Scatsta Airport
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Scatsta Airport was constructed as Scatsta Aerodrome during WWII, primarily to give a base for fighters to protect the flying boat base at Sullom Voe, but also to act as an alternate aerodrome for the aircraft operating from Sumburgh, and to give added protection against German attacks from Norway.
The original plan was for three runways to be constructed, but this was revised to two because of a shortage of labour, and the difficulties involved in the development of the site, including the excavation and disposal of nearly 400,000 yards of peat.
Work on the construction of the first runway, NE – SW (13/31), began early in 1940 and was completed by April that year. It was 3600 feet long and 150 feet wide.
Construction of the second runway, NW-SE (07-25), which was 4530 feet long and 150 feet wide, began in July 1941, and was completed in April 1942.
Bases for five hangars were also in the original plans, but eventually only three bases were constructed, and one hangar erected.
Throughout the project about 200 men were employed, some from as far away as Ireland, and many of the workers were housed in a specially constructed camp.
The amount of machinery involved in the construction was also on a large scale, for that time. There were 9 drag line diggers, 26 dumpers, and 38 trucks, as well as numerous other items of plant. Quarries were opened at Voxter and Mavis Grind to provide in excess of 100,000 tons of rock for hardcore. By the end of the construction 211,000 square yards of tarmac had been laid, and 22,000 yards of drains laid.
The total cost of the construction was £211,000, which roughly calculated relative to the retail price index, would be nearly £7M in 2007, so this was no small project.
The first official landing at Scatsta was on 25th April 1940 when Air Vice Marshall Breeese visited in a Hornet Moth to inspect the base at Sullom Voe, although the first actual landing was an emergeny landing by Blenheim on the unfinished runway.
A notable feature of the construction of the aerodrome was the installation of 'pipe mines', sections of 6 inch pipe, up to 80 feet long, which were laid loaded with high explosives and laid under the runways and taxiways so that in the event of an invasion the facility could be destroyed to prevent enemy use. Scatsta was the only WWII aerodrome in Scotland to have these mines installed.
In November 1944 Scatsta was used as a support base and diversion point for Lancasters from squadron 617, the famous 'Dam Busters', lead by Wing - Commander J. B. Tait, on 'Operation Catechism', which bombed and sank the Tirpitz near Håkøy Island, Tromsø.
After WWII Scatsta aerodrome lay dormant except for the landing of a US Coastguard Hercules on 24th May 1969, in connection with the LORAN navigation station which had been established at the northwest end of runway 13/31.
Then in 1977, with Sumburgh Airport under severe pressure with offshore oil related traffic, it was decided to re-open Scatsta to handle the traffic of workers involved in the construction of the nearby Sullom Voe oil terminal. A new 960 metre long and 23 metre wide runway, 06/24, was laid down on the old NE-SW runway. The other wartime runway was used for aircraft parking and to build a terminal building and fire station.
In 1981 the WWII pipe mines were located by ordnance disposal personnel who identified and capped 44 mines. 42 of the 43 mines shown on wartime drawings, and 2 which were not on the drawings. The one missing from the wartime drawings was assumed to have been dug up at some point during the reconstruction of the previous years. In 1996 under the code name 'Operation Crabstick Scatsta', army personnel dug up all 44 mines to confirm that the explosives had been removed at the end of WWII.
In recent years Scatsta Airport has been further upgraded to handle the offshore helicopter traffic which was moved from Sumburgh Airport. A new terminal building was constructed along with hangar facilities for the Bristow Helicopters, and the runway was extended with wider turning areas at the end to facilitate the BAe146 jet aircraft.
| Address: | Scatsta Airport, Brae. ZE2 9QP |
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| Tel: | Operations - 01806 244900 Passenger Enquiries - 01806 233310 |
| Fax: | Operations - 01806 242227 Passenger Enquiries - 01806 242110 |
| Mobile: | |
| Website: | |
| e-mail: | |
