Cottbus Air Base

Summary

Cottbus Air Base (German: Flugplatz Cottbus-Nord"Airport Cottbus-North") (ICAO: ETHT) is a former military airport that is 2 km (1.2 miles) north-west of Cottbus in Brandenburg, Germany.

Cottbus Air Base

Flugplatz Cottbus-Nord
Former Cottbus Air Base in 2010
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorFlugplatzmuseum Cottbus
LocationCottbus
Elevation AMSL220 ft / 67 m
Coordinates51°46′7″N 14°17′43″E / 51.76861°N 14.29528°E / 51.76861; 14.29528
Websitehttp://www.flugplatzmuseumcottbus.de/
Map
Cottbus is located in Germany
Cottbus
Cottbus
Location of airport in Germany
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
08/26 7,741 2,360 Concrete
Source: Military Airfield Directory

History edit

During World War II the air base in Cottbus was used by the Luftwaffe and during the 1970s and 1980s by the National People's Army. Following German reunification until 2004, the air base was also used by the Bundeswehr.[1]

Present edit

The airport is currently closed to air traffic, although the concrete runway has been designated for use by cargo flights in the event of an emergency. There is an aerospace museum on site, the entire runway while still present, is now in use as a solar electric power farm with solar panels mounted on a framework above the runway. The runway overruns at the SWW AND NEE ends of the runway also remain but are not covered by solar panels.

Future edit

Having been bought by the local government in 2007,[2] the city of Cottbus plans to turn the former air base into an industrial park, creating around 1,000 jobs.[3][4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Flugplatz Cottbus". Military Airfield Directory (in German). Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Flugplatz Cottbus-Nord im Süden Brandenburgs verkauft" (PDF). Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (in German). Retrieved 10 January 2010.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "The Property". Cottbus.de. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  4. ^ Becker, Jürgen (25 July 2007). "Auf Ex-Flugplatz Cottbus-Nord sollen 1000 Jobs entstehen". Lausitzer Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 10 January 2010.

External links edit

  • Cottbus Aerospace Museum (in German)