Air Force Base Waterkloof

AFB Waterkloof
AFB Waterkloof passenger terminal.
Control tower at AFB Waterkloof with a South African Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripen in the foreground.
IATA: WKF – ICAO: FAWK
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	South African Air Force
Location	Centurion, Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa
Elevation AMSL	4,940 ft / 1,506 m
Coordinates	25°49′48″S 28°13′21″E / 25.83000°S 28.22250°E / -25.83000; 28.22250Coordinates: 25°49′48″S 28°13′21″E / 25.83000°S 28.22250°E / -25.83000; 28.22250
Website	af.mil.za
Map
FAWK Location in Gauteng
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 01/19 11,001 3,353 Asphalt 06/24 6,299 1,920 Asphalt

Air Force Base Waterkloof (IATA: WKF, ICAO: FAWK) is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is situated on the outskirts of Pretoria, and is the SAAF's busiest airbase. The base's name, Waterkloof, is Afrikaans. It means Water Ravine in English. Despite the name, this base is not located in Waterkloof, Pretoria, but lies to the south of Pretoria, 4.34 nmi (8.04 km) to the northeast of Centurion, Gauteng and 3.37 nmi (6.24 km) from AFB Swartkop, at an elevation of 1506 metres (4940 ft).

The base motto is Acquirit Qui Tuetur (He Obtains Who Defends).

Units hosted

• 21 Squadron - VIP transport
• 28 Squadron - Medium transport
• 41 Squadron - Light transport
• 44 Squadron - Light transport
• 60 Squadron - In-flight refuelling, transport, EW/ELINT/AEW
• 111 Squadron - Light transport (reserve)
• 140 Squadron - Light transport (reserve)
• 504 Squadron - Security
• 5 Air Servicing Unit - Maintenance support
• Central Photographic Institute - Photographic services
• JARIC, (Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre) The SANDF National Imagery Exploitation Centre - Strategic Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) support
• Mobile Deployment Wing - Emergency response
• SAAF Telecommunications Centre - Communications
• Ditholo Training Area is managed as an external component of AFB Waterkloof

History

The base was officially opened on 1 August 1938 as Waterkloof Air Station.^[1] Since that time it has always been in the service of the SAAF. It was upgraded to Air Force Base during World War II.

Aviation

• Non-directional beacon - WL315.0
• VHF omnidirectional range - WKV116.9
• Tower - 124.1

References

• "World Aeronautical Database". Retrieved 9 January 2009. 

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AFB Waterkloof.

• Waterkloof page on the unofficial website of the South African Airforce Checked 29 March 2012

South African Air Force
Leadership	Chiefs of the Air Force Sergeants Major of the Air Force
Active squadrons	2 15 16 17 19 21 22 28 35 41 44
Training and development units	68 Air School 80 Air Navigation School 85 Combat Flying School 87 Helicopter Flying School Central Flying School Test Flight and Development Centre South African Air Force College
Formation aerobatic teams	Silver Falcons
Territorial reserve squadrons	101 102 104 105 106 107 108 110 111
Disbanded air and training squadrons	1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 18 20 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 40 42 43 50 60 103 109 112 114 86 Multi-Engine Flying School 88 Maritime Training School 89 Combat Flying School
Disbanded air defence squadrons	120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129
WW2 Wings of the SAAF	2 3 5 7 21 24 25
Bases	AFB Bloemspruit AFB Durban AFB Hoedspruit AFB Langebaanweg AFB Makhado AFB Overberg AFB Swartkop AFB Waterkloof AFB Ysterplaat AFS Port Elizabeth
List of training areas of the South African Air Force	Roodewaal Bombing Range Ditholo Training Area TAB Upington Vastrap Weapons Area
Equipment	List of current and historical SAAF aircraft List of weapon systems of the South African Air Force
History	History of the South African Air Force List of obsolete weapon systems of the South African Air Force South African Air Force Memorial South African Air Force Museum Military history of South Africa SAAF squadron identification codes
Official website: www.af.mil.za