RAAF Learmonth, Royal Australian Air Force base in Western Australia
RAAF Learmonth is a military air base near Exmouth in Western Australia on the northwest coast. The base features a long asphalt runway at low elevation and has been actively in use since around 1950.
A simple landing field called Potshot was originally built during World War II at Exmouth Gulf to support military operations in the region. In the 1950s, the site was developed into a modern air force base and later expanded as one of three prepared bases of the Australian Air Force.
The base is named after Wing Commander Charles Learmonth, a pilot who died in a flying accident in 1944 while serving with No. 14 Squadron during the war. In the local community, the base represents an important part of national defense, and regular aircraft movements shape daily life in the nearby town.
The base is an active military facility with restricted public access, and security measures are in place. Visitors can view the area from a distance or use the nearby civilian airport that shares facilities with the military base.
The base served as a key stopover point for flights between England and Australia in the late 1940s, and Qantas used it for their legendary Kangaroo Service routes across the Indian Ocean. Passengers on these routes received special certificates and became members of the Order of the Longest Hop.
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