RAAF Base Richmond

RAAF Base Richmond
Richmond, New South Wales in Australia
C-130 Hercules at RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond YSRI Location in Greater Sydney
Coordinates	33°36′02″S 150°46′51″E / 33.60056°S 150.78083°E / -33.60056; 150.78083
Type	Military air base
Site information
Owner	Department of Defence
Operator	Royal Australian Air Force
Website	RAAF Base Richmond
Site history
Built	28 August 1916 (1916-08-28)
In use	30 June 1925 (1925-06-30) – present
Garrison information
Past commanders	Frank Lukis
Garrison	Air Mobility Group No. 84 Wing No. 86 Wing
Occupants	No 453 Squadron Flight Richmond No. 35 Squadron No. 37 Squadron No. 22 (City of Sydney) Squadron No. 87 Squadron No. 3 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron No. 1 Security Force Squadron Detachment Richmond Air Movements Training and Development Unit Air Lift Systems Program Office No. 176 Air Dispatch Squadron
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: XRH, ICAO: YSRI
Elevation	20 metres (67 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 10/28 2,134 metres (7,001 ft) Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1]

RAAF Base Richmond (IATA: XRH, ICAO: YSRI) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located within the City of Hawkesbury, approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) North-West of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales, Australia. Situated between the towns of Windsor and Richmond, the base is the oldest base in New South Wales and the second oldest in Australia.^{[2]: ii–iii} The base is home to the transport headquarters RAAF Air Lift Group, and its major operational formations, Nos. 84 and 86 Wings. The main aircraft type operated at the base is the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Richmond is a regular venue for air shows and had at times been mooted as a site for Sydney's proposed second international airport.

Sited on a piece of land originally known as Ham Common, Richmond became an RAAF base in 1925. Its inaugural commander was Flight Lieutenant (later Squadron Leader) Frank Lukis, who also led the base's first flying unit, No. 3 Squadron. Many other squadrons were formed at Richmond in the ensuing years, as well as a separate Station Headquarters and No. 2 Aircraft Depot in 1936. The base expanded further during World War II, with more squadrons and other units being established there, including No. 1 (Fighter) Wing and No. 3 RAAF Hospital. It was not until after the war that it became the RAAF's transport hub, with the arrival of No. 86 Wing and its complement of C-47 Dakotas. The base began operating the Hercules in 1958, augmented in later years by the DHC-4 Caribou and Boeing 707.