Limbaži Airfield

Limbaži Airfield
Limbažu lidlauks
A Pilatus PC-6 aircraft at Limbaži Airfield
A Pilatus PC-6 at Limbaži Airfield
Summary
OperatorSIA "Vidrižu Atvari"[1]
ServesLimbaži
LocationLimbaži Parish, Limbaži Municipality, Latvia
Elevation AMSL211 ft (64 m)
Coordinates57°29′06″N 24°40′20″E / 57.48500°N 24.67222°E / 57.48500; 24.67222
Map
Interactive map of Limbaži Airfield
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
16/34 760 2,493 Grass
Current classification: Latvian AIP and Civil Aviation Agency.[2][3] Detailed aerodrome data: 2021 AIP edition.[1]

Limbaži Airfield (Latvian: Limbažu lidlauks; ICAO airport code: EVLI), historically also known as Langači Airfield, is a general aviation airfield in Limbaži Parish, Limbaži Municipality, Latvia. It is located 2.2 nautical miles (4.1 kilometres) south-west of Limbaži.[1] The current Latvian AIP index classifies EVLI as a national aerodrome for visual flight rules general aviation,[2] and the Latvian Civil Aviation Agency lists it among the country's general aviation aerodromes.[3]

History

A 1995 Latvian government order listed Langači among the airfields retained in state ownership under the Ministry of Defence.[4] On 9 January 2002, the government authorised the Ministry of Defence to transfer the Langači airfield property without compensation to Limbaži Parish municipality.[5] A companion order removed Langači from the list of aerodromes covered by the 1992 protection and status decision.[6]

The municipal profile of Limbaži Parish describes the site as a former agricultural airfield redeveloped by aviation enthusiast Gunārs Līcītis around the beginning of the 2000s. It states that the airfield was certified in 2006 and appeared on European aviation charts from 2009.[7] In October 2001, the regional newspaper Auseklis reported that Līcītis landed at the airfield after completing a solo flight from Chicago to Limbaži across the Atlantic Ocean.[8]

A 2009 report in Auseklis described continuing redevelopment at Langači, including two new buildings, and identified the airfield as a unit of the parquet manufacturer SIA "Vidrižu Atvari".[9]

Facilities and operations

The 2021 AIP edition listed the airfield elevation as 211 feet (64 m), and its grass runway 16/34 as 760 metres (2,493 ft) long and 30 metres (98 ft) wide, with a maximum permitted aircraft take-off mass of 5.7 tonnes. The same edition listed a 142 metres (466 ft) by 35 metres (115 ft) asphalt apron, a 9 metres (30 ft)-wide asphalt taxiway, daytime VFR operations and hangar space for visiting aircraft.[1]

The airfield hosted the inaugural Fly In Limbaži aviation event in August 2020.[10] A municipal report described the 2022 event as the third edition and stated that the programme opened with parachutists from Skydive Latvia.[11] The 2023 event included aircraft and helicopter demonstrations and aerobatic flying, and received coverage from Latvian television news and Xinhua News Agency.[12][13]

2024 aircraft accident

On 19 June 2024, a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 registered YL-YEA was operating parachuting flights from Limbaži when worsening weather prevented a landing after two attempts. The pilot diverted towards Riga International Airport, but the aircraft made an emergency landing about 3 miles (5 km) from the airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its forward fuselage; the pilot was uninjured and the passenger, a parachutist, sustained moderate injuries.[14][15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "EVLI - LIMBAZI". Aeronautical Information Publication of Latvia (in Latvian). Latvijas gaisa satiksme. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 "AD 1.3 Index to Aerodromes and Heliports". Aeronautical Information Publication of Latvia. Latvijas gaisa satiksme. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Airports and aerodromes". Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Grozījums Ministru Padomes 1992. gada 11. septembra lēmumā Nr. 390 "Par Latvijas Republikas lidlauku aizsardzību"" (in Latvian). Likumi.lv. 14 November 1995. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Par lidlauka "Langači" Limbažu rajona Limbažu pagastā nodošanu Limbažu rajona Limbažu pagasta pašvaldības īpašumā" (in Latvian). Likumi.lv. 9 January 2002. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Grozījums Ministru Padomes 1992. gada 11. septembra lēmumā Nr. 390 "Par Latvijas Republikas lidlauku aizsardzību, to statusu un lidojumu drošības garantēšanu"" (in Latvian). Likumi.lv. 9 January 2002. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Limbažu pagasts" (in Latvian). Limbaži Municipality. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Tamane, Regīna (27 October 2001). "Lidojums Čikāga - Limbaži veiksmīgi beidzies!". Auseklis (in Latvian). Retrieved 7 August 2026 – via Langaci - Limbazi Airport, Latvia.
  9. ↑ Ozoliņa, Gunita (22 September 2009). "Turpinās pārvērtības Langaču lidlaukā". Auseklis (in Latvian). Retrieved 7 August 2026 – via Langaci - Limbazi Airport, Latvia.
  10. ↑ "Laipni lūgti avio šovā "Fly In Limbaži"" (in Latvian). Limbaži Municipality. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Aizvadīts aviošovs "Fly In Limbaži"" (in Latvian). Limbaži Municipality. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Lidmašīnas, helikopteri un akrobātika! Limbažos aizvadīts vērienīgs aviošovs". TV3 (in Latvian). 10 June 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "In pics: Fly in Limbazi air show in Latvia". Xinhua. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Investigation Bureau reveals details about last year's aircraft crash near airport". Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Izmeklēšana: Pirms gada grāvī pie Rīgas lidostas ieslīdējušās lidmašīnas pilots pieļāvis nepilnības rīcībā". LSM (in Latvian). 3 July 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
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