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Post by PB on Apr 3, 2016 6:27:40 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 03/04/16" I have a dream......" said Martin Luther. We all have dreams, hopes, and occasional inspiration... One dream common to many was, and maybe still is, to see Blackbushe flourish in some degree toward its former status. Although such extent may not be possible due to the current physical limitations, the basic infrastructure - runway - is there that could support the addition of light regional services, and in so doing dramatically increase the financial viability of what is an excellent location for aviation. Just a few examples over the years supporting the dream of what Blackbushe could have done if not chained down by ancient rights, bureaucratic fingering, and the, "Oh no, you couldn't do that!" brigade.. “ A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Words from Colin Powell...It may, or may not, be too late for Blackbushe to flourish and earn the much needed revenue that a few such regional flights would provide, but no doubt our green, politically correct, NIMBY laden, self centered, lawyer run world would indeed need the magic more than anything for this dream to materialise. I recently met with a leading regional airline management who would be "very interested" in the benefits afforded by a suitable airfield that happens to be in the area of north-east Hampshire that occupies a prime catchment area... Dreams, happily, cost nothing. PB
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Post by PB on Apr 4, 2016 6:55:03 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 04/04/16If a picture paints a thousand words..??Sometime in the fifties, doesn't matter when, the photographer captured the now desolate Blackbushe "east" perfectly. The unmistakable Blackbushe chain link surrounding the Terminal Building's grassy surrounding with a pair of Britannia's resting on the south eastern end of runway 14/32. In the fifties that was the end of 14/32 used for parking some visitors. In the 70's and 80's we used the other end of the same runway for parking our somewhat smaller visitors, all of Blackbushe "east" having been dug up by that time... The Brit's both point the way to the Control Tower while immediately behind and to the left of the Tower a transport aircraft can be seen taxiing to the 26 hold. Beneath the tail of the Britannia on the left of the photo another multi engined transport aircraft is lined up on 26 and ready to go... Just another day at the still intact Airport in the glorious fifties... PB
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Post by PB on Apr 5, 2016 8:34:23 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 05/04/16Your daily serving from the feast that never ends... R4D-6 of FASRON 200's Paris detachment. 17226 was a regular sight at Blackbushe during 1958 and 1959.Danish Air Force C-47 "685" made regular visits to Blackbushe during the period 1957-59.Yesterday BEA, today British Airways... however, this aeroplane on leaving BEA was converted by Eagle at Blackbushe to a T-93 for the Argentinian Air Force.PB
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Post by PB on Apr 7, 2016 4:59:02 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 07/04/16POTD staff on outside duty, so just one flash back, and "we're" on the road. Great dawn chorus at 05.30 by the way... Don Bullock and Sally B arrive for the Blackbushe Air Festival press day, July 1977.Flying with the late Don B was every bit as exciting as the photo indicates! PB
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Post by PB on Apr 8, 2016 7:15:38 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 08/04/16Returned to base for a few days after another 12 hour mission yesterday that makes one appreciate a late start, its gone 0700, luxury... Yesteday's flash from the past was of Don Bullock making a low level attack in the B-17. I knew Don well, had circumstances been a tad different there would be no "POTD" as I happened not to be on the flight when he killed my closest friend, himself, and six others...No grudges, just sadness at the loss of life and a beautiful A-26. Sadly so many air show accidents have ended in the tragic loss of life, some unique warbirds, the results now being the hard and greedy ruling hand of the CAA... This year's event at Blackbushe will have no display flying. The CAA have imposed draconian 'costs', and many smaller air shows will no doubt vanish from the UK for good. We will have warbirds at Blackbushe in July (if all goes well..) but they will not be used for display flying. Stunt flying is for aircraft and pilots qualified for such and I have to say I have cringed many times at seeing priceless restored aircraft from past conflicts being used to demonstrate the pilot's 'skill'. Nonetheless, this year's Air Day is hoped to attract quite a few flying machines of varying vintage. The Air Day to me is a two fold exercise. (a) To raise funds in support of Aerobility who have done so much for the disabled and our injured service personnel, and (b) to put Blackbushe pack on the map, the map that sees it as an airfield - not a car auction site, or a Sunday market... My fingers are locked in the crossed position, and I will be needing your help come the day. Please add your name to the volunteer list elsewhere on the Forum if you wish to get involved with our two good reasons for 'doing something'.... Today, while thinking of Don's arrival in the B-17, a couple of other "approaches" that stand out from the fairly recent past.... IAS DC-8, Blackbushe Air Festival, 1977..An old resident came home for a few hours, Eagles DC-6, G-APSA, came home in the company of the odd tear stained cheek...2008, I think.The last Comet arrival. Destined to be a restaurant, died under the breakers brutality.TMAC CL-44 Blackbushe Air Festival, '77. Varsities appeared in twos at Blackbushe '77, and then disappeared from our circuit for all time.Another unusual type to approach in '77Barnstormers Displays had some great acts in the early 70'sWe've had many types over the years on the Blackbushe approaches!Barnstormers and another sight we'll never see again.....and at night! Club night flying night used to be Wednesday, goosenecks, and prolonged attacks of the shivers...Arnold Air Force provided plenty of interesting approaches..Still the nicest looking transport aeroplane, and we've had quite a few since the 1960 rebirth of Blackbushe..Not 100% the domain of Farnborough...1961..our very first fly-ins. The best days ever!!The RAE came over to keep an eye on us now and again!! cc1963Neville Duke flies in with the Dowty Dove. Finals for 01...when? About 1962 or 3...The home grown Blackbushe 504 in action, finals for 08... sorry, the date escapes...but early to mid 60'sFinals for 26....who said Blackbushe was closed?Neil Williams. Lancaster. Blackbushe. Joy!! British Air Ferries showed what the regional airliner can still do at Blackbushe Air Festival, '77...Blackbushe 50th bash..Blackbushe 50th...Another B-17 arrives..G-FORTLittle......and large!So many wonderful aircraft have frequented the Blackbushe approaches since May, 1960, when the government declared Blackbushe closed to all aircraft, for ever.... What we owe to the few who made the supreme effort to keep this superb airfield alive.... her old heart still beats with the ability to do so much more. IF.... PB
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Post by PB on Apr 9, 2016 9:10:33 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 09/04/16 Yesterday's "Photo of the Day" finished with a very small word. "IF". So far as Blackbushe is concerned the word "if" could be a very large word depending upon the context in which you take it. "Photo of the Day" earlier this week, the 3rd April... blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3882 ....reflected upon the many regional airliners that have visited Blackbushe over the years since its closure on 31 May, 1960. You know, the day our government ditched its second airport with the decree that flying would never take place here again.... Another government pledge that went the way of many others, flying did and does take place!. My photo collection referred to above was hardly complete, but served its purpose in showing the regional airliner and Blackbushe partnership...I'm indebted to help from Malcolm who wired over these superb shots of the "Formula One" BAe 146 during one if its calls into Blackbushe and adding yet another regional to the collection.. The 146 was for many years the shape probably most widely associated with commercial air services from London City. London City. Would you believe that this country with its NIMBY speaking self righteous, green spewing, environmentally obsessed objectors and protestors to roads, airports, railways, housing development, fracking, anything that smells of progress - have accepted an airport plum in the heartland of our capital city. I would have thought, perhaps, that the animal famous for its bacon rashers stood more chance of ascending over the City of London, but the old adage regarding pigs and their flying ability would appear mistaken. While the porcine species have so far failed to fly over the roof tops of London many regional airliners do, thanks to the ready market that is within its 'easy reach'... the bankers, the City boys, the pin stripes and braces, all are signed up to the convenience of air services close to their front door sans the struggle of our major London terminals. The regional airliner plays a huge role in the European transport infrastructure. Put the airport in the right place and we see what can happen. London City are aiming for 8 million pax annually, with nearly 4.5 million in 2015. This despite the high population, sky scrapers and other objects projecting from the local environment.. Purely out of interest it is fascinating to compare London City and Blackbushe. Both are of equal size with runways that are comparable. In fact Blackbushe would have the longer runway if it were not for the displaced thresholds imposed by way of an earth bank and car park at one end, and common land at the other. London City carries many passengers each day, including services to/from New York utilising a runway where the TORA is almost identical to that of Blackbushe. The Blackbushe LDA is slightly less than that at the City Airport.. What am I saying? Nothing that is not obvious from comparing the runways of both airports. Blackbushe is circled by a fast growing business population providing an ever richer and all important catchment area. An area from which I know many of our local regular travellers to Europe and around the UK would welcome the convenience of a London City type product well placed but clear of London congestion. Blackbushe's location stands out as suitable in many ways. It boasts the best approaches of any airfield in the south-east with east and west runway headings leading to open land, common and forestry property. It also offers easy surface access as BCA would be the first to admit! Were Blackbushe not nailed down by anachronistic ancient rights it could become another London City. Quiet, a good neighbour that would bring employment and new business to our area is just waiting to flourish, were that it could.. Easy access, good weather, excellent catchment area, the old airfield has it all. The revenue from a number of regional services would no doubt be beneficial toward the airfield's future viability? Fanciful dreams are inexpensive, but can we assume that the current air traffic flows at Blackbushe will support her longevity? It was stated back in the fifties that the London TMA is but a short distance from Blackbushe so far as ILS approaches were concerned. A long final to 26 would result in unpleasant scraping sounds as ones wings came into conflict with the mighty fence of the London TMA. I would venture to say that the navigation aids of today, and tomorrow, would permit precision, and if necessary curved approaches with accuracy and safety avoiding the TMA region while steering clear of the relatively small number of aircraft movements from/to Farnborough. There is still a lot of sky out there, and we can make steeper approaches too. Steep approaches may be entertained without serious consequence to the aircraft operator, but to further the benefits of quiet aircraft making curved and steep approaches a noise certification process would be needed relating to the actual behaviour of the aircraft involved and the location of any possible local disturbance/conflict. Something that would involve the airlines, air traffic, airport management and the regulators. One sees the need for a computer modelling session, or two.. So what am I saying?? Nothing more than how Blackbushe could add a degree of neighbourhood friendly regional services to the current traffic mix. I have heard so many times how Blackbushe is written off in glib conversation, "it'll never happen mate"...Rubbish. We flew to the Moon with no more than the power of a pocket calculator for guidance, what was London's second airport could surely handle a few small regional services in the 21st Century? Well, it could, and I will stand by that for as long as it takes. The airfield hosts a huge potential in its beating heart, and many would like to see it taken advantage of. Some would not. Normal state of affairs. Hopefully the sound of aero engines flying in and out of Blackbushe will be heard for many years to come - regardless of the aircraft type they are attached to? Blackbushe is home to the leading jet air taxi operator, but maybe it could also reach out to a broader market to which it is equally suited? "IF" is not such a small word.... it was asked of London City once, and look what happened! Whatever develops at Blackbushe - dreams continue to cost nothing. If they came true, so much the better....?? PB blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3948blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/3951
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Post by PB on Apr 10, 2016 9:01:02 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 10/04/16Running a bit late today, no "Ifs" about our future as we turn around and look at examples of British military forces and how they visited the Farnborough Air Show during those sunny Septembers of the fifties... Perhaps the latter days when you could, "borrow a kite" for a day out....? Percival Piston Provost, WV487, 9th September, 1959. Parked amid a host of other visitors.Fairey Gannet, XA321, 4th September, 1956. The sound of the Double Mamba and those contra rotating props is hard to forget. Be nice to see/hear a Gannet in the air again..DH Vampire T.11, WZ518, 7th September, 1955. Another classic sight and sound of a golden era...That's it... PB
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Post by PB on Apr 11, 2016 6:51:46 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 11/04/16"Monday, Monday.....Can't trust that day".......or so sang the Mamas & Papas in the 'heady' sixties! Nothing much has changed, look at it. Monday. Cloud base at four foot six, rain, 3.5K on the nose with rain smeared glasses..could be worse, but a miserable view. However, we can always look back on sunnier times thanks to the wonders of stuff known as camera film, the magical processes involved in making its images appear on sort of paper stuff AND the wonderful people who took the pictures using these ancient facilities. Through the kindness and generosity of a select few many examples have descended into the One-Stop Forum's vaults. Three more such works of art await below.... Just another day at Blackbushe. September, 1955, Blackbushe based United States Navy produced an endless supply of military movements. Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune HF-1/13556 rests on part of the apron that is no more..More American might..North American AJ2 Savage NH-2, 134050, also September, 1955.American type, but with French dressing. September, 1959, Lockheed Harpoon, 137503, of the French Navy, on the wide open acres of Blackbushe.. Distant memories from those wonderful salad days.That'll be it for today. More Air Day meetings at Blackbushe this morning, just hope that July 30th offers better met actuals than today is currently managing! PB
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Post by PB on Apr 12, 2016 6:26:54 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 12/04/16Another day in the One-Stop editorial sweat shop...Selecting, scanning, trimming, uploading, downloading, and then the worst part...thinking! I try and launch each morning's offering with some kind of 'attention getter' that proves no more than the fact that I have - to a degree - woken up. It's quite odd how a notion some years ago whereby we lodged Blackbushe on the shoulders of another forum has lead to this daily search for adjectives, and hopefully not too many misplaced nouns as together we venture the road to Blackbushe past. Out of curiosity, and to see if anybody actually reads my daily scrawl, are there any other airfields in the UK that offer a similar daily blast from the past as we do for Blackbushe? If so I'd like to know, I might learn something as to how to improve our service to you... Do let me know... Meanwhile , it's another day as I was saying...Today we bring you four more. Four more with four. A further reflection on the military might that made Blackbushe such an unusual airport way back when men were men and flew aeroplanes that required flying. Oh, what am I saying, the days when aeroplanes required flying with somewhat more muscle perhaps? When FL350 was considered a bit on the high side..and aeroplanes sounded like what aeroplanes should sound like. They also flew at a speed whereby you had longer to appreciate them as they made the roof tiles rattle en route.. First up, it's 757 but not a Boeing. US Navy R5D-3 Skymaster, 87757, September, 1953. Tail prop in place, resting by the A30.Another US Navy R5D Skymaster, 39148 in 1953. Note the A30 in the foreground while a Lincoln taxies in the background. Just another day..US Air Force September, 1958. Douglas C-54, 44-9075 of JUSMG Madrid rumbles along the rather damp Blackbushe taxiway.September, 1959, US Navy R6D-4R of VR-22, 128425, enters the main apron. Eight months to go before all this would be just a memory as government and local influences destroyed one of our nation's assets.There's your daily dose from Blackbushe. Now time to carry on with the Air Day work, just another day doing what we can to give you some entertainment.... On that subject if YOU know the owners of (or are the owner of) aircraft that would make great additions to our July aircraft static park please let me know.. Sadly we cannot have a flying display, we are gathering some nice flying machines for the static park, but are always open to MORE!!! Size does not matter...the landing distance might though! Thank you in anticipation.... PB
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Post by PB on Apr 13, 2016 7:16:20 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 13/04/16Signs of summer beckoned yesterday, time to take another walk on the 'wild side'..... Yes, sleeves rolled up, hat at a jaunty angle to prevent the UV from further attacks on the cranial upper reaches, "Map my Walk" cranked up to record the effort for posterity - and ego - and squelch. Recent rains had returned the 'public open space' known as Yateley Common, or in this case, "Blackbushe East" into a collection of man consuming bogs wherein the less cautious may finish their days.. A lot more trees have been felled on Ye Olde Common yielding a view somewhere between a recent nuclear event or a vicious act of nature akin to tornado ally elsewhere..It must have cost a lot of money to get this far in the destruction of Blackbushe Airport. Talking of money, lots of it, one unique part of old Blackbushe still can be found if you walk along the edges of where the main runway stretched across what is now 'common'...FIDO, or rather odd bits of FIDO. Fog Intensive Dispersal Operation as once known, the system wherein thousands of gallons of low grade petrol were ignited thus burning a hole in the fog and making aviation possible when otherwise it certainly wasn't... You will find more on FIDO elsewhere on the Forum. But here's a view I certainly did not get yesterday.... 8 June, 1945. Obviously a trial run. That, or FIDO's success in fog clearance had exceeded all expectations!The prospect of landing tail draggers amid our local Dantes Inferno is not a pleasant one. That surmise based upon the willingness of the tail dragger to ground loop given the chance... FIDO did work though, if infrequently. My walk continued with the usual focus on things that are no longer there, or examining bits of brickwork, or the tell tale drainage system so well destroyed by HM Government & associated henchmen.... Left by the government..all the Airport's drains were similarly disfigured and rendered useless. Most of them were repaired by hand using the AVM's metal molds and a lot of concrete...and me during school holidays..Airport lighting went the same way..but was beyond reasonable repair. Could have been used today if the government vandals had kept their mits off..At this stage of the walk cursing and muttering can be heard from you scribe's mouth. Fantastic runway disused, unloved, and cracking up...what a waste! Especially when the wind blows across the main..requiring lots of aileron and rudder.Now comes a question. Maybe it's a commoners' tradition to attach surprise parcels to trees. Little plastic bags obviously filled with something and then left swinging from the the branches of trees resident on the old airfield. Lucky charms maybe? An offering to the God of Common Land and disused bits of aerodromes? I was not tempted to investigate, who knows what might be inside? I think we know, and that brings me back to FIDO...yes, I fear that the dog walkers have much to answer for in their persistent fouling of this public open space. In fact yesterday's walk provided an adrenalin pumping moment involving a wild looking "Fido"...Navigating a particularly narrow bit of path through the undergrowth and doing my utmost not to fall "hippo style" into the next mud wallow that blocked my way a large "staffy" (is that what they're called) came hurtling at me with jowls akimbo in his slobber festooned slipstream. "Avoid eye contact" thought I, instantly referring to the wild life survival programmes on TV. As revealed earlier, t'was a summer's day - almost - and the sleeves were rolled up. Side stepping the oncoming pooch involved an encounter with an airport bramble bush which found my exposed forearm. This combined with the necessary aspirin to keep various components functioning resulted in significant blood shed. Happily the hound continued on his way, the smell of English blood did not attract him, the owner appeared shortly after his dog who happily had decided I wasn't lunch. There are dangers in walking on old airfields. Days like yesterday are good for the adder population's return to basking in the season's early warmth. I failed to see one yesterday, but they are about. Lots of them, so if you should decide to take a walk on the wild side...be careful of snakes, staffies, swamps, and even sunburn? Back to aeroplanes tomorrow and light aircraft movements amid the airliners of long ago... Final view today, the northern taxi way as seen yesterday.. Once the domain of Bostons, Mitchells, Mosquitoes, the US Navy and a host of others. Yesterday, just the birds, me and the ghosts of braver yesterdays.PB
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