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Post by PB on Mar 24, 2016 6:29:25 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 24/03/16Back in the seat of power at the POTD offices one's brain is still spinning from yesterday's eleven hour mission, still the pocket money's handy! And talking of spinning, a couple of ancient helicopter studies today from an age when the chopper was still something of an oddity, a bit fearsome, a bit fluky, and probably not the easiest beast to tame? Blackbushe had her share of rotary movements and I well recall the chain of RAF Whirlwinds that operated the Blackbushe-Farnborough shuttle in the pre 1960 era. Was this the forerunner of the expression, "rotor wash"??Sikorsky S-51, G-AJHW, of BEA Helicopters, 7 Sept., 1955.I'm sure there must be a story re the logo's on JHW. They've clean escaped me but if anybody can add something to the POTD 'comments' please do... RAF Bristol Sycamore HR13 popped into Blackbushe a number of times during Farnborough Week, 1956.Time for me to transition from hover to forward flight...see you tomorrow. PB Comments from British Eagle and Flyboy.. Thank you!! blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3806blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3808
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Post by PB on Mar 25, 2016 11:01:14 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 25/03/16The Easter Weekend has arrived with sunshine, 12C at the moment, and a cloudless sky. Great!. It won't last. Looks like being busy weekend here at One-Stop Towers, with an international flavour as friends from Australia and Canada descend within hours of each other... Now, as you will know, "rj" is planning a walk on Blackbushe "east" this weekend and has invited all to join him for a ramble on the wild side. As readers of the "POTD" series will know, your editor has strong feelings as to the state of disused Blackbushe "east", the valuable end of the Airport defaced and dug-up by forces alien to aviation. I won't start on that now, but perhaps a few photos will help in planning the walking route around the wilderness that once was London's second airport.. Blackbushe Airport, 1982.The above photo shows the Terminal Building as it was before BCA took over, and before Hampshire County Council allowed their section to rot. The photo clearly shows how much is on current Airport land, with the majority being on common land. For so much of the Terminal to have been destroyed by the County Council when it was offered good use by the Airport is beyond belief. However, if you look at the top right of the photo you can just make out the edge of the old apron. Again, you can see what a large percentage of the main apron was destroyed by hostile forces, again they were offered a generous exchange programme to preserve this vital part of the Airport's infrastructure. But no, they dug it up and today it is just a shambles... The apron boundary goes round and meets with the track that leads from the Terminal to the top right of our picture. It leads to the holding point for runway 32 which the local powers also excavated. (as much as they could, some bits were too tough and remain in place today.). This can be used as a good start for a walk into the wilderness.. The view from the north, with Blackbushe "south" across the A30, the London- Southampton trunk road.You can clearly see from this photo how walking along the track from the Terminal it will take a turn to the left leading out of shot. Where this turn starts is where you could do a sharp right and move to where aircraft were towed across the A30 to the engineering bases on Blackbushe "south"... In 1982 the clearing to the A30 crossing was obvious, today not so sure??? If you follow this route across the A30 the area to the left of the immediate taxiway was the site of Falcon Airways/Britavia's hangar... Britavia/Falcon Airways/Silver City..big names that once used this hangar..Runway 19 is just in view here as it crossed the A30. Stirlings needed the length...A runway ran through it...A solo walk earlier this week grabbed some spring sunshine, and a stroll down what is almost an extension of the main runway at Blackbushe. Those who read my blurb will recall I recently suggested some areas on Blackbushe "east" would be useful in the event of engine failure. This is a prime example of where once the main runway lay and the chance of an emergency landing remains... There is only one bit of scrub between this and the existing main runway, how good would it be to at least see this bit added to the airfield once more? Dream on...little chance, maybe more chance of pigs joining the circuit. Remove the scrub and a great additional safety margin opens up....and still plenty of land for the planting of canine land mines! Walkers beware!! Ooops, see what I mean?You never know what you might find on Blackbushe "east"... Ooops see what I mean two??The above was a result of aquaplaning, and just avoiding recording an aircraft movement on Blackbushe "east"... Not just aeroplanes you'll find on Blackbushe "east"...Runway's end today. No more barbed wire to catch those for whom the current tarmac is not long enough...Runway's end looking east as it is today. The hazard of trees kindly removed! Enjoy the walk Rob, mind how you go, don't sink into the history..or let it bite you!! Blackbushe residents....all part of the hissstoryThere may be ghosts too??Happy and peaceful Easter to all our members and guests! PB
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Post by PB on Mar 26, 2016 8:09:24 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 26/03/16Yesterday we looked at Blackbushe "east" and the delights that await those who brave its terrain. Some further artefacts that may be looked out for the adventurous spirited... Purpose unknown, but a bit of old Blackbushe "east" that expeditions may ponder over... unmoved since 1960..Further examples of concrete engineering by early Blackbushe man.The public open spaces for which Blackbushe "east" was destroyed...Blackbushe "east" expeditions may conclude this is part of an early Airwork settlementThe interest of specific forms of wild life has been cared for recently...Another ancient settlement. The habitat of travelling traders, dodgy CD's, and a proliferation of plastic bags released by these ancient people that westerly winds carried across our shrinking airfield..Meanwhile, if you travel to the western extremes of old Blackbushe you will find that the motor dealer chappies have more than taken root on what was the domain of aviation, and nothing but aviation... Going to the bank has more sinister terms here than in your local high street... We all know that two executive jets have been destroyed because of it, but not due to it, with tragic loss of life in one case. Other less traumatic events in which aeroplanes have been deposited at the bank include... This can happen if you land late.. Another unscheduled visit to the bank after attempt to land on the grass runway..Engine failure on approach, but keeping the nose clear of the bank resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with 26..Thermal seeking glider from Farnborough meets Three Counties Cessna from Blackbushe - over the Farnborough aerodrome. Glider destroyed, pilot escaped via 'chute, Cessna returned employing unusual quantities of aileron input... Another trip to the bank would have followed?Whether you're walking or flying, have a fun and safe weekend!! PB Comments....!! blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3828blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3829blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3832
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Post by PB on Mar 27, 2016 7:42:47 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 27/03/16The clocks have taken their one hour surge forward, it's Easter Sunday, and yet it seems as if Christmas was only yesterday... Time is a weird commodity and one that needs to be used with the best of management skills. Hence, today's POTD is going to be swift... Easter, the time of variable weather conditions. This weekend looks like proving the point. Easter of '65 or maybe '66 saw the USAF arrive on Easter Sunday to collect their para team. It snowed... Easter Sunday long ago, sunshine, snow and the USAF dropped in too. Yesterday's "POTD" included examples of how some aeroplanes had an uncomfortable arrival at Blackbushe associated with the earth bank at the western end of the main runway. The barrier between airfield operations and the pre-owned motor sales that have sucked up the west end of Blackbushe. There were days far further back in history when Blackbushe arrivals did not quite work out as planned... BEA Viking G-AHPP undershot 26 on a training flight, 9/11/49.... Nobody hurt, pride bruised no doubt..No such thing as a full motion flight simulator in those days. The days when full motion would lead to the sick bag rather than the comfort of the world's best computer game. Blackbushe is on a natural plateau, on this occasion not to the pilot's benefit.... Finals for 26 just short of Blackbushe "east".The elevated plateau position serves to make the place easier to see from a distance and also contributes to keeping her head above low level mists - hence the historic good weather record. The plateau position has been 99.99% advantageous, but not it would seem on this November day. BEA wrecked other aircraft at Blackbushe on crew training. An Ambassador was badly bruised in a heavy landing and taken away on a low loader, they also cracked up two Viscounts on consecutive days. Bye bye Blackbushe, bruised Ambassador travels back home to Heathrow for some remedial work. She flew again some months later....Don't forget RJ's walk today..14.00 by the 'Airlines of Blackbushe Airport' sign if you care to join in on a walk across the disused acres. Probably not many Vikings in the undergrowth but makes you realise how many acres of airport were "removed".... Take care! PB
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Post by PB on Mar 28, 2016 9:24:33 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 28/03/16Easter Monday, no place for any Easter chicks in the storm that swept the Blackbushe area overnight.. Happily my broadband services have just been restored after something took out all our TV and broadband services during the hours of darkness. Hopefully not the moles or some such wildlife attacking the underground cables, whatever, Virgin have fixed the problem... Time is now a bit limited, so I'll use today's episode to advise that Stuart's latest Airliners of Blackbushe Airport production focuses on that beauty of the skies, the Bristol Freighter. It should be available later this morning..and joins the Hermes, Viking and Viscount already covered by Stuart. G-AHJD. An old friend shows her cargo capacity amid the Airwork complex. She operated from Blackbushe from 1948 until 1960 when the Airport was closed...In 1948 HJD served with Airwork and found herself involved in the Berlin Airlift. In 1951 joined the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company joining Eagle Airways in 1956 with whom she operated until the Airport's closure silenced her presence in the skies of north-east Hampshire for good. HJD in her latter day Eagle colours...
Check out Stuart's Bristol Freighter work, another account of one of Blackbushe's faithful old transports from years gone by... blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3802Have a nice Easter Monday, and glad that "rj" and his intrepid fellow explorer returned from their Blackbushe "east" expedition in one piece... PB
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Post by PB on Mar 29, 2016 7:06:10 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 29/03/16Easter has slipped into history once again, evidenced by the number of chocolate bunnies whose one-way tickets are no longer valid... Today's POTD goes back to the early sixties and the rugged and rudimentary Blackbushe. The early sixties saw the formation of Three Counties Aero Club, a small number of resident aircraft that pretty much survived the pressure of English weather, and a band of friends and relationships that were truly unique. We had this huge airfield to play with, aeroplanes to play with, we ran fly-ins and superb BBQ type events, all fashioned around an airfield that we hoped had a future but always felt that maybe our time was limited... Some aspects of that have not changed! The Three Counties fleet was varied with older and newer types. One of my favourites was G-ANIS! G-ANIS, our Mk 5 Auster with a Lycoming flat-four bolted to the front...A machine with memories! White with a pale blue fin/rudder some hours were spent in the fight against gravity in IS...One crazy day a 'special' lady waited for me at Southend Airport. I'd gathered all my pocket money to finance a flight to collect her at the well known Essex airfield and subsequently make our way across the Channel for a spot of lunch on the other side of the water. But, of course, the weather produced a depression akin to "Katie" who swept across the UK this Easter.. Sadly my plans were scuppered and I was not the happiest bunny of the day, and G-ANIS remained firmly attached to her concrete blocks. Otherwise, the saga of my thwarted flight is a very long story, and you'll have to read the book....The book? Airborne from 26..a long time ago!Now the domain of British Car Auctions, an endless tide of car transporters, and not a hangar to be seen...just cars, acres of them, pre-owned and awaiting likely bidders. Their intervention may have saved Blackbushe once, but they don't do much for the airfield today..they just grabbed our hangars, if I can use that expression? The lock-up hangars were pretty new at this time...around 1962/3. My blood, sweat and tears lie down there, literally... Working for AVM Bennett proved to be a very flexible experience. Running the airfield, painting runway numerals, building hangars, attending meetings, even flying, they were all part and parcel! Nevertheless, the call of a more stable future took me to pastures new, although I never left Blackbushe in the mystic or spiritual sense. Probably never will...?? The nissen hut in the photo above was our first hangar. A left over from the war days I guess, it was one of a number of structures in the western forest that had escaped the demolition lads when they turned up to destroy Blackbushe. It proved perfect for storing a Hornet Moth due the splendid DH folding wings the aircraft owned. Many times we rolled her out and rolled her back in after a days flying. It was an interesting observation how such a simple mechanism held the wings in place - on the ground AND in the air. Seemed to work OK. As you can tell! Home grown Avro 504 A product of the old lock-up hangars seen above. Maurice Robinson's Robinson Aviation built this superb replica in association with the irreplaceable Viv Bellamy. Not every day that such a wonderful piece of engineering is released into the sky. Again, another story awaits to be told. We lost Maurice in a Stampe accident some years later. Some aircraft were born at Blackbushe, others came to die...The AVM's Dove. She sat in all weathers and was destined to be a Dove never to fly again. For years she sat and rotted.. Meanwhile, in the background one of our home based classics takes to the sky in the shape of Symon Biddulph in his Proctor, G-AGTC. Every chance that a young Mike Biddulph is aboard?? The cereal bowl is jumping up and down, time to put those black and white days back in the box. I hope I never lose my memory, they may be black and white days, but from memory they are some of life's most colourful... PB
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Post by PB on Mar 30, 2016 8:44:56 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 30/03/16Running a bit later than usual, the day's schedule is all at sea, but better late than never. My view point, at least... Talking of being 'all at sea', Blackbushe's history has served the land, the air and the sea... Most significantly, so far as the sea is concerned, being the United States Navy building its UK air base at Blackbushe, the US Navy's only such air base in the United Kingdom. Easy to get to, quick access from London, just what the Navy needed. Good place for an airport... The Neptune became a very familiar shape at Blackbushe until 1960 when closure forced them to move out, initially to West Malling and then north to Mildenhall.. Just three of the many Neptunes to lodge at Blackbushe...The US Navy hangar making a solid backdrop. The Neptunes duties included the daily pursuit and tracking of Soviet vessels and submarines, the Cold War was warming up.. I doubt many local observers knew of their mission purposes as these elegant aircraft headed far away from the Blackbushe circuit. The Royal Navy was one of numerous navies to use Blackbushe. A couple of FAA Sky Raiders thoughtfully saving Blackbushe space during Farnborough Week in the fifties..Numerous amphibeous navy types sailed through Blackbushe, Gannet, Catalinas, Albatross, Mariner, not to mention the many naval aircraft that were best not to land on water. Douglas transports, the Mercator etc etc.. the largest of which was the Lockheed WV-2's that were quite often seen taking a break at Blackbushe on their global operations... Lockheed WV-2..the 01/19 runway that crossed the A30 was a popular place to park these monster machines. The area that today is a light aircraft tie down zone.Having seen some of the WV-2 aircraft at Blackbushe, I can say that they really stand out in the memory! Hard to forget, they looked vast, and often with strange radar buckets and blisters they made quite a sinister spectacle for the many motorists passing by on the A30 London-Southampton trunk road. The A30 was, in those days, the dividing line between Blackbushe "north" and Blackbushe "south". Time for my dividing line...catch up soon, PB
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Post by PB on Mar 31, 2016 7:34:49 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 31/03/16Where does the time go? Tomorrow is April 1st, theoretically the winter is behind us despite the frozen windscreen at 06.00...not to mention the frozen fingers resulting from taxiing the 'blue bin' to the road side with its cargo of recyclable material at an unearthly hour.... The blue bin was bulging with old documents years old following a clear out of our ancient files that are no longer of use to man nor beast. Strange how documents once of great value are now worth nothing except for their scrap value. Some things, photos in particular can be either worth nothing as they age or else they become priceless. Family photos, parents, children through the ages of rapid growth - or maybe places that are no more such as old airfields, now they become priceless! Emotions are strange creatures, and I always look on the past lives of Blackbushe with strange emotional tugs, not to mention a degree of envy toward those who were a part of it.... What better way to cross the A30 than with a Dakota for company? Perhaps a Hermes, or a York, or maybe a stubby Bristol Freighter?The driver of this tractor has the best seat in the house. From the remnants of my memory I can imagine his view. Hangars, aircraft over the entire Airport, 'south, 'east' everywhere, civil, military, and the whole paraphernalia of a busy airport at work. I wonder who he is, where he is, and would he have appreciated the view as much as some of us might? To me in those days as a young laddie Blackbushe was a big and busy airport. That was it. Nothing fantastic, but welcome nonetheless to have London's second airport at my doorstep so to speak. One must assume that although Blackbushe was known amid its staff as "the happy airport" it was a source of employment, but nothing to get over emotional about? Take it away and the saying of "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" comes into to play. It applied to me, and hence we have the One-Stop Forum and other things associated with Blackbushe... Emotions, nostalgia, you can't see them, but you can certainly feel them, our Forum continues to feed them... Just another day at Blackbushe, Silver City Dakota G-AMWV on the main apron in 1958..Emotional times, our first Dakota movement after Blackbushe was "closed" by the government,Emotional times. The killer winter of '63. The great camaraderie kept us warm!Emotional times. So many friends now greatly missed.Emotional times..Another age. Blackbushe (RAF Hartford Bridge) personnel being given pre D-Day briefing.. Emotional times, end of the road for KF487No doubt emotions/nostalgia cling unseen to this dear old Harvard. One of many that arrived via RAF road transport to Eagle at Blackbushe around 1957.. Somewhere 'out there' will be the aviators who enjoyed the challenges of the RAF's advanced trainer and if they are still with us would look back with 'assorted' emotions at flying this splendid machine. I'm not sure of the final destiny of the Blackbushe Harvards, but I do know that some ended up in local scrapyards. Wings and bits could be seen for quite a few years sticking over the fence of one such yard in nearby Sandhurst.. An ignoble end. So, time to move on as the day's duties beckon. I often wonder though, what became of all those good folk who worked at Blackbushe up to 1960, during the fifties - the truly golden age of Blackbushe. The many people behind the airlines once based here... Air Contractors Air Kruise Air Transport Charter Airwork Britavia British Eagle Continental Crewsair Dan-Air Fairflight Falcon Independent Air Transport Orion Pegasus Silver City Westminster Airwaysnot forgetting those other British airlines who flew here regularly Air Charter Air Safaris BKS BEA BOAC Derby Airways Fairways Hunting-Clan Morton Air Services Skyways Starways TransairI could also list the foreign airlines who operated here regularly, but that list is huge and my time is up. Airfields, whatever their state of play, are wonderful magnets for nostalgia and emotional reactions.. Blackbushe oozes with such unseen forces, just don't ever tell me that it was a white elephant!! PB
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Post by PB on Apr 1, 2016 5:42:19 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 01/04/16
While this thread refers to a photo of the day, sadly I have no photo to cover recent activities at Blackbushe.
I have decided to take a risk and breach security requirements by reporting the following news.
Details have been kept under wraps, but over the past few months there has been an increasing amount of nocturnal activity in the Blackbushe region. Personally such stories I tend to take with a pinch of salt, but one needs to question why unidentified lights have been reported apparently using Blackbushe as a reference point. The Police have had reports from no less than five separate individuals that whilst transiting the A30 between Hartley Wintney and Blackwater clusters of what were described as plasma like light were seen apparently approaching the large open expanses of Blackbushe Airport. Photographs taken by eye witnesses have been confiscated by the authorities while the story goes that the Government are taking an active interest having seen the pictures. Newspapers have been banned from publishing any information in the 'public interest' I am reliably informed, but the most recent "event" that they are strictly not allowed to cover is this.... two nights ago the "lights" were seen by a nearby Airport resident while giving his dog a late walk on the common, or Blackbushe "east" as I call it... On this occasion the lights clustered and then descended upon the common inline with the main runway. It was at this point that the plasma light bundles changed in appearance and an extraordinary craft was seen to 'materialize'.... It is hard to believe, especially after so many TV programmes such as the X Files, but dear reader it would seem that Blackbushe is becoming a popular landing site not just for general aviation. Indeed, if you walk on this part of the common you'll see a large area of scrub and trees has recently been flattened.
Reports that little green "men" have occupied the Control Tower are currently unsubstantiated.. You heard it here first, on the first. Have a nice day.
PB
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Post by PB on Apr 2, 2016 5:15:57 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 02/04/16Back to the days when Blackbushe was a serious entity amid the 'big boys' so far as airfields were concerned.. Luftwaffe DH Heron CA*001, September, 1957Luftwaffe Convair Metropolitan CA*032, couple of visits to Blackbushe September, 1959. Not sure if the photo was taken at BB though??Luftwaffe Noratlas, GB*107, September, 1959.Also popular with the Luftwaffe in the forties, Fighter Command Fodder...One of Doug Arnold's Spanish versions of the He111. Outside the Blackbushe hangars during the short but wonderful period when Blackbushe had hangars for aeroplanes. The government closure witnessed the destruction of all the large wartime hangars, then under private ownership the airfield wins planning permission for new hangars. Having built them the owners decide to flog the place to used car auctioneers who have now taken every inch of hangarage for buffing up their motors...OK, we have some temporary plastic ones today, but no 'real' protection for our flying machines. It fair drives you to despair, try and get planning permission now and the common land people have got you over a barrel. We once had a fantastic airport known as Blackbushe, the Luftwaffe failed to destroy it despite their taking a few pot shots, but in due course we succeeded in doing it for them .. Seriously wounded, the old place limps on, but without some serious surgery how long will it be before the wounds prove fatal? Nonetheless, it was good to see the Luftwaffe return under the peaceful post-war skies.. PB
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