Hradčany Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Hradčany Airport
nativename = Letiště Hradčany
nativename-a =
nativename-r =


image-width =
caption =
IATA =
ICAO = LKHR (former)
type = Military
owner =
operator =
city-served =
location = Ralsko (Česká Lípa District)
elevation-f =
elevation-m = 278
coordinates = Coord|50|37|14|N|14|44|17|E|type:airport|display=inline,title
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 09L/27R
r1-length-f = ?
r1-length-m = 2,800
r1-surface = Concrete
r2-number = 09R/27L
r2-length-f = ?
r2-length-m = ?
r2-surface = Grass
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes =

Hradčany Airport (in Czech "Letiště Hradčany", often "Letiště Ralsko") is a former military airport in area of town Ralsko in Liberec Region, northern part of the Czech Republic. Built toward the end of World War II for Luftwaffe it was expanded after the war. In 1968 Soviet Army took control and set up large air base here. After the Soviets left in 1991 the airport was abandoned and devastated.

History

The area was used for military training during Austria-Hungary and during the First Republic of Czechoslovakia. Since 1938 the area was controlled by Wehrmacht and used for training. In March 1945 Wehrmacht built a field airport next to village Hradčany ("Kummer"). [cite web|url=http://ralsko.wz.cz/hradcany.php|title=Short info about the former village Hradčany|language=Czech] The airport was used by a wing of Messerschmitt Me 262 and later damaged by American bombing.

After the war German speaking inhabitants were expelled. On October 30 1946 Czechoslovakian Army closed up the area and established military base, later known as "Military District Ralsko" ("Vojenský újezd Ralsko"). In 1968, during the initial phases of Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia Soviet planes shipped military materiel through the airport. The whole base was handed over to the newly established Central Group of Forces of the Soviet Army. To host the Soviet 236th bomber-fighter squadron and part of the 131th air division the airport runway was expanded to 2,800 meters (width 60 m, one of the largest in Central Europe) and completely covered with concrete. Over forty hardened hangars hosted about 44 Mig-21 fighters and Mi-24 helicopters. Fuel tanks had capacity over 37,000 m³. [cite web|url=http://www.ceskalipa.cz/info/vojensky-vycvikovy-prostor-ralsko-a-letiste-v-hradcanech/|title=Vojenský výcvikový prostor Ralsko a letiště v Hradčanech|language=Czech]

Former airport

After the fall of the communist party from power (1989) withdrawal of Soviet troops was negotiated in February 1990. The last soldier left the district in May 1991. The district lost its military status in the same year, was open to the public and on January 1 1992 village Ralsko (area of 170 km², town since 2006) was established by joining of nine villages together. During 1993-2004 the area was extensively cleaned up from chemical contamination and searched for unexploded ammunition.

Soon after the airport was handed over to Czech authorities several projects has been proposed: setting up large cargo terminal here, to use it by Rolls-Royce for engine tests or to attract a low-cost carrier. Due to unwillingness and inability of authories none of the plans has materialized. The state was unable even to provide protection of existing structures and these became target of vandals and looters and were completely devastated during the 1990s.

The airport is now (without official certification) used by ultralight clubs, for unorganized car races and for rave parties. Newer plans propose to turn the location into a recreational area.

Notes

Literature

* Ladislav Lahoda: "Průvodce bývalým vojenským prostorem Ralsko" ("Guide through former military district Ralsko"), 2000, selfpublished. Shortened version [http://www.podzemi-cma.cz/publikace/files/pruvodce_bvp_ralsko.pdf online] (PDF).

External links

* [http://www.montanya.org/VOJ/HRADCANY/LETISTE/LETISTE.htm Short information about the airport] (in Czech)
* Article about recent state of the airport: [http://storm.bloguje.cz/379880-ralsko-cast-prvni-cesta.php part 1] , [http://storm.bloguje.cz/379871-ralsko-cast-druha-pruzkum.php part 2] , collection of [http://retezka.breber.net/retezka/fotky/ralsko30-7-05/ralsko30-7-05.html photos] (in Czech)