Manston

Ramsgate , Kent , England

united kingdom United Kingdom










Satellite and aerial maps of Kent International / Manston with nearby locations


Nearby locationsKmBearing
QEQM Hospital , England 4.7038EGG09
Each End , England 7.7200
Maypole , England 13.3268EGHB
Thanet OWF , Offshore UK 22.0062UK29
Kentish Flats OWF , Offshore UK 22.5307UK12
Dover CG , England 23.2180



  Kent International / Manston


1916 to 2014

51° 20' 31.92'' N     1° 20' 46.00'' E
2.5nm W of Ramsgate, Kent, Ramsgate, Kent, England
ICAO: EGMH IATA: MSE
Elevation: 178 feet


Opened in 1916 for anti-Zeppelin and trials use, it became the main centre preparing RNAS aircraft for service in Flanders and France during WWI. Excavations were begun in 1918 for underground hangars (given its close proximity to continental Europe) but the work was never completed. The airfield was heavily and regularly damaged during summer 1940 and it was only in Jan 1941 that sustained operations from based squadrons could continue.
Work began in 1943 to enlarge the main runway to assist damaged aircraft returning from Europe, which was completed in 1944. After WWII, Manston was a joint RAF and civilan airfield, the RAF using the ICAO code EGUM. After a period of use by the USAF, manston re-opened in Mar 1959 and its 61m wide main runway made it first choice as a Master Diversion Airfield for the RAF.
Whilst civilian flying continued, regular RAF operations scaled down to Search and Rescue missions from 22 Squadron D Flight, which arrived in the early 1960s. Local protests broke out when the Flight left in 1969, to such an extent that the Government agreed to replace SAR cover and Bristows ran a SAR contract between Jun 1971 and Sep 1974 with a silver and orange Whirlwind. 72 Squadron D Flight returned officially in Oct 1974 but had perfomed a rescue 2 days earlier, while training with its Wessex.
In 1982, Manston was reclassified as a Military Emergency Diversion Airfield and between Apr 1984 and Mar 1985, further improvements were carried out including re-surfacing the main runway and taxi-ways. A further proposed expansion was cut short by the collapse of the Berlin Wall and its military use went into decline, 202 Squadron F Flight left for Wattisham in Jul 1994, and it culminated in the closure of RAF Manston on 31 Mar 1999.
London Manston Airport plc now runs Kent International Airport with many cargo and some passengar flights using the airfield. Helicopter and fixed wing charters are available as well as an air training operation.
preserved/instructional/dump aircraft on field.
Whirlwind XK968 : XN380 fake c/s H-19 (2001-2011) : Wessex XS482 (1996-untill now) : Chinook ZA676
all for Fire Service Central Training Establishment FSCTE, Gazelle XW870 (2008-2011) : Wessex XR503 (2008) : XV720 (2008) : XV725 (2008-2011)
As a result of the UKSRR SAR service main contract award from Apr 2015, Bristow has been enhancing SAR facilities due to start from here on 1 Jul 2015.
The airport closed in May 2014 and plans have been proposed to turn the site into a business and residential park. Counter-proposals for re-development of the airfield as a freight / cargo hub are being developed and as of June 2015, the future is uncertain. Manston was one of the sites selected for the UKSRR SAR contract and Bristow has been forced to move its new operation to Lydd.



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  List of units at Kent International / Manston




Years Unit
1988/94202 SquadronSea King,
1976/8822 SquadronWessex, Whirlwind,
1974/7672 SquadronWessex,
1961/6922 SquadronWhirlwind,
1952/58US 66th RQSS-55 H-19,



  Operations at Kent International / Manston


Dates Operation
21-dec-1822-dec-18 Operation Buckthorn




List of aircraft and events at Kent International / Manston


By Date | By Serial | By Model

DatesOrg/TypeUnit
1968-jul G I AirframeAAC Skeeter 7 XL735
1968-aug-06 G I AirframeRAF Sycamore 4 XE310
1968-oct G I AirframeAAC Skeeter 7 XN353
1968-oct-02 G I AirframeAAC Skeeter 7 XN355

1969 RAF Sycamore 4 XJ916

1971-jun HM Coastguard HAR3 G-AYTK
1971-jun HM Coastguard HAR3 G-AYNP

1976-aug G I AirframeRAF HAR10 XP340
1976-aug G I AirframeAAC Skeeter 7 XL735

1977-feb G I AirframeRAF HAR10 XP357

1978-sep G I AirframeAAC AH.1 XV125

1996 7 Squadron CH-47C ZA676

1998-jun ExhibitMinistry of Defence (MoD) HU.5 XS482
1998-dec-04 Visiting651 Squadron AH1 XZ211
1998-dec-07 Visiting849 NAS /180 HAS.1 XV656

2001-aug G I AirframeMinistry of Defence (MoD) HC.2 XR503
2001-oct ExhibitRN HAS7 XN380
2001-nov-29 G I AirframeRAF HT.3 XW870

2004-jun-18 HU.5 XS482 / A-D

2005-jun-18 HU.5 XS482 / A-D

2006-apr ExhibitRAF HAR.2 XJ727

2008 RAF HC.2 XV725
2008 RAF HC.2 XR503

2009-aug-26 Force AĆ©rienne Belge MK48 RS02

2010-mar 206B-3 G-OETI
2010-jul-19 HFR15 CH-53G 84+14

2011-jul-21 HU.5 XS482

2013-jun-03 412EP ZJ705
2013-jul-08 National Grid 429 G-RIDB
2013-jul-08 A109BA H20
2013-aug-16 HMA.2 ZZ396
2013-oct-03 MD902 G-SUSX

2014-mar-20 CV-22B 11-0060
2014-may-06 RAF 412EP ZJ234 / S

2015-oct AAC AH1 XZ216
2015-oct AAC AH1 XZ607

2016-may-31 HM Coastguard AW139 G-CIJW
2016-sep-03 HM Coastguard AW139 G-CIJW

2017-may 206B-3 G-OETI

2018-dec-21 Launched846 NAS HC.3 ZJ132
2018-dec-21 Launched846 NAS HC.3 ZJ135
2018-dec-21 Launched815 NAS HMA.2 ZZ379
2018-dec-21 Launched815 NAS HMA.2 ZZ529

2020-oct-31 SA341G YU-HES
2020-nov-25 407 G-FRNS



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