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Wick Airport

January 01, 1970

"EGPC" redirects here. For the Egyptian national oil company, see Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.

Wick John O' Groats Airport (IATA: WIC, ICAO: EGPC) (Scottish Gaelic: Port-adhair Inbhir Ùige Taigh Iain Ghròt) is located one nautical mile (two kilometres) north of the town of Wick, at the north-eastern extremity of the mainland of Scotland. It is owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport provides commercial air travel connections for Caithness, with scheduled services to Aberdeen Airport and, until early 2020, Edinburgh. It remains regularly used by helicopters servicing local offshore oil operations and the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm. It also serves as a stop-over for light aircraft ferry flights between Europe and North America via Iceland. The airport also operates an out of hours call-out service for air ambulances, coastguard and police flights.

Wick John O' Groats Airport

Port-adhair Inbhir Ùige Taigh Iain Ghròt (Scottish Gaelic)
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorHIAL
ServesWick, Caithness
LocationWick, Scotland, UK
Elevation AMSL126 ft / 38 m
Coordinates58°27′32″N 003°05′35″W / 58.45889°N 3.09306°W / 58.45889; -3.09306
Websitehial.co.uk
Map
EGPC
Location in Highland
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 1,825 5,988 Grooved Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers6,935
Passenger change 2021-22 38,428%
Aircraft movements875
Movements change 2021-22 43,650%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

History edit

Wick was originally a grass airfield, used by Captain E. E. Fresson's Highland Airways Ltd. (later Scottish Airways Ltd.) from 1933 until 1939.

Requisitioned by the Air Ministry during the Second World War, the airfield was extended with hard runways, hangars, and other buildings. The airfield was administered by No. 18 Group, RAF Coastal Command and No. 13 Group, RAF Fighter Command and known as Royal Air Force Wick (RAF Wick). A satellite airfield existed at RAF Skitten.

On 21 May 1941, a photographic reconnaissance Supermarine Spitfire piloted by Flying Officer Michael F. Suckling took off from Wick, and flew to Norway, in search of the German battleship Bismarck. If Bismarck was to break out into the North Atlantic, she would present a significant risk to the ships supplying Britain. 320 miles to the east of Wick, F/O Suckling found and photographed her, hiding in Grimstadfjord.[3] This information enabled the Royal Navy to order HMS Hood and other ships, as well as aircraft, to take positions intended to track Bismarck, and prevent her from entering the North Atlantic. In ensuing battles, Hood was sunk, and, later, Bismarck.

German battleships and battle cruisers never again entered the North Atlantic, partly because of continual reconnaissance flights by the RAF of German naval activity. Many of these flights originated at Wick. On 5 March 1942, RAF reconnaissance pilot Sandy Gunn (a native of Auchterarder, Perthshire), was shot down in his Spitfire on a flight from Wick over German naval installations in Norway. He survived and became a prisoner of war, but two years later he was executed after participating in the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III.

The following units were here at some point:

Units

Airlines and destinations edit

Loganair operated regular flights from Wick between 1976 and 2020, with the final flight to Edinburgh departing on 27 March 2020.[36]

The Scottish Government announced on 4 February 2021, that they would provide up to £4 million to the Highland Council in order to reintroduce flights to and from Wick Airport.[37]

Eastern Airways began operating the public service obligation flight to Aberdeen on 11 April 2022.

AirlinesDestinations
Eastern AirwaysAberdeen

Statistics edit

Annual passenger traffic at WIC airport. See Wikidata query.
Busiest routes to and from Wick Airport in 2022[38]
Rank Airport Passengers handled 2021–22 Change
1 Aberdeen Airport 6,951  New Route

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ "NATS | AIS – Home".
  2. ^ "Airport data 2022 | UK Civil Aviation Authority". caa.co.uk.
  3. ^ Conyers, Roy (2003). Eyes of the RAF. Sutton Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 0750932562.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Wick". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  5. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 24.
  6. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 32.
  7. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 38.
  8. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 39.
  9. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 41.
  10. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 43.
  11. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 44.
  12. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 51.
  13. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 56.
  14. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 58.
  15. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 61.
  16. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 72.
  17. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  18. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 77.
  19. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 79.
  20. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 81.
  21. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 83.
  22. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 85.
  23. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 86.
  24. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 89.
  25. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 90.
  26. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 93.
  27. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 94.
  28. ^ a b c Jefford 1988, p. 95.
  29. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 99.
  30. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 100.
  31. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 101.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 249.
  33. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 253.
  34. ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 130.
  35. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 145.
  36. ^ Hendry, Alan (17 March 2020). "Loganair to axe Wick to Edinburgh service". John O'Groat Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  37. ^ Ross, John (4 February 2021). "Multi-million-pound plan to bring new routes to Wick Airport". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  38. ^ "Domestic Air Passenger Traffic To and From Reporting Airports for 2022, comparison with 2021" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 25 March 2023.

Bibliography edit

  • Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

External links edit

  Media related to Wick Airport at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website  
  • Map sources for Wick Airport
  • Official Facebook page
  • Official Twitter Page
  • Wick John O'Groats AIP Entry

January 01, 1970
wick, airport, egpc, redirects, here, egyptian, national, company, egyptian, general, petroleum, corporation, wick, john, groats, airport, iata, icao, egpc, scottish, gaelic, port, adhair, inbhir, Ùige, taigh, iain, ghròt, located, nautical, mile, kilometres, . EGPC redirects here For the Egyptian national oil company see Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation Wick John O Groats Airport IATA WIC ICAO EGPC Scottish Gaelic Port adhair Inbhir Uige Taigh Iain Ghrot is located one nautical mile two kilometres north of the town of Wick at the north eastern extremity of the mainland of Scotland It is owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited The airport provides commercial air travel connections for Caithness with scheduled services to Aberdeen Airport and until early 2020 Edinburgh It remains regularly used by helicopters servicing local offshore oil operations and the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm It also serves as a stop over for light aircraft ferry flights between Europe and North America via Iceland The airport also operates an out of hours call out service for air ambulances coastguard and police flights Wick John O Groats AirportPort adhair Inbhir Uige Taigh Iain Ghrot Scottish Gaelic IATA WICICAO EGPCSummaryAirport typePublicOwner OperatorHIALServesWick CaithnessLocationWick Scotland UKElevation AMSL126 ft 38 mCoordinates58 27 32 N 003 05 35 W 58 45889 N 3 09306 W 58 45889 3 09306Websitehial co ukMapEGPCLocation in HighlandRunwaysDirection Length Surface m ft 13 31 1 825 5 988 Grooved AsphaltStatistics 2022 Passengers6 935Passenger change 2021 2238 428 Aircraft movements875Movements change 2021 2243 650 Sources UK AIP at NATS 1 Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority 2 Contents 1 History 2 Airlines and destinations 3 Statistics 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 Bibliography 5 External linksHistory editWick was originally a grass airfield used by Captain E E Fresson s Highland Airways Ltd later Scottish Airways Ltd from 1933 until 1939 Requisitioned by the Air Ministry during the Second World War the airfield was extended with hard runways hangars and other buildings The airfield was administered by No 18 Group RAF Coastal Command and No 13 Group RAF Fighter Command and known as Royal Air Force Wick RAF Wick A satellite airfield existed at RAF Skitten On 21 May 1941 a photographic reconnaissance Supermarine Spitfire piloted by Flying Officer Michael F Suckling took off from Wick and flew to Norway in search of the German battleship Bismarck If Bismarck was to break out into the North Atlantic she would present a significant risk to the ships supplying Britain 320 miles to the east of Wick F O Suckling found and photographed her hiding in Grimstadfjord 3 This information enabled the Royal Navy to order HMS Hood and other ships as well as aircraft to take positions intended to track Bismarck and prevent her from entering the North Atlantic In ensuing battles Hood was sunk and later Bismarck German battleships and battle cruisers never again entered the North Atlantic partly because of continual reconnaissance flights by the RAF of German naval activity Many of these flights originated at Wick On 5 March 1942 RAF reconnaissance pilot Sandy Gunn a native of Auchterarder Perthshire was shot down in his Spitfire on a flight from Wick over German naval installations in Norway He survived and became a prisoner of war but two years later he was executed after participating in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III The following units were here at some point No 162 Squadron RCAF 4 No 3 Squadron RAF 1940 5 Detachment of No 22 Squadron RAF 1940 6 No 41 Squadron RAF 1939 7 No 42 Squadron RAF 1940 41 8 No 43 Squadron RAF 1940 8 No 48 Squadron RAF 1942 9 Detachment of No 50 Squadron RAF 1938 40 9 Detachment of No 58 Squadron RAF 1942 10 Detachment of No 61 Squadron RAF 1939 41 11 Detachment of No 86 Squadron RAF 1942 12 No 111 Squadron RAF 1940 13 No 122 Squadron RAF 1945 46 14 No 144 Squadron RAF 1942 amp 1943 amp 1943 44 15 No 220 Squadron RAF 1939 41 16 Detachment of No 236 Squadron RAF 1942 17 Detachment of No 248 Squadron RAF 1941 18 Detachment of No 254 Squadron RAF 1942 19 No 269 Squadron RAF 1939 41 20 Detachment of No 279 Squadron RAF 1945 21 Detachment of No 281 Squadron RAF 1944 45 21 No 303 Squadron RAF 1946 22 No 316 Polish Fighter Squadron 1945 46 23 No 404 Squadron RCAF 1943 44 24 No 407 Squadron RCAF 1944 25 No 415 Squadron RCAF 1942 25 Detachment of No 455 Squadron RAAF 1942 43 26 No 489 Squadron RNZAF 1942 43 27 No 504 Squadron RAF 1940 28 Detachment of No 518 Squadron RAF 1945 28 No 519 Squadron RAF 1943 amp 1944 45 28 No 605 Squadron RAF 1940 29 No 608 Squadron RAF 1942 29 No 612 Squadron RAF 1941 amp 1942 43 30 No 618 Squadron RAF 1944 31 801 Naval Air Squadron 4 803 Naval Air Squadron 4 804 Naval Air Squadron 4 808 Naval Air Squadron 4 887 Naval Air Squadron 4 Units B Flight of No 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF 1 PRU January April 1941 32 C Flight of 1 PRU November 1940 January 1941 32 D Flight of 1 PRU April July 1941 32 E Flight of 1 PRU July October 1941 32 Mosquito Flight of 1 PRU May December 1941 32 Calibration Flight of No 1 Radio Maintenance Unit RAF July September 1940 33 became Calibration Flight of No 1 Radio Servicing Section RAF September 1940 November 1940 No 1406 Meteorological Flight RAF May 1941 August 1943 34 No 1408 Meteorological Flight RAF December 1941 February 1942 34 No 1693 General Reconnaissance Flight RAF December 1943 June 1944 35 No 2709 Squadron RAF Regiment No 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment No 2887 Squadron RAF Regiment A Flight of Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF July October 1940 32 C Flight of Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF October November 1940 32 Airlines and destinations editLoganair operated regular flights from Wick between 1976 and 2020 with the final flight to Edinburgh departing on 27 March 2020 36 The Scottish Government announced on 4 February 2021 that they would provide up to 4 million to the Highland Council in order to reintroduce flights to and from Wick Airport 37 Eastern Airways began operating the public service obligation flight to Aberdeen on 11 April 2022 AirlinesDestinationsEastern AirwaysAberdeenStatistics editGraphs are unavailable due to technical issues There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Annual passenger traffic at WIC airport See Wikidata query Busiest routes to and from Wick Airport in 2022 38 Rank Airport Passengers handled 2021 22 Change 1 Aberdeen Airport 6 951 nbsp New RouteReferences editCitations edit NATS AIS Home Airport data 2022 UK Civil Aviation Authority caa co uk Conyers Roy 2003 Eyes of the RAF Sutton Publishing p 118 ISBN 0750932562 a b c d e f Wick Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust Retrieved 16 September 2022 Jefford 1988 p 24 Jefford 1988 p 32 Jefford 1988 p 38 a b Jefford 1988 p 39 a b Jefford 1988 p 41 Jefford 1988 p 43 Jefford 1988 p 44 Jefford 1988 p 51 Jefford 1988 p 56 Jefford 1988 p 58 Jefford 1988 p 61 Jefford 1988 p 72 Jefford 1988 p 75 Jefford 1988 p 77 Jefford 1988 p 79 Jefford 1988 p 81 a b Jefford 1988 p 83 Jefford 1988 p 85 Jefford 1988 p 86 Jefford 1988 p 89 a b Jefford 1988 p 90 Jefford 1988 p 93 Jefford 1988 p 94 a b c Jefford 1988 p 95 a b Jefford 1988 p 99 Jefford 1988 p 100 Jefford 1988 p 101 a b c d e f g Sturtivant Hamlin amp Halley 1997 p 249 Sturtivant Hamlin amp Halley 1997 p 253 a b Sturtivant Hamlin amp Halley 1997 p 130 Sturtivant Hamlin amp Halley 1997 p 145 Hendry Alan 17 March 2020 Loganair to axe Wick to Edinburgh service John O Groat Journal Retrieved 29 July 2020 Ross John 4 February 2021 Multi million pound plan to bring new routes to Wick Airport The Press and Journal Retrieved 30 October 2021 Domestic Air Passenger Traffic To and From Reporting Airports for 2022 comparison with 2021 PDF Civil Aviation Authority Retrieved 25 March 2023 Bibliography edit Jefford C G 1988 RAF Squadrons A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 Shrewsbury Airlife ISBN 1 85310 053 6 Sturtivant R Hamlin J Halley J 1997 Royal Air Force flying training and support units UK Air Britain Historians ISBN 0 85130 252 1 External links edit nbsp Media related to Wick Airport at Wikimedia Commons Official website nbsp Map sources for Wick Airport Official Facebook page Official Twitter Page Wick John O Groats AIP Entry Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wick Airport amp oldid 1217692305, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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