Toussus-le-Noble Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Location | Toussus-le-Noble, France | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 538 ft / 164 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 48°45′05″N 002°06′22″E / 48.75139°N 2.10611°E | ||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Toussus-le-Noble Airport is a regional airport in France (IATA: TNF, ICAO: LFPN). It supports general aviation with no commercial airline service scheduled. Many French governmental aircraft are hangared and maintained at the airport and it used primarily for government travel and charters, as well as private aircraft.
History
The airport is one of the oldest in France, being established in 1907. It was used by the French Air Force during World War I and also during the early part (1939-1940) of World War II.
It was seized by the Germans in June 1940 during the Battle of France, the airport was used as a Luftwaffe military airfield during the occupation. It was liberated by Allied ground forces about 28 August 1944 during the Northern France Campaign. Almost immediately, the United States Army Air Force IX Engineering Command 818th Engineer Aviation Battalion cleared the airport of mines and destroyed Luftwaffe aircraft. Fortunatley, little battle damage was sustained, and Toussus-le-Noble Airport became a USAAF Ninth Air Force combat airfield, designated as "A-46" about 30 August, two days after its liberation.[1][2]
Under American control, the Ninth Air Force assigned the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group to the airport which flew a variety of photo-reconnaissance aircraft until the end of September 1944. The combat unit then moved east along with the Allied lines and the airport became a resupply and casualty evacuation airfield, as well as liaison aircraft assigned to Allied headquarters in Paris. The Americans returned full control of the airport to French authorities on 8 August 1945.[3]
After the war, the military structures, along with wreckage were removed. The runway was resurfaced (07R/25L), and a second runway (07L/25R)along with expanding ground facilities was constructed.
References
- ^ Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
- ^ IX Engineer Command ETO Airfields, Airfield Layout
- ^ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- AVIATION TOUSSUS A-LE-NOBLE (In French)
External links
- Airport information for LFPN at Great Circle Mapper.
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