Drawsko Pomorskie 2020-11-10
Ziemsko Airport (Oleszno) near Drawsko.
Geographic coordinates: 53.477N 15.731E.
Ziemsko airport near Drawsko. Another name for the airport is Oleszno, which is better known in the military environment. You can also meet the name Woliczno. All names come from the names of nearby towns.
The largest of the villages is Oleszno. There are four towns in Poland named Oleszno. The one we are interested in is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Drawsko poviat, in the Drawsko Pomorskie commune. Oleszno has the coordinates of 53°28′25″N 15°46′02″E. Elevation 104 meters above sea level. In 2007, Oleszno had 214 inhabitants. Postcode 78-513. ZDR registration plates.
Oleszno previously had the German name of Welschenburg. In the years 1975-1998, the town administratively belonged to the Koszalin Voivodeship. The National Road No. 20 runs nearby, which is a post-German road connecting the vicinity of Szczecin (Stargard Szczeciński) with the vicinity of Gdańsk (Gdynia). DK 20 is 318 km long. It is 9 km from Olesno to Drawsko Pomorskie. The nearest railway line runs through Drawsko Pomorskie. It is the railway line No. 210 Chojnice – Rudowo Pomorskie. There was no railway siding to Ziemsko Airport. Ziemsko Airport (Oleszno) is located between forests and lakes. There are two large lakes nearby: Bucierz Duży/Mały Lake and Czaple Duże/Małe Lake.
Ziemsko Airport (Oleszno) has the coordinates of 53°28’37"N 15°43’53"E. The airport belongs to the Drawsko Military Training Complex and is located in its northern part. The airport was founded around 1935 by the German army. The airport was used by military units practicing. After World War II, the airport was occupied by the Soviet army for some time, and then it was handed over to the Polish Army. At the beginning of the 50s, one of the planned fighter regiments was intended to be located at Ziemsko Airport. without host.
Nevertheless, around 1955, a hard runway (RWY) was built at Ziemsko Airport, which ultimately has a length of 2,500 m, a width of 30 m. The RWY lies in the direction of 125 degrees x 305 degrees. That is, north-west to south-east. Taxiways with a width of about 15 m were built. There is one main taxiway and four exits from the RWY. Two large Aircraft Standing Pads were also built. Each with dimensions of 250 m x 65 m, located in the eastern and western parts of the main taxiway. In the 1960s, several buildings were built at the airport: barracks, garages, warehouses, a guardhouse, a shooting range and others. The bomb depot was placed on the northern side of Lake Czaple Duże.
Ziemsko airport was used intensively for many years. Various fighter, assault and bomber regiments were temporarily stationed here. Their presence was related to the conducted exercises. But also, regiments were transferred to the airfield while the landing field was being renovated at their home airfields. For example, the 34th Fighter Aviation Regiment from Babie Doły. At the beginning of the 1990s, the airport was used sporadically.
Ziemsko Airport began its renaissance in 2015, when US troops began to arrive in Poland, in a rotational system. One of the US military bases in Poland was established at the airport. The airport receives USAF transport and combat helicopters. American helicopters are stationed at Ziemsko Airport in a rotation system. A greater number of them is in the period of conducted exercises. For example, in 2018, as part of the exercise code-named Saber Strike 18. At that time, AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters were based at the airport.
The 16th Military Commercial Division of the Polish Army operates in Oleszno, as well as: the Military Fire Brigade, the Military Police Department, the Land Forces Training Center, and even the Roman Catholic Church.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman