On this day 15 December 1958

The Royal Navy commissioned RNAS Predannack on 15 December 1958, at a time when Culdrose was shifting from a fixed-wing flying to helicopter operations. By the 1970s Culdrose became the largest helicopter station in Europe, providing shore-based facilities for a number of front-line squadrons as well as basic and advanced training for pilots, observers and aircrewmen. To support this training commitment Predannack allowed instructional sorties to be flown without the distraction of the general movements in and out of Culdrose, with the opportunity to use ‘reduced RT’ during training sorties.

With procedures allowing for up to fourteen aircraft flying in the visual circuits; and arrangements with local landowners provided woodland clearings to practise Confined Area Landings and an Autorotation Field, which allowed students to fly ‘Autos’ in a more realistic environment, Predannack often had more aircraft using its facilities than the main air station at Culdrose.

Disused dispersals at Predannack provided a fire-training ground used by the Royal Naval School of Aircraft Handling, and there was a small-arms range.

Full history of Predannack in Heritage section on Air Stations.