Bardufoss Air Station Bardufoss Air Station ( Norwegian : Bardufoss flystasjon ) is located in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county in Northern Norway . It is the location off the Royal Norwegian Air Force 139 Air Wing and two helicopter squadrons ; the 337 Squadron operating Lynx MK 86 for the Norwegian Coast Guard and the 339 Squadron equipped with Bell 412 SPs . It is also the base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force Flight Training School . In addition , helicopter Squadron no . 334 is currently under establishment as it will be operating NH90 NFH helicopters . The delivery of the NH90 helicopters just started . 334 Squadron will only have its command post and maintenance facilities at Bardufoss , as the helicopters will be stationed on the new Fridtjof Nansen class frigate s when they arrive . The airbase is also used by the civilian community : Norwegian Aviation College ( NAC ) is located at the airport , and there is also a flying club ( Bardufoss Flyklubb ) and a parachute jumping club . Norwegian Air Shuttle currently operates three daily flights with Boeing 737 aircraft from Bardufoss Airport to Oslo Airport , Gardermoen . History . The first plane to land at the air station was a de Havilland Tiger Moth on 26 March 1938 , making it the country ' s oldest air station still operational . During World War II , RAF Gloster Gladiator s ( No . 263 Squadron RAF ) and Hawker Hurricane s ( No . 46 Squadron RAF ) operating from Bardufoss played a vital part in keeping the Luftwaffe at bay during the fighting on the Narvik front in the April – June 1940 Norwegian Campaign . After the allied withdrawal from Norway , the airbase was taken over by the Germans and mostly used as a base for fighters , bombers and reconnaissance planes operating against the Murmansk convoys . Fighters from Bardufoss also had the task of providing aerial support for naval operations in the area , but failed to scramble in time to prevent the battleship Tirpitz from being sunk by Avro Lancaster bombers at Håkøya near Tromsø . Luftwaffe ace Heinrich Ehrler was originally sentenced to death because of this , but was never executed : He died in combat when he rammed an American B - 17 Flying Fortress over Germany . The 339 Squadron was moved to Bardufoss in 1964 while the 337 Squadron arrived in 1983 . The Royal Norwegian Air Force Flight Training School was moved to Bardufoss from Trondheim Airport , Værnes in 2003 . Squadrons . Two squadrons of helicopter s are stationed on this airfield : 337 operating Lynx MK 86 ( since 1983 ) and 339 with Bell 412 SP ( since 1964 ) . The 337 Squadron operates six Lynx MK 86 helicopters , which were delivered in 1983 . Their purpose is to operate onboard Coast Guard ships . They will be replaced with eight new NH - 90 ' s . The 339 Squadron operates twelve Bell 412 SP , primarily used as support for the Royal Norwegian Army . The Bells were delivered in between 1987 and 1990 . Previous to their delivery , the squadron operated UH - 1 ' s bought used from USA : some of those machines were received with minor battle damages and bullet holes , having seen action in the Vietnam war . The Royal Norwegian Air Force ' s six remaining Bells ( making a total of 18 ) are stationed at the 720 Squadron at Rygge Air Station . In addition , the Royal Norwegian Air Force Flight Training School is located here . The Flight Training School operates the Saab Safari . Royal Navy ( UK ) commando and Royal Marine units have used Bardufoss as a training base for many years . It is also used as a base for cold weather training for Royal Air Force , British Army and Royal Navy helicopter crews . During the " cold war " training was especially concentrated during the winter , with repair parties during the Norwegian summer . These operations were given the title of " Clockwork " .