Köln-Bonn: Airport

Cologne, Wahner Heide, RAF Wahn

For historical information only, do not use for navigation or aviation purposes!

Coordinates	N505158 E0070836 (WGS84) Google Maps
Elevation	300 ft
Federal state	Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Location indicator	DDKB (195x), EDDK (civ), EDNK (mil), ETNK (mil)

Map with location of Cologne Bonn airport

Germany during the Cold War Map

The history of the Cold War airfields: Köln-Bonn

Contents

Page 1: Köln-Bonn: Airport ← you are here

In the 1980s and early 1990s

Today

Links

Bibliography

Airfields in the vicinity

General

The airfield in the Wahner Heide southeast of Cologne was established at the end of the 1930s for the German Air Force. After the Second World War the field was used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) under the name "Wahn". At the end of the 1950s, the RAF left the field and the Cologne-Bonn international airport came into operation. The airport has a military part, which became the base of the Flugbereitschaft (VIP flight) and which is also used today by the German Air Force.

During World War II

Use

Luftwaffe airfield.

Situation

Map of airfields in the Cologne area in 1944

Wahn airfield in World War II on a US map from 1944 - (McMaster University Library Digital Archive, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 CC BY-NC 2.5 CA /MULDA/)

Overview

Map of former Luftwaffe airfield Cologne Wahn

Installations of former Luftwaffe airfield Wahn on a US map from 1951 - (AMS M841 GSGS 4414, Courtesy Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University /BYU/)

During the Cold War

Use

Used by RAF until 1957. Airport and German Airforce base.

In the 1940s

Situation

Situation 1948

Overview

RAF Station Wahn in 1948

Runways

14/32: 1829 m

Radio beacons

NDB: 265 "WL"

Radio communication

Tower 6440, 106.74, 117.9
Homer 106.74, 116.1

1950 - 1957

Use

Royal Air Force base - Master Aerodrome

Overview

Situation 1951

Wahn RAF base on a map from 1956 - The approach areas to the runways 07, 25 and 14 are protected by restricted areas. The white "E" in the circle symbolizes the Eureka radio beacon, used by the British at this time. The square around the airport symbol with the "V" underneath shows an VHF direction finder. The black star stands for the coded beacons which is characteristical for British airfields

Lights

Red beacon with ident "WH"

Apparently the letter combination for Wahn has been changed from WL (see above) to WH.

Radio beacons

In addition to a non-directional beacon (NDB), the field is equipped with the navigation aids Eureka (navigation) and BABS (approach), which were common for British airfields at that time.

NDB: 294 "WH", Power 100 W
Eureka: 213R 223T "WH"
BABS: 233R 228T, for landing directions 07, 25, 14, 32

Radar

GCA (Ground Controlled Approach)

Radio communication

Notable is the large number of radio frequencies that have been used.

Approach 137.16, 130.32, 117.9, 119.7, 111.42, 116.46, 114.66, 121.5, 131.58, 116.1, 117.18, 112.32, 243.0, 255.7, 257.8
Tower 137.16, 130.32, 117.9, 119.7, 111.42, 121.5, 131.58, 116.46, 243.0, 257.8, 255.7, 237.6, 386.9, 267.2, 269.8, 291.7, 317.5, 323.8, 353.8, 362.3
GCA 131.58, 130.32, 111.42, 118.1, 137.16, 103.32, 110.7, 100.44, 109.26, 116.46, 119.7, 121.5, 117.9, 131.76, 122.22, 140.58, 108.9, 106.02, 106.2, 108.36, 113.04, 114.84, 116.1, 117.36, 133.74, 148.86, 152.1, 386.9, 360.8, 301.1, 364.7, 237.6, 244.8, 291.7 267.2, 323.8, 327.2, 269.8, 317.5, 362.3, 344.0, 385.4, 243.0, 257.8, 255.7
Cathode Ray VHF Direction Finder

1957 - 1959

Use

Airport of Cologne

Runways

14/32: 1829 m x 50 m
07/25: 2438 m x 46 m

Radio beacons

: 109.1 "DLW"
: 279.5 "LW", 250°/0.53 NM
: 294 "DLW", 250°/3.48 NM

In the 1960s

Overview

Cologne-Bonn airport in 1960 - Although the field is now under German administration, this map still shows the identification beacon with the Morse code "WH" next to the northern taxiway.

Cologne-Bonn airport in 1966 - In the meantime runway 14L/32R was put into operation, already equipped with a centerline lighting. No approach lights are shown anymore for 14R. The "propeller" at the ramp marks the helicopter landing area.

In the 1970s

Situation

Köln-Bonn Airport on a map of the US Department of Defense from 1972 - (ONC E-2 (1972), Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin /PCL MC/)