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Post by PB on Oct 31, 2023 8:23:45 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 31/10/23We live in what can only be called desperate times so far as human sanity is concerned. A supposedly intelligent species given the extraordinary planet Earth to live upon yet we indulge in the most terrible of activities as a result of terrorist activities whose ultimate aim we can only imagine. It's at moments like this that I am minded of John Lennon's words.."Imagine".
Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky
Imagine all the people Livin' for today Ah
Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too....
A moving and meaningful recording going back to 1971, yet it feels as if it was only 'yesterday'... Indeed, planet Earth is an amazing place, Sir David proves that with never ending revelations of its wonders, and it's from places like Blackbushe that we can behold something of the planet we call home. Take to the air in a light aeroplane to see our place on the planet in a different light, or climb above the clouds and soar through a world that defies imagination in its splendour. Another song comes to mind, "Nothing compares to you", and in the context of the freedom of flight - nothing does. The best of both worlds? Blackbushe history as a resident Airwork Hermes poses for an air-to-air above the ever changing magnificence of the world of clouds.Talking of seeing the world from above, on this day in 2000 the first resident crew of the International Space Station lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz rocket. Ever since that day the ISS has been continuously crewed..
Meanwhile, on this day in 2003 the beautiful G-BOAC, British Airway's flagship Concorde, soared one more time into British clouds as she departed Heathrow for Manchester where she was destined to be placed on display..
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 1, 2023 7:39:14 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 01/11/231st NOVEMBER 1942 - 1st NOVEMBER 2023HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL BLACKBUSHE!!From this, a totally new airfield on Hartford Bridge Flats.....a Fighter station......a leading Photo Reconnaissance base where unarmed Spitfires of 16 Squadron secured vital pre D-Day intelligence......a Bomber station......some of the Bostons of RAF Hartford Bridge......a multi national air base where American, Canadian, British, Dutch, and French airmen flew, where so many made the supreme sacrifice for our todays......to become post-war London's second airport until May, 1960......to this, laid waste by politics......rescued, saved from oblivion by AVM "Pathfinder" Bennett......she breathes again, the official 'Re-opening Air Display' in October, 1962......long desolate years followed, where only our temporary lock-up hangars and a shanty wooden Control Tower were permitted......sold to Douglas Arnold, Blackbushe entered her warbird phase......1977, 'someone' wanted an air-show......in 1992 we celebrated Blackbushe's 50th Anniversary, the Airport now owned by BCA......in 2017 we celebrated Blackbushe's 75th in the best way we could!!......and in 2022 Blackbushe's 80th Birthday was celebrated!! Even a 16 Squadron Spitfire joined the party......and now, in her 81st year, Blackbushe enjoys regular business and international flight, thriving flying schools, and under the auspices of the investor group who now own her Blackbushe looks forward to the future with fresh optimism. Never before has such devoted energy been driven toward the Airport's future......light at the end of the tunnel, Blackbushe is now home to a ghost from the past, the Blackbushe Heritage Trust's Viking undergoes restoration, a magnificent messenger from days long gone...HAPPY BIRTHDAY Blackbushe, 81 today - and going strong!!
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 2, 2023 8:17:16 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 02/11/23The Blackbushe Heritage Trust is, as you know, working on the restoration of a Vickers Viking airliner. The Viking, once the 'staple food' of Blackbushe Airport as many operated from here wearing the colours of variety of operators. The Viking, Britain's first post-war commercial airliner, a giant step into the growth of the nation's air transport system. Below, some of the Vikings that found Blackbushe an eminently suitable airport for their operations...Sometimes it suited to have optional colours.. Eagle, they had well and truly landed, the most prolific independent Viking operator, and this colour scheme epitomises the days of Blackbushe, Eagle and their Vikings...Independent, a good name as independent airlines grew post-war.Airwork, another of the big names of Blackbushe.Pegasus.. Orion with the green tops..Hunting-Clan, operator of the Blackbushe Heritage Trust's Viking, a big name in commercial operations and destined to become part of British Caledonian in the future.Universal..Continental.. Falcon, and one of Blackbushe's large and accommodating hangars. School-boy memories.Mexico, here we come..The Viking, whatever the weather, a significant player in the theatre we know as Blackbushe!!There's more, but it's time for breakfast...
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 3, 2023 7:23:10 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 03/11/23Having blasted its way in across parts of the UK, November has made it quite clear that the joys of summer are now things to be looked forward to... We play a game of chance with the moves by depressions as they slither or blast their way across the land. It's that time of year when the annual brush with the satanic is behind us, trick or treat, pumpkins with ghoulish expressions and even Halloween quiz nights at Blackbushe's Pathfinder cafe are safely behind us, the year now takes a more serious tone as we once again approach 11th November - the time to remember.
At Blackbushe Airport there is every reason to 'remember', to remember the large numbers of aircrew who flew from here during World War Two and those who never returned from the awesome task they took upon themselves.
At this time, as I often do, I refer to Stuart Marshall's "The Wartime Years". For example, take early November in 1943, Blackbushe, or RAF Hartford Bridge, had been operational for just twelve months.. Two resident Boston squadrons, 342 and 88, were on 7th November detailed to attack V1 construction sites, the V1 becoming a huge threat to this country as Germany aimed its unmanned flying bombs at the innocent population of southern England. The Bostons encountered heavy flak an twelve of the aircraft suffered damage and disappointingly no hits on the target were recorded. This mission involved two and half flying hours, but the needs of war saw them back in the air the following day, such was the importance placed on them to find and destroy these hard to locate targets.
Always, when I walk across the wide spread acres of what used to be RAF Hartford Bridge, acres that now lie silent and largely overgrown that lie adjacent to the still living Blackbushe Airport and the sound of aircraft going about their peaceful operations meets my ears, my thoughts go back to those days in the 1940s when so many young aircrew were stationed here. Living with the knowledge that their future may be short, one can almost imagine the sound of revelry coming from the camp bars echoing across the now deserted and tangled acres, or maybe walking or cycling down the narrow lanes that lead to the airfield both to the north and south. The pubs in adjoining Yateley village enjoyed something of a transformation as aircrews from the UK, France, the Netherlands, the USA and others mingled and enjoyed their free time.
The good people of Yateley showed great affection for their new neighbours and good friendships were established...
A few days after the above sorties destined to attack V1 sites the same squadrons raided the Todt Organisation headquarters in France, this company were responsible for building coastal defences and V1 flying bomb launch sites, sites where slave labour was employed in the form of prisoners of war. One of the 88 Squadron aircraft crashed just two miles short of home on the return, it came down on the side of the Fleet Road. The crew all escaped...
No all were so lucky. As we approach Remembrance Day, give a moment to reflect on the part Blackbushe played in the last war and the many souls for whom there would be no 'wars end'... It is my fervent hope that in time when Blackbushe may at last expand her infrastructure and enjoy providing ALL the facilities an airport should provide there will be time and space for a permanent memorial to our crews from those days of WW2. A number of our Forum members have already agreed to contribute to the cost of such a memorial. I find it particularly disappointing that the parties who elected to destroy as much of Blackbushe as they could failed to consider the sacrifices made on their behalf from these hallowed acres, with not so much as a thought for the lives of young men who would depart but never again see the Hartford Bridge runways ahead of them. We must remember them...Just one of the many, an 88 Squadron Boston poses for an air to air moment..PB
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Post by PB on Nov 4, 2023 6:08:31 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 04/11/23"Baz".You will remember from our writings that "POTD" recently had the sad duty of reporting the death of Barry "Baz" Harris.
Baz was a person for whom a lot of his life revolved around Blackbushe, a well known and popular chap whose knowledge of Blackbushe was significant and whose time was often spent at Blackbushe keeping an eye on things. He worked at Blackbushe for a time, the photo above confirming the fact as he refuels a visiting aircraft, a delightful guy with whom I often had long conversations about the 'old days'. Baz was one of the increasingly few in numbers who remember the glory of Blackbushe in her former days as a major London Airport.
A 'gofundme' account has been set up in his name, the objective being to raise enough cash to provide a memorial bench over-looking the action at Blackbushe and suitably inscribed in his memory.
The target of £700 has yet to be reached, and it is now that I would ask for your support in memory of Baz, you can do that by contributing to the 'gofundme' account found here.. gofund.me/cbb6bb4f
Any and all money raised in excess of the £700 target will be donated to the Blackbushe Heritage Trust.
Thanks in advance, your support for our missing man will be very much appreciated....
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 5, 2023 7:36:44 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 05/11/235th November, firework night, bonfire night, call it what you will it's a day (night) that years ago meant the sky fizzing with rockets from gardens far and near, bangers banging, Catherine wheels spinning, and bonfire smoke that would linger in the air until the following day. A magical occasion with friends and family and plenty of suitable food for the occasion too. Fireworks were on sale at every conceivable outlet, from super markets to the little corner shop where trays of fireworks awaited and 'penny bangers' tempted a few more pence of one's pocket money to end up in a small explosion. Back then seems people bought fireworks with little intention of waiting for the 5th as day and night the sound of fireworks permeated the air.. When I was 13 my Dad and I had a great firework night, he bought a 'ten bob rocket' ie 50 Pence in modern parlance. What a whopper, its trajectory was perfect, the spent rocket body landing close to the launch site.. Ten bob, or ten shillings was a small fortune back then, it now costs six times that to buy a cup of coffee...
Firework parties were held at Blackbushe long ago, well away from anything flammable, but such today would not even cross the imagination with so many precious home based aircraft!
Talking of rocket launches, it was sad to read yesterday of the death of Thomas Mattingly at age 87. He was due to fly on Apollo 13 but was withdrawn from the flight a few days earlier due to exposure to German measles. He'd previously orbitted the Moon and very familiar with the Apollo's systems. It was he who after Apollo 13's disastrous oxygen tank explosion played a decisive role in getting Apollo 13 home, his experience with the systems devising ways to conserve power during re-entry to the good Earth's atmosphere..
Enough of fireworks and rocketry expect for one more thing. The public bonfire in Tonbridge this weekend will, I understand, be burning an effigy atop the flames. Who?? Sadiq Khan....
His precious ULEZ scheme is now robbing commuters of some £700,000 per day, or £22 million in the scheme's first month. The question must be at what time did this man have have the right to make our Capital an area into which you have to pay admission, removing our rights to the freedom of movement we are entitled, it's not an amusement park....If so many drivers are paying so much each day to Khan's coffers one can but assume that the pretense that the scheme is 'improving the air' is floored, the only thing changing it Khan's London council enjoying a lot more pocket money...
Back in the sky, November 5th is possibly remembered as the day Concorde made her last departure by air from JFK. G-BOAG flew to Boeing Field, Seattle, where she joined the Museum of Flight. On this day in 1969 a Lancaster took to the skies in Canada, lifted by a Chinook she was flown from Gederich to Mount Hope, both places being in Ontario.
One other event for today's memories, way back in 1947 the Scottish Aviation Pioneer made its first flight... No Chinooks needed here, the BBMF transit Blackbushe back in the seventies...The Navy this time, as the FAA Historic Flight's Firefly gets a top-up. Sadly lost in an accident at Duxford years later...Treasure trove. Warbird's of Great Britain's Blackbushe based Mosquito...Farnborough Week, probably back in the seventies, as seen from the Airport Manager's window. A full apron while runway 14/32 hosts the regular supply of visiting aircraft...just another window into the many memories of Blackbushe.. Here's to a dry 5th November should you be celebrating Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot....
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 6, 2023 7:37:24 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 06/11/236th November..slip back just 88 years, picture yourself down the road at Brooklands aerodrome. Hear that? Yes, it's George Bulman taking the Hawker Hurricane into the air for its very first flight...6th November , 1935. The Hurricane story was entering its first chapter, today we've far from reached the epilogue as more Hurricanes take to the skies, including two-seat versions permitting just a taste of what Bulman and the very many others who flew the Hurricane would enjoy.Living proof, a Hurricane in attendance at this year's Blackbushe Air Day!We had a Spitfire too, plus another from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight who gave us some very evocative low passes...What a taste of history, and amazing that these venerable machines continue to defy the processes of time and continue to inspire young and old with their sounds, shape, and historic achievements. They can still evoke a tear stained cheek given the chance!
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 7, 2023 7:48:58 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 07/11/23+5C at 06.00.. def time to crank-up the gas boiler and spread a little warmth around 'POTD Towers'... The fact that "POTD" is alive and kicking today is perhaps something short of a miracle? There are two types of people on the planet now, those who are computer literate and those who are not. My trusty PC has had an increasingly annoying problem of late in that the keyboard regularly to produce anything when tapping the keys..Just something like this " ". Just nothing. What to do I had no idea, but after some ref to Google and the wonders of YouTube I have suddenly joined a higher echelon in the world of the computer literate. As you see access to A-Z has been restored, but will it last? That higher echelon is but a minute leap forward toward my becoming anywhere near 'literate' when it comes to understanding the science that goes on every time I hit the "ON" button and lights flash and things start to whirr. To my surprise we're still able to transmit! Amazing what installing new drivers can achieve..
Time is another element that is hard to grasp, or at least how much of it has been used in our mortal visit to Planet Earth. When I was flying around the world under the paymaster at BOAC talk would from time to time refer to the 'flying boats', sounded like something from the dark ages compared to our VC10s. Now the VC10s have gone in that direction, never again will those Conways crackle through the night air on those lovely night flights to Africa... The 'Ten' is now something from a new dark age. For the record it was on this day in 1950 that BOAC retired the last flying boat....
AVM "Pathfinder" Bennett could tell you much about seaplanes and flying boats, you just need to read his books. In those Blackbushe days when I spent some time working for the AVM, early 1960s, conversation never ventured into his wartime exploits or his amazing pioneering of long distance flight and supreme navigational skills. In retrospect, I wish it had but at the time the pressing issues of saving Blackbushe topped the agenda. Sadly the AVM is no longer with us, flying boats no longer grace Southampton Water, but despite having now endured six decades of struggle for her survival Blackbushe still lives and that indeed is the goal that the AVM aimed for. Don't forget that next year you can note the passage of time with the new Blackbushe Heritage Trust calendar. Available NOW at the Pathfinder, but be quick, they're selling like hot cakes.. Meanwhile, work is progressing well with the Trust's Viking. She is now safely on trestles and surrounded by scaffolding as our devoted team of tech experts work toward that final goal of a Viking once again residing on Blackbushe tarmac. Viking For Restoration, or VFR, as our "RW" prepares for a stay with scaffold and dedicated experts for the removal all old paint and skin repairs as necessary.Remembrance Day is close once again, the Trust's wonderful volunteers have removed and replaced the memorial plaques on the Terminal having given them a thorough clean-up and replaced them looking like new.It remains my fervent hope that in due course a memorial will be established dedicated to the many aircrews who failed to return when flying from our airfield, they gave everything knowing that what they were doing would call for them to very possibly give their lives. They deserve a suitable symbol of our appreciation of the part that they and the airfield played in our today's.
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 8, 2023 7:06:59 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 08/11/23A most interesting day yesterday with one of the operators at Farnborough, quite breathtaking the number of jets on the aprons and in the hangars. Very few G- reg aircraft nowadays!! The new hangar block under construction is absolutely vast and totally removes the traditional views across the airfield where historically Farnborough Air Show visitors would have a vista including the long gone A Shed, Control Tower, Fire Station etc.. The Airport are looking to 70,000 movements annually by 2040, interestingly that would mean almost doubling today's traffic figure, one wonders what they might have in mind??
Being at Farnborough brought back memories of our 'pre-Covid' Forum group tour of Farnborough Airport during the TAG days.... Did you know that on this day in 1881 Robert Estnault-Pelterie was born?? He was the chap who invented the aileron.... a useful enhancement to conducting aviation, I wonder if it affected his bank account??
Don't roll about laughing...
You don't have to go to Farnborough to see bizz jets...
PB
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Post by PB on Nov 9, 2023 7:30:56 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 09/11/23It's curious how something is able to find its way into your blood stream and thus take up permanent residence. Not a virus, in this case it's that area of land atop Hartford Bridge Flats that we know as Blackbushe. Must explain why I find myself perched before the PC every morning from around 06.00 to put before those who perhaps suffer a somewhat similar affliction a few gathered thoughts and images.
It's 06.10 and here we go again.. Good Morning! Something caught my eye in the local paper a couple of days ago reporting an incident quite close to Blackbushe. Students of the Airport's history may well recall reference to the Highway Men of old, the likes of Dick Turpin, who in the 17th Century would present a worrying aspect to stagecoach travel as they intercepted and robbed the occupants of their valuables. The A30 originated as a stage coach route leading from London to the west, and it is the areas with which we are familiar that these bandits employed their skills...The local Ely Hotel was a coaching station way back in history, a change of horses a bit like recharging your electric car today, the consequence being that what we call the A30 today was a stage coach route and the area was known for villainous deeds by Highway Men whose ambition was to relieve well heeled travellers of their possessions... The newspaper report from the local 'News & Mail' dated 8th November carried details of 'highway robbery' still being executed in the area. The 21st Century version was executed around 10.20 in the morning when in nearby Dungells Lane a delivery van was intercepted by modern highway men, not on horseback but in a small silver car. Armed with 'weapons' they entered the rear of the van and removed a number of parcels. That was it, 'highway men' still ride!! Turpin ended up swinging beneath the gallows, no doubt the penalty today would be far more lenient?
The weekend ahead is going to be one of 'remembrance', the time to pause and say 'Thank you' for all the young souls who gave their all, their hopes, their ambitions, everything for the peace of today. Looking at the snowflakes of the 21st Century, the protestors who exercise their rights to march and demand 'peace' are, it would seem, in many cases fired by a contempt served by social media that is brewing to worrying levels. Nobody will ever take away our rights to remember and give thanks to the many who fell in battle for the freedom exploited today. This weekend our thoughts will be many and varied, but my thoughts will be with the names that failed to return - many of who started their final journey from the runways of RAF Hartford Bridge.. A little peace in the midst of war. Aircrews unite in "The Finger Inn", the very popular bar and social centre at RAF Hartford Bridge..May your day be peaceful, PB
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