ICAO codes

These codes are as noted in early 1962 and again early 1963 in Log Books and not amended or altered in any way since. A number of these airfield codes appear on the AIX 'Audit List' with other applications - I assume the location listed here is usually earlier. Richard you will have some fun sorting this lot into the Audit List (not!),

As a matter of interest at what date/period did the ICAO EG** teleprinter location designators take-over from the earlier G*** and M*** systems?

So on with the 1962/1963 lists, where they differ/add to the Audit list:

EGSA is down as Wormingford
EGSC local name Teversham
EGUJ Bassingbourne
EGUK Waterbeach
EGUZ West Malling
EGVD Duxford (military)
EGVE North Weald
EGVM Stansted (USAF)
EGWC Chelveston
EGWF Debden
EGWG Gaydon
EGWM Molesworth
EGWQ Booker
EGWX Bovingdon
EGXA Manby
EGXM Middleton St. George
EGXQ Lindholme
EGXS Swinderby
EGXY Syerston
EGYF Horsham St.Faaith
EGYG Spitalgate
EGYI Strubby
EGYL Langar
EGYR Watton (airfield)
EGYU Usworth (military)
EGYW Worksop
EGYX Swanton Morley

Well thats the lot from me for now. When the 'Audit List' is amended, I'll look at my own 1979-1984 compilation list of codes, however I think most of the codes of that period are accounted for in the list already.

Viscount wrote:

These codes are as noted in early 1962 and again early 1963 in Log Books and not amended or altered in any way since. A number of these airfield codes appear on the AIX 'Audit List' with other applications - I assume the location listed here is usually earlier. Richard you will have some fun sorting this lot into the Audit List (not!),

As a matter of interest at what date/period did the ICAO EG** teleprinter location designators take-over from the earlier G*** and M*** systems?

So on with the 1962/1963 lists, where they differ/add to the Audit list:

EGSA is down as Wormingford
EGSC local name Teversham
EGUJ Bassingbourne
EGUK Waterbeach
EGUZ West Malling
EGVD Duxford (military)
EGVE North Weald
EGVM Stansted (USAF)
EGWC Chelveston
EGWF Debden
EGWG Gaydon
EGWM Molesworth
EGWQ Booker
EGWX Bovingdon
EGXA Manby
EGXM Middleton St. George
EGXQ Lindholme
EGXS Swinderby
EGXY Syerston
EGYF Horsham St.Faaith
EGYG Spitalgate
EGYI Strubby
EGYL Langar
EGYR Watton (airfield)
EGYU Usworth (military)
EGYW Worksop
EGYX Swanton Morley

Well thats the lot from me for now. When the 'Audit List' is amended, I'll look at my own 1979-1984 compilation list of codes, however I think most of the codes of that period are accounted for in the list already.

thanks for that updates Viscount, that will keep me busy over the winter!

Machrihanish when RAF was EGQJ, and in the early sixties was actually closed! The Navy left (AFAIK) in the late forties and the RAF didnt move in until approx 1964.

But I have to ask why they change the ICAO designators?

To answer my own question of a few posts ago, the change from the Pre-ICAO to the ICAO system of 4-letter airfield identification was likely 1st March 1959 as I have good evidence of the old system in use 27/2/59 and the new system in use 3/3/59, with a line drawn between the dates of 28/2 and 1/3 for no (other) apparent reason as the change of months was normally not indicated.

So, for example, the airfield I'm working on movement logs for, the 4-letter designator code changed from GJEA to EGGP (Liverpool, Speke) beginning of March 1959, and not just British codes, but across Europe too eg LAFB became ENFB (Oslo/Fornebu), PAAM became EHAM (Amsterdam/Schiphol), FFLB became LFPB (Paris/Le Bourget) at the same time.

It appears than smaller nations frequently had the last two letters matching the city name in the old system, so as examples PARD to EHRD Rotterdam, or ONAW to EBAW Antwerp. But for France, Germany and Britain the change of code was greater, with few airfields retaining the same 'last two' of the previous system. The only code I've so far discovered that did not change in 1959 was EIDW for Dublin, both EI and DW staying the same.

There is a thread elsewhere on British 'Pre-ICAO' codes.

The Pre-ICAO thread is right HERE

Viscount wrote:

To answer my own question of a few posts ago, the change from the Pre-ICAO to the ICAO system of 4-letter airfield identification was likely 1st March 1959 as I have good evidence of the old system in use 27/2/59 and the new system in use 3/3/59, with a line drawn between the dates of 28/2 and 1/3 for no (other) apparent reason as the change of months was normally not indicated.

So, for example, the airfield I'm working on movement logs for, the 4-letter designator code changed from GJEA to EGGP (Liverpool, Speke) beginning of March 1959, and not just British codes, but across Europe too eg LAFB became ENFB (Oslo/Fornebu), PAAM became EHAM (Amsterdam/Schiphol), FFLB became LFPB (Paris/Le Bourget) at the same time.

It appears than smaller nations frequently had the last two letters matching the city name in the old system, so as examples PARD to EHRD Rotterdam, or ONAW to EBAW Antwerp. But for France, Germany and Britain the change of code was greater, with few airfields retaining the same 'last two' of the previous system. The only code I've so far discovered that did not change in 1959 was EIDW for Dublin, both EI and DW staying the same.

There is a thread elsewhere on British 'Pre-ICAO' codes.

West-Germany had a slightly different system.
EDNx were national (German) airfields
EDUx were UK (RAF) airfields
ADAx were North American (CAF, USAF and USAr) airfields.
East-Germany only used ETxx airfields.
After the 1991 unification, the German codes were changed: All millitary airfields became ETNx, ETUx, ETAx, all other airfields became EDxx

When I served in Germany all GAF airfields in the north were EDN and in the south they were EDS.

A few codes that appear in the Luton ATC logs in 1966; can't find any other reference to them so here they are:- EGGX East Midlands, EGGU and/or EGGV Teesside, EGMF, now Farthing Corner/Stoneacre Farm but referred to as Ramsgate (closed 1968). EGXR was probably Driffield, with Cessna 150 G-ATNE arriving from Driffield on 10/9/66 and departing the next day to "EGXR".