that it was responsible for the entire fleet of this type of helicopter. Costly maintenance work, overhauls and repairs which units equipped with the Bölkow Bo-105 were not capable of carrying out, due to lack of either equipment or knowledge, were flown to Celle where the necessary repairs were performed. Afterwards the aircraft was returned to their home base. Following the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces this unit was disbanded in 2013. Army Aviation Squadron 109 Army Aviation Squadron 109 (Heeresfliegerstaffel 109) was the basic military training unit for volunteers. Additionally, the squadron provided specialist military courses for soldiers destined for missions abroad. Soldiers of NCO rank intended to be used for guard duty received their theoretical and practical training in order to qualify as guard commander at Army Aviation Squadron 109. Following the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces this unit was disbanded in 2013. Other uses Until the 1980s, members of the aristocracy, particularly of British provenience, as well as other persons of the public life used the possibility to land on a military airfield where journalists and photographers have no access. The most famous of these were the "Queen Mum" Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1965, Queen Elizabeth II in 1967 and 1984, Prince Charles and Diana in 1987 as well as Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1965. Today Celle is only occasionally used by members of the British Royal Family for visits to the British troops stationed in Celle and Bergen or for cultivating the traditional relationship between the House of Windsor and Celle originating in Sophia Dorothea of Celle. Due to the massive reduction of British forces in Germany and their redeployment out of Germany the importance of Celle for such visits has been decreasing since the 1990s. On average there are about three visits of this kind per year. Heads of states have not landed at Celle Air Base since 1984. Significance and future development Celle Air Base is an important economic factor in the structurally weak Celle region. The air base spends approximately 3.5 Million Euro annually on building and maintenance works and an additional 3 Million Euro per year on facility management (2006). More than 2000 soldiers, civil servants and ancillary staff are employed at the base. Nearly all of the younger generation of the German armed forces' helicopter pilots have at some stage during their training passed through Celle Air Base.