Llanbedr target tugs

[ZeBedie]

I’ve never heard any stories from pilots of the Llanbedr target tugs, but there must have been some interesting events?

[tornadoken]

When Llanbedr closed they were all re-employed as drivers on London's Docklands Light Railway. Or joined the Swiss Navy.

Drones, not tugs.

[DaveReidUK]

Drones, not tugs.

Llanbedr was a base for, among other types, assorted Meteor TT.20s and Canberra TT.18s.

I believe one of the target tug pilots started to write a book, but it ended up being a long drawn out affair.

[Spot 4]

Target Rolling: Llanbedr Airfield 1941-2002 [Paperback]

Wendy Mills (Author)
Book Description
Publication Date: 31 May 2002
Llanbedr airfield near Harlech in North Wales was established in 1941. It was one of a number of RAF establishments set up in the area at this time. Its wartime role involved providing air firing facilities for visiting front line squadrons. After the end of the conflict RAF Llandbedr continued to specialise in aerial target operations, and this unusual role continues to this day. The airfield has always held a special interest for the aviation fraternity because of the aircraft types which have been seen there over the years and their imaginative colour schemes. The brightly painted drones and control aircraft, which have been based at Llanbedr included Meteors, Canberras, Hawks, Sea Vixens, Jindiviks and other target types. More recently the AlphaJet has been operating from there. RAF Llanbedr, on the coast of Cardigan Bay, is in an area which attracts many holidaymakers each year. The viewing of Llanbedr's operations from vantage points around the airfield is an additional attraction for many visitors. This book, written by a journalist, who has also been a flying instructor and was for 12 years the first and only woman controller of unpiloted target aircraft at the base, covers the whole history of the airfield, but places the emphasis firmly on the target flying with which the airfield has been associated for such a long time.

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Midland Publishing (31 May 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1857801369
ISBN-13: 978-1857801361

I have a copy and it is sufficiently informative to answer the OP question.

[sycamore]

I believe one of the Tower controllers at Caernafon used to fly at Llanbdr a long time ago....

[chevvron]

Interesting it's referred to as 'RAF Llanbedr', when it must have been an RAE from the early '50s and later a TEE.