A
Royal Air Force station is a permanent
Royal Air Force operations location. Most RAF stations are
aerodromes, or airfields, being the home to one or more
flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are
training units,
administrative units,
headquarters (HQ), or carry out ground-based operational tasks. Although many RAF units are often called stations, they can only be properly classified as an RAF station if they are self-accounting with their own station commander and headquarters. Units without a station commander or headquarters staff will ordinarily be a satellite of an RAF station proper.