Fort Magsaysay Airfield (Fort Ramon Magsaysay)
Fort Magsaysay Airfield (also Fort Ramon Magsaysay; ICAO RPLV) is an active military air base in the Philippines, operated by the Philippine Army Aviation. It has 1 runway (1,600 m). Home to Aviation (Hiraya) Regiment, Philippine Army.
Facility Details
| Operating Country | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| Location | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| Status | Active |
| Usage | Military only |
| Year built | 1955 |
| Operating Organization | Philippine Army Aviation |
| Units & aircraft |
Aviation (Hiraya) RegimentPhilippine Army
|
| Coordinates | 15.4339°N, 121.0872°E |
| Elevation | 76 m (249 ft) |
| ICAO code | RPLV |
| Runways |
05R/23L · 1,600 m (5,249 ft) · Asphalt
|
Description
Fort Magsaysay Airfield is located within the Fort Ramon Magsaysay Military Reservation in the Philippines. The reservation spans the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora, encompassing Palayan City and the municipalities of Santa Rosa, General Tinio, Laur, and Dingalan. The grounds extend over the Sierra Madre Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, incorporating 12 kilometers of coastline. Road access is provided via the Bangad–Fort Magsaysay and Santa Rosa–Fort Magsaysay routes.
President Ramon Magsaysay established the base on December 10, 1955. Originally encompassing 73,000 hectares, the reservation was later reduced to 35,000 hectares. During martial law in 1972, Senators Jose W. Diokno and Ninoy Aquino were incarcerated at the facility for 30 days. The detention site now operates as the Aquino-Diokno Memorial and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Center for Human Rights Dialogue. Following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the base accommodated displaced residents. In 2016, a modular drug rehabilitation center was constructed on the grounds; the Department of Health later utilized this site as a quarantine facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airfield is operated by Philippine Army Aviation. It is the only Philippine Army base equipped with organic aircraft maintenance and air control facilities, an apron, and a runway. Stationed units include the Aviation (Hiraya) Regiment and the Army Aviation Battalion, which operate Cessna CE172 Skyhawk and CE421 aircraft. The wider reservation functions as the AFP's National Training Center for battalion-level instruction. It hosts the headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division and provides barracks for the Light Reaction Regiment and Special Forces units.
Base infrastructure includes aviation hangars, the Fort Magsaysay Army Station Hospital, a stockade, and firing ranges configured at 100, 150, 500, and 650 meters. Administrative and support amenities encompass AFP transient facilities, a headquarters building, an army store, a church, a gym, an officer's club, a golf course, and the Pahingahan Complex, which features a dam and a man-made lake.
- AUG 142026 Updated Page description written
- AUG 142026 Created Page created: Fort Magsaysay Airfield