by a single airfield alone. Nevertheless, due to the reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces both Army Aviation Maintenance Squadron 100 and Army Aviation Liaison and Reconnaissance Squadron 100 were disbanded. In October 2011 the German Federal Ministry of Defence announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a consequence, some units stationed at Celle Air Base ceased to exist. These units were either disbanded or relocated to and integrated into the International Helicopter Training Centre at Bückeburg. The facilities at Celle are also to be used to house a regional medical treatment facility, a non-commissioned officer candidate battalion, an air manoeuvre training centre and a fire brigade unit. The number of military personnel at the air base will be reduced from 1080 to 400. Criticism In the course of time the city of Celle has expanded towards the actual air base, a development which occurred at other military airfields too. Since the inception of the air base the attitude of the public towards the military and its training facilities has changed significantly. The first complaints about aircraft noise were published in the local newspapers shortly after the German Army Aviation Corps took control of the air base. The complaints reached a climax in 1965 when plans were made public to have a second runway, leading from the northeast to the southwest, built at Celle Air Base and to have a wing of strike fighters stationed at the airfield. Residents, mostly from Wietzenbruch, founded a voluntary association and petitioned the federal parliament. The plans were abandoned and after the Federal Ministry had given assurances that only helicopters would be stationed at Celle Air Base the association dissolved. The noise produced by the helicopters, however, remained a subject of contention in local newspapers. Since the 1990s areas directly to the north of the air base have been demarcated for land development, namely Westercelle, and Altencelle. These areas are situated directly beneath the approach path of runway 26. Even though developers and prospective buyers were previously informed regarding the proximity of the airfield and also benefited from reduced house prices, some did not realise the actual effects of living close to an active airfield, particularly during periods of night flight training, which has led to numerous complaints. Following German reunification Army Aviation Regiment 16 equipped with helicopters of the type Bölkow Bo-105 remained the only flying unit at Celle. The disbandment