Werneuchen

52°37'58"N 013°46'01"E

Runway 08/26 - 2400x80m/8202x262feet - asphalt (CLOSED)
Runway 08/26 - 2000x80m - grass (Emegency use only - CLOSED)
Runway 08/26 - 1500x80m/4918x262feet - asphalt

Air field Werneuchen (german: Flugplatz Werneuchen, ICAO: EDBW) is a private air field which was built in 1937 in Werneuchen, 20kilometers northeast of Berlin, Germany.
Acquisition of lands for the construction of the air field began in 1935. Construction of the airfield and its facilities by 3,000 men began in 1936 and took until 1938. The village of Werneuchen became a garrison a year later.
Being a model-unit the airfield was very well equipped and it became home to the Fighter Training School "01" of the Reich. The airbase was officially inaugurated on 27 November 1937 by the Luftwaffe of Nazi-Germany. Both German and foreign pilots were trained at Werneuchen, in 15 Training Squadrons (german: Schulstaffeln) of 10-12 students each.

During the war, the air field also became home to a research facilty to test radar systems for night fighters, connected to the radar site at Weesower, and a Night Fighter Test Unit of Nachtjagdgruppe (NJGr.10). Fake airfields, camouflage and pure luck kept Werneuchen from getting destroyed by Allied bombers.
Towards the end of the war, a local from Werneuchen named Harry Maruffke prevented the explosive destruction of the air field at the last minute. Shortly after the airfield was occupied by Soviet forces.


Handover of the keys to the air base to the first air base commander Col. (later General and commander of the Luftwaffe) Theo Osterkamp in 1937 (Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) via Wikimedia)

Little is known about the period between April 1945 and the Reunification of Germany. All activities of the Soviets were surrounded by the strictest secrecy. The Soviet armed forces used the air base to station a fighterbomber regiment of the 16th Air Force. They also lengthened the runway to 2400meters in 1952.
In 1965 the base had Il-28, Yak-28, and Yak-12 aircraft belonging to the autonomous elite Guard Reconnaissance Air Regiment, which formed at Moscow-Vnukovo in 1942. It was operating only the Su-17 by the 1970s.
In addition to the local jets (36 of the most modern MiG-25 in the 1980s) 487 OVP operated from here in 1990 flying Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters.


Soviet military posing at Werneuchen air field in 1977


MiG-25RB Red38 at Werneuchen air field, ca 1992


Russian video remembering Werneuchen air field, showing many of the aircraft the Soviets/Russians operated there. 

When the Soviet/Russian forces withdrew from the air field in 1993, it was turned into a civilian facilty. Because of its low usage (less then 1000 air movements per year) the terrain is also used to graze livestock, mainly sheep. Because illegal car races were being held at the air field the runway was split up to make it less attractive. For this reason an earth wall, about 0.7 meters (2 feet) high was placed across the runway, dividing it in a 900meters and a 1500meters part. Only the latter is currently in use as a runway.
This earth wall caused a serious mishap on 10 July 2002 when flight XL850 from Basel to Hamburg decided a weather abort was necessary when faced with a thunderstorm at Hamburg and it's alternate Bremen. When subsequent alternates also became weatherlocked and fuel began to run low the crew decided for an emergency landing at Werneuchen. However, as they did not posess any maps of the airfield they were not familiar with the earth wall, they landed their Saab2000 (HB-IZY) on the western end of the runway. When the landing gear hit the earth wall it was ripped off, writing off the aircraft in the process. Only one passenger was hurt.
On 12 August 2004 a second accident occurred when a fully laden King Air almost hit the wall in very hot weather. Because of the high temperatures it was unable to climb out however, and the subsequent 'landing' injured 6 passengers.


Werneuchen air field in 2002 (Google Earth)


Crossair Saab 2000 HB-IZY after its crash at Werneuchen air field in 2002 (Märkische Oderzeitung)


The earth walls on the runway are clearly visible in this view of Werneuchen air field in 2002 (Google Earth).  The part of runway in between was marked with very small X marks on the center line.


The earth walls on the runway appear to have been removed in this view of Werneuchen air field in 2007. Notice the white line across the runway and the very small X marking on the center line (fotos-aus-der-luft.de). 

Today the airfield is slowly returning to nature. Because of the quietness the whole area is one of peace and tranquility. Much of the terrain is freely accessible. The buildings are in state of disrepair however, after not having been used for over 20 years. The runway is in usable condition, but many of the taxiways and platforms are partially overgrown.
The airport is open to helicopters, light aviation and Ultra light aircraft according to Airports-worldwide.com.


Werneuchen air field circuit map (Airports-worldwide.com).


Former control tower of Werneuchen air field in 2007 (Wikimedia).


Platform and in the background some hangars show the current state of Werneuchen air field in July 2007 (Wikimedia)


A deer grazing at a very quiet Werneuchen air field in 2009 (source)


Werneuchen airfield photographed on 26 August 2011, displaying a large solar array on the north side of the airfield (Photo Magnus Emanuelsson, via e-mail)




Two photos shot from the northwest in May 2015, showing the usable part of the runway, the hangar complex and the solar array that was built on the north sides of the airfield. Compared with the 2011 situation above, solar arrays were added to the west side of the airfield (Magnus Emanuelsson, via email).