Buffalo Range Airport
Buffalo Range Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / military | ||||||||||
| Serves | Chiredzi | ||||||||||
| Built | 1976 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,421 ft / 433 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°00′29″S 31°34′43″E / 21.00806°S 31.57861°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  BFO Location of the airport in Zimbabwe | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Sources: World Aero Data[1] | |||||||||||
Buffalo Range Airport (IATA: BFO, ICAO: FVCZ), designated as Forward Air Field 7 (FAF) during the Rhodesian Bush War, is an airport serving Chiredzi, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. It is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of the town.
History
Chiredzi Air Force based was opened in c1976. It was large enough for operations involving the Douglas C-47 by September 1979. Around the early 1980s, runway 14/32 opened replacing the older runway, and it was converted for use as a taxiway. These upgrades were to enlargen the airport to strategic airfield status. Upgrades of the existing facilities were not carried out. As of 2004, it is a joint public-military airfield housing the School of Military Training.[2]
Facilities
The Chiredzi non-directional beacon (Ident: CZ) is located 3.75 nautical miles (6.95 km) off the threshold of runway 14. The Chiredzi or Buffalo Range non-directional beacon (Ident: BI) is located on the field.[3][4]
Accidents and incidents
- 6 January 1977: A Rhodesian Air Force Douglas C-47B, tail number R7034, hit overhead conveyor steel cables, across the Lundi River on return from Malapati airfield, crashing and killing three occupants, pilot, co-pilot and Despatcher. Three Despatcher passengers survived.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Airport information for FVCZ". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Data current as of October 2006.
- ^ "Zimbabwe Military Air Bases and Airfields". Aeroflight – World Air Forces. Internet Archive. 4 November 2004. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ Aeronautical chart and airport information for FVCZ at SkyVector
- ^ "Buffalo Range NDB (BI)". OurAirports. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Accident description for R7034 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 March 2012.
External links
- Airport information for Buffalo Range Airport at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- OurAirports - Buffalo Range Archived 2 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
