Creil Air Base, airport in France
Creil Air Base is a former military airfield located in the town of Creil in France's Oise region. It features two large concrete runways arranged in an L-shape, surrounded by a perimeter road, with remains of hangars, workshops, and fortified gun positions still visible across the grounds.
The site was first used for flight activities in the early 1900s and served in aerial reconnaissance during World War I. A new base was constructed between 1951 and 1958 and officially opened in 1954, later hosting fighter aircraft like Vampire and Mystère models before runway closure in 2016.
The site shapes the local landscape and remains tied to the small villages and farms surrounding it. The barracks and hangars stand as quiet reminders of when this area was a center of military operations and activity.
Access to the site is limited today and regular visits are not permitted without prior arrangement. The runways have become grassy surfaces and the site is best explored during clear weather when the layout and historic structures are easier to see and photograph.
The base was repeatedly attacked by American B-17 and B-24 bombers during World War II, with over 78 aircraft dropping their loads on a single day. The damage marks from these massive bombing raids remain visible on the concrete runways to this day.
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