hawk 127 doing a touch and go at raaf base pearce
- Aerials of raaf base pearce
- History
- Air shows
- Units
- 747 Mockup
- Other uses
- References
Pearce is the busiest RAAF base in the country in terms of total aircraft movements, including civil movements at the Joint User bases. Although its primary role is pilot training, it remains the only permanent Air Force base on the west coast, and thus has a significant logistics role.
RAAF Gingin is a small airfield located near Pearce that is also used for flying training. The airfield is owned by the Air Force and is managed by RAAF Base Pearce. A rotation of Air Traffic Controllers travel from Pearce each day to provide services, when requested by the flying units.
Aerials of raaf base pearce
History
RAAF Base Pearce was officially granted "station" status on 6 February 1939. It was named in honour of Sir George Pearce, a long-standing Senator from Western Australia. Pearce was elected to the inaugural Senate in 1901 and remained a Senator for Western Australia until 1938. He was Minister for Defence in four separate ministries including the period 1910 to 1913 when the Central Flying School was established.
The base opened with two resident squadrons, Nos. 14 and 25 Squadrons.
During World War II, No. 5 Initial Training School (ITS) was formed at RAAF Pearce as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Recruits commenced their military service at the ITS, learning fundamentals such as mathematics, navigation and aerodynamics.
On 10 September 1950 a one-off motor race meeting, called the "Air Force Handicap" was held as a part of an RAAF air show. The circuit was triangular in shape, and used all three runways of the base. The feature race was won on handicap by Syd Negus in a Plymouth Special, ahead of Syd Barker in a Ballot V8 and Arthur Collett in an MG TC.
Air shows
The 2005 Defence Force Air Show, held at Pearce on 19–20 November, marked the first visit to Perth of the United States Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer bomber. The 2012 Defence Force Air Show, held at Pearce on 19–20 May, included visits by a USAF B-52 bomber, a USAF KC-135 tanker, an RAAF AEW&C Wedgetail and an RSAF C-130 Hercules.
Units
Data from RAAF Base Pearce official site, except where noted:
The Republic of Singapore Air Force's No. 130 Squadron is also located at Pearce, and operates training aircraft.
747-Mockup
The base is home a mockup of a Boeing 747 used for counter-terrorism training and has been used by the Special Air Service Regiment. Built in 2010 the mockup is smaller than an average Boeing 747 and has two non-flying engines with a fictional Emu Airlines livery.
Other uses
RAAF Base Pearce is used by the Australian Air Force Cadets as a headquarters and for promotional courses, as well as serving as headquarters for No. 7 Wing and premises for No. 701 Squadron (AAFC). An airliner mock-up has been built on base to serve as an anti-hijacking training aid for the Australian Special Air Service's counter-terrorism squadron, also known as Tactical Assault Group (West). It is used to practise airliner entry and hostage rescue drills.
In 2014 the base was the hub for the search of the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It hosted search aircraft from six other nations including a United States Navy P-8 Poseidon, P-3 Orions of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and Republic of Korea Navy, and Ilyushin Il-76s of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force.