Satellite and aerial maps of Boscombe Down with nearby locations
| Nearby locations | Km | Bearing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solstice Park , England | 2.8 | 350 | |
| Newton Tony , England | 4.0 | 069 | |
| Porton , England | 4.3 | 121 | |
| Bulford Camp , England | 4.6 | 009 | |
| Winterbourne Gunner , England | 4.7 | 174 | |
| Old Sarum , England | 6.5 | 203 | EGLS |
Boscombe Down |
1917 to present | ||
| 51° 9' 8'' N 1° 44' 50'' W | ||
| 1.5nm SE of Amesbury, Wiltshire, Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, England | ||
| ICAO: EGDM | IATA: | |
| Elevation: 407 feet | ||
Opened briefly in World War I but was closed by 1919. In the pre-WWII expansion, it was re-opened as an RAF base in 1930. At the outbreak of WWII, the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was moved here from its more vulnerable site near the East Coast at Martlesham Heath. Almost every production aircraft for the British forces passed through Boscombe Down prior to delivery to units. A Test Pilot school was formed in 1943, to become the Empire Test Pilot School (ETPS) in 1944.
Test flying became the major function of this base and after WWII, it became a UK Government airfield (rather than an RAF one). Like Fleetlands, the arrangements for managing the site have evolved. The A&AEE became DTEO and it then joined with DRA to become the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in Apr 1995. DERA spilt into a commercial arm (QinetiQ) and a government agency (DSTL) in Jul 2001.
List of units at Boscombe Down |
| Years | Unit | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018- | 744 NAS | |
| 1995/01 | Defence Evaluation and Research Agency | |
| 1992/93 | 826 NAS | Sea King, Sea King, |
| 1992- | A&AEE | |
| 1968- | ETPS | |
| 1943/45 | ETPS | |
| 1939/92 | Aeroplane & Armaments Experimental Establishment | |
| ??/12 | BDAC | Type 171 Sycamore, Wasp, |
Boscombe Down News |
Merlin Crowsnest AEW Delayed
20-Jul-20 - The Royal Navy new Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Merlin Crowsnest helicopter for the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers is now expected to reach initial operational capability (IOC) in September 2021 #Crowsnest
Royal Navy Reactivates 744 Squadron for Crowsnet Merlin
28-Nov-18 - Royal Navy’ 744 Naval Air Squadron was reactivated at Boscombe Down to introduce the new fleet AEW platform, Crowsnest Merlin, to front-line service over the next 18 months plus the RAF’s upgraded Chinook Mk5s and Mk6s #744NAS
QinetiQ H125 Arrived at Boscombe Down ETPS
23-Mar-18 - QinetiQ’s first H125 / AS350B3e in the new UK MoD Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) livery arrived at MoD Boscombe Down
Lynx / Sea Venom Missile Compatibility Test
05-Apr-17 - QinetiQ and the Royal Navy conducted trials at Boscombe Down between a Lynx Mk8 helicopter and the MBDA Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile
QinetiQ Orders 4 H125 for UK MoD ETPS
01-Mar-17 - QinetiQ ordered 4 Garmin G500-equipped H125 / AS350B3e helicopters to replace the Gazelle in use by the UK MoD’s Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) from 2019
Cobham Bell 412 Support for QinetiQ
02-Jun-16 - Cobham sign contract to provide Helicopter support to the UK Empire Test Pilots’ School and Rotary Wing Test and Evaluation Squadron. A Bell 412 Griffin HAR.2 will be based at MOD Boscombe Down
Modified Boeing Chinook Mk3 Completes 1st Test Flight
07-Jul-09 - UK Chinook Mk3 helicopter completed its first test flight Boscombe Down facility during the flight testing and evaluation phase of the Mk3 reversion program. List of aircraft and events at Boscombe Down |
By Date | By Serial | By Model
| Type | Serial | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| CH-53E | 161988 | 09jun90 |
| MK81 | 283 | 13jun92 |
| UH-1D | 71+18 | 13jun92 |
| 105M | 80+03 | 13jun92 |
| 105M | 8003 | 14jun92 |
| MK88 | 83+15 | 13jun92 |
| MK88A | 8315 | 13jun92 |
| CH-53G | 84+10 | 13jun92 |
| CH-53G | 85+08 | 13jun92 |
| 105P | 86+06 | 13jun92 |
| MK41 | 89+55 | 13jun92 |
| MI-8TB | 94+12 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-324 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-343 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-350 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-390 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-398 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-453 | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | A-465 | 13jun92 |
| 105CB | B-67 | 13jun92 |
| H125 | G-ETPE | 18 |
| H125 | G-ETPF | 18 |
| H125 | G-ETPG | mar18 |
| H125 | G-ETPH | 18 |
| AW109E | G-ETPJ | 20jun19 |
| AW109S | G-ETPN | 09jun21 |
| 206L-1 | G-OSIB | 13jun92 |
| SE3160 | H-20 | 13jun92 |
| MK80 | S-175 | 13jun92 |
| AS532U2 | S-454 | 13jul04 |
| S-61A-1 | U-278 | 13jun92 |
| Skeeter 3 | WF113 | oct51 mar53 |
| Skeeter 4 | WF114 | mar53 |
| Sycamore 3 | WT939 | 04jan58 |
| HAR.1 | XA863 | 27mar54 |
| HAR.1 | XA864 | 17oct57 |
| HC.4 | XB251 | 07dec61 |
| HC.4 | XB252 | 15jun59 |
| HAR.4 | XD164 | sep54 |
| Sycamore 4 | XE308 | 03nov65 |
| Skeeter 5 | XG303 | mar54 |
| Type 192 Belvedere | XG447 | 07aug66 |
| HAS7 | XG589 | 19mar71 74 |
| Skeeter 6 | XJ355 | aug55 |
| HAR.4 | XJ409 | 19mar71 |
| Sycamore 4 | XJ919 | 27feb63 |
| Skeeter 6 | XK773 | 21jun56 |
| HAS7 | XK906 | jun57 |
| HAS7 | XL898 | oct81 |
| HAS.1 | XM834 | 67 |
| AH.1 | XP165 | 19mar71 |
| AH.1 | XP849 | 86 |
| HC.2 | XR503 | 13jun92 |
| HU.5 | XS482 | oct68 |
| HU.5 | XS509 | 13jun92 |
| HC.2 | XS679 | 19mar71 13jun92 |
| HC.2 | XS679 / WG | 12jun92 |
| HAS.3 | XT255 | may65 |
| HAS.3 | XT256 | 19mar71 |
| Wasp | XT414 | sep65 |
| HC.2 | XT601 | 01jun92 13jun92 |
| HAS.1 | XV651 | 70 19mar71 15jul10 |
| HAS.1 | XV714 | 09jun90 |
| SA330E | XW201 | 19mar71 |
| SA330E | XW214 | 79 mar81 |
| SA330E | XW227 | 13jun92 |
| HT.2 | XW864 | 13jun92 |
| HT.2 | XW884 | 13jun92 |
| HT.3 | XW906 | jun11 |
| HT.2 | XW907 | 13jun92 |
| AH.1 | XX381 | 07jun04 |
| HT.3 | XX396 | 13jun92 |
| AH.1 | XX435 | apr16 |
| HT.2 | XX441 | 13jun92 |
| AH.1 | XX449 | 15jul10 apr16 |
| AH.1 | XX453 | 07 apr16 mar17 |
| HAS.2 | XZ236 | jul02 07 |
| AH.1 | XZ308 | 07 apr16 |
| AH.1 | XZ335 | aug19 |
| AH.1 | XZ340 | 06aug16 |
| AH.1 | XZ347 | 13jun92 |
| HAS.2 | XZ575 | oct16 |
| HT.3 | XZ935 | 09jun90 |
| HT.3 | XZ936 | 09jun90 13jun92 19may04 13jul04 22mar06 15jul10 jun11 02jun14 |
| HT.2 | XZ939 | 92 |
| HAR.3 | ZA105 | 13jul04 |
| HAS.5 | ZA166 / CU-828 | 03sep04 23mar05 |
| CH-47D | ZA670 | 30oct18 |
| CH-47D | ZA709 | 11mar05 |
| CH-47D | ZA710 | oct18 |
| CH-47D | ZA710 / BC | 26sep06 |
| CH-47C | ZA718 | 09jun90 |
| CH-47D | ZA718 | may93 |
| HC.4 | ZB506 | 13jun92 jul02 14apr04 |
| HC.4 | ZB507 | 25jun93 |
| HT.3 | ZB625 | 23apr04 11 apr16 |
| HT.2 | ZB647 | 13jun92 |
| HT.2 | ZB649 | 13jun92 |
| AH.1 | ZB673 / P | 16mar04 |
| AH.1 | ZB691 | 15jul10 |
| HAS.3 | ZD249 | 13jun92 |
| HAS.3 | ZD252 | 13jun92 |
| AH1 | ZD273 | 15jul10 |
| Lynx | ZD559 | 16mar04 |
| AH7 | ZD560 | 92 13jul04 27apr05 15jul10 29aug12 |
| CH-47D | ZD575 | 21oct04 |
| HAR.3 | ZE370 | 13jun92 |
| A109A | ZE410 | 15jul10 |
| AW109E | ZE416 | 09jul12 |
| HC.4 | ZF115 | 13jun92 |
| HAS.3S | ZF558 | jan17 |
| EH101 | ZF641 | aug97 |
| HC.4 | ZG829 | 13jun92 20aug92 |
| AH9 | ZG888 | 13jun12 |
| AS355F1 | ZH141 | 27sep05 |
| HM.1 | ZH830 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH832 | jul02 |
| HM.1 | ZH838 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH848 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH849 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH852 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH855 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH858 | may20 |
| HM.1 | ZH863 | may20 |
| MH-47E | ZH898 | 16oct03 16 |
| MH-47E | ZH900 | aug01 |
| MH-47E | ZH901 | apr10 |
| HC.3 | ZJ137 / W | 28jan05 |
| HC.3 | ZJ138 | 13 |
| WAH-64 | ZJ183 | 25jan06 |
| WAH-64 | ZJ206 | 15jul10 |
| AS355F | ZJ635 | dec99 30jun01 29sep03 16mar04 21nov05 |
| 212 | ZJ969 | 23mar05 |
| AH.1 | ZZ393 | 29jan21 |
