Kleinköris / Löpten: Airfield

Kleinköris airfield was put to operation in 1969. It was used as a reserve airfield for Fighter Wing 7 (JG-7) of the former East German Air Force (NVA LSK/LV), which was based at Drewitz Air Base. Training took place in strength of a squadron about 4 to 5 times a year. The field was also used by the helicopter unit of the former German People's Police (Deutsche Volkspolizei, VP).

In 1990 the airfield was closed and temporarily used as storage area for East German weapon systems, e.g. tanks. In 2007, one more time aircraft were flown in Kleinköris, when scenes for a historic film were taken here, including flights with a Junkers Ju-52.

6 km northwest of Maerkisch Buchholz, 20 km southwest of Storkow.

The airfield was put into operation in 1969.

The main runway had a grass surface and paved touchdown zones. There was also a paved circular taxiway. This layout was typical for airstrips of the East German Air Force.

The airfield had a length of 2750 m (9022 ft) and a width of 250 m (820 ft). The distance between the runway and the circular taxiway - the northern safety zone - was 110 m (360 ft). In the south, the distance between the runway and the airfield limits - the southern safety zone - was 160 m (524 ft). The earth breaking areas were in a distance of 25 m (82 ft) from the runway thresholds.

The runway had a length of 2350 m (7709 ft) and a width of 37.5 m (123 ft). The touchdown zones were paved, 400 m (1312 ft) in the east and 100 m (328 ft) in the west. The surface was a bitumen-cement slurry. The part in between was grass. The emergency runway was to the south of the main runway. It had a length of 2350 m (7709 ft) and was made of two parts, each of 50 m (164 ft) width. The circular taxiway was also made of bitumen-cement slurry and had a width of 11,5 m (37 ft). The bearing capacity of the airfield was given with 9.5 .. 10 kp/cm2.

Elevation of the runway thresholds were: Threshold east 40.4 m, threshold west: 40.9 m

In main landing direction 260°, an arresting gear TFF-72 was installed, which could have been remotely operated by the flight director.

There were 3 helicopter landing spots:
1. At the group ramp of the flight line,
2. 50 m northeast of the runway and 400 m west of the touchdown point
3. 160 m south of the runway and 400 m west of the touchdown point.

Lighting during the 1980s:
- runway lighting system MLOK-2M (only in main landing direction)
- lighting for circular taxiway: MLOK-P
- coded identification beacon KNS 8
- 4 landing flood lights ARM-90

The emergency runway had no lighting. It was marked by red blankets.

Data for the 1980s:

Radio beacons were deployed only in main landing direction 260°.

As common for Warsaw Pact forces, the idents of the radio beacons were derived from the first and the last character of the radio call sign. Here it was "LILLI".

Radar assistance in the area was to be provided by the Radar Company 413 (Funktechnische Kompanie 413, FuTK-413), as the airfield had no own radar. On the southern side of the airfield were earth mounds with ramps, maybe prepared to operate radar equipment.

The call sign of the airfield was "LILLI" with "LILLI START" for the tower and "LILLI PELENG" for the direction finder.

The direction finder was located at the field, not at the standard 1000m-point.

Equipment during the 1980s:
- Tower controller on SKP-9 mobile tower with radios R-824 and R-869,
- Technical room with 4 radios R-824,
- VHF direction finder ARP-6 with a R-824 radio.

The chief of the local signals and air traffic control unit was the tower controller. During a deployment of aircrafts to the airfield, he had the task to assure the landing of the first aircraft. The first aircraft was a double-seater, which brought along the tower controller of the deploying unit. He took over the landings of all subsequent aircrafts.

Maps from the formerly secret East German document "Verzeichnis 012" ("Directory 012").

For many years, the airfield belonged to the Fighter Wing 7 (Jagdgeschwader 7, JG-7). After disbanding this unit, the field was presumably assigned to Fighter Wing 1 (JG-1). The operating unit was the Reserve Airfield Detachment 7 (Feldflugplatzkommando 7, FFpK-7, post box 44131).

There were ca. 40 soldiers at the field, as guards and for operating the signals- and air traffic control equipment.

The airfield had the National People's Army installation ID 04/063.

The area was not fenced. The road to the nearby villages Löpten and Hammer as well as the road to Halbe could be closed by barriers.

There are some FB-3 bunkers at the area.

Closed.

At Kleinköris, there was a solid building for the flight director. It was connected to a bunker.

South of the runway were two mounds with ramps. They were probably prepared to house radar equipment.

There were 6 shafts on the area. Here are three of them:

There were 12 bunkers FB-3 at the airfield: