Alpnach Air Base

The Air Base Alpnach (ICAO code LSMA) is a Swiss Air Force airfield near the town Alpnach in Canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. It has a concrete runway with a length of 1500 m and a width of 40 m, as well as several taxiways and hangars.

History
As early as 1929 there was a landing site Alpnach. From 1939 it expanded, first to a landing-place of 850 x. 1940 produced two wooden hangars and in September 1942 made by the initial military occupation of the place by the Flying Section 7, which can be regarded as the official start of the airfield.

The first concrete runway was built in 1943 between the Eichistrasse and Lake Alpnach. It had a length of 875 m. Furthermore, eight type U-43 aircraft shelters and bunkers for command and ammunition were built.

As part of the Swiss Reduitstrategie were from 1952 Aircraft cavern built into the rock of the adjacent Mueterschwanderbergs, which also (on the Nidwaldner side) the former Mueterschwanderberg artillery fortress is. 1960, the final cavern facility was officially handed over to the Directorate of Military airfields. Since 1958, operated Venom jets DH-112 from Alpnach. In 1973, the change to Hawker Hunter was made and in 1979 there was a further change to the F-5 "Tiger". Because of the Army XXI reform flight operations from the caverns were terminated.

There have been several extensions of the runway: 1952 to 1500 meters, and finally in 1959 at 1950 meters.

The Highway A8 at Alpnach was built so that it could be used as a takeoff and landing runway and was associated with temporary taxiways with the cavern. However, only take-off were made for safety reasons, the landings were made on the normal runway with F-5 "Tiger".

From 1947 to 1994, the squadron was stationed in 19 Alpnach.

On January 20, 1964, the helicopter base of the army was opened at Alpnach. 1994 was the last Swiss Army training services of the troupe (FDT), formerly refresher courses (WK) of the airfield Division 9 in Alpnach. The last fighter aircraft of the type Tiger F-5E was took off on 23 September 1995. In 2004, Air Base Alpnach was threatened by the closure of the airfield, but the Obwalden government successfully lobbied for the airfield.

In May 2012, began renovation work on Hangar 2 and 3 and the new building for the Hangar 4.

Today
Air Base Alpnach is the main logistical base of the helicopter of the Swiss Air Force. Standard helicopter types used at Air Base Alpnach are the Aérospatiale Super Puma, Eurocopter AS532UL Cougar Mk1 and Eurocopter EC 635.

Other uses
The RUAG Switzerland AG operates on the airfield a location for the maintenance of civil and military helicopter. The airfield is used for various other uses. The runways may be used outside normal operating hours of the airport, for example by in-line skaters. A model airplane club uses the southern half of the airfield.