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Post by PB on Jan 6, 2017 6:57:32 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 06/01/17Yesterday the sun shone down on the righteous and others, thus I elected to enjoy the latter part of day amid the rays chilly though they were - and logged three miles at a brisk pace on the disused runways once known as Blackbushe Airport. Covered the distance in 50 minutes including photo stops. I had to agree with myself this was not bad for an old bloke with bits of metal in his chest to keep things flowing! Nontheless in a couple of weeks the Frimley Park Hospital team will again be travelling the old arterial route to visit the heart and see what's ticking... Depending on the 'point of entry' an undignified procedure that last time left me with 30% bruising, I could dig out the photos but they'd surely detract from the pleasure of the morning's Corn Flakes!! With the 75th activity moving to a hiatus it's the worst time to be on the doctor's slab, just hope they don't take a wrong turn and leave me out for the count on along term basis, or the 75th won't happen the way I see it...Yesterday's walk - and all the other past ones - suggest that penetrating my chest right now is all a bit unnecessary, but what do I know? Three miles was over 6000 paces according to my onboard technology... Such traverses over the dreadfully dead acres of Blackbushe have varying degrees of effect on me, apart from any possible health gains. The imagination is stimulated thinking of the wartime exploits that happened from these very runways, Mosquitoes, Bostons, Spitfires, Mitchells, Mustangs,etc etc etc all flung themselves down the tarmac that for a few minutes is my domain, and what emotions must have accompanied them? How lucky was I to have no more than my return to the car and the 75th to worry about? Runway "zero one" in yesterday's January sunlight..one could almost hear the engines that took the Hartford Bridge boys from safety to what had to be done..So many Mosquitoes flew from the now crumbling runways, today forgotten it's mainly dogs that seem to own these historic remains..and the occasional passer by with a mind full of imagination and memoriesThe boys from Blackbushe..for some the runways will always wait their return.Walking the old north western taxiway now shrouded by trees and displaying the effects of time one not only thought of wartime, but of the post war airline days when depending on the wind, a host of commercial transports would have trundled along here... The deserted northwestern taxiway yesterday...played host to more visions of the past, not to mention first hand memories of taxiing these distances in a variety of tail draggers long ago..Curiously the old northern taxiways remind me of days in the sixties when all the runways were in use and cross winds were well catered for at Blackbushe. I suppose the most memorable must still be the hemorrhoid removing bum scraping journey in the Aeronca 100 with its JAP motorcycle engine. I never measured the distance between ones posterior and the taxiway, but it was very minimal and totally advisable not to taxi over anything that appeared sharp, pointed, and potentially full of unpleasant surprises..(??) There she is! You see my point about the undesirable nature of sharp objects going between your wheels?? The bum was at risk, but protecting one's manhood entering and exiting the aeroplane was probably the most tricky part of the proceedings, although getting in the air had its excitement too.Yesterday's walk along the abandoned runways brought back more recent recollections. Farnborough Weeks in the 80's when 14/32 was jam packed with Farnborough visitors. One of our many visitors sits below.. Italian Air Force, Aeritalia G222 if I recall, we (Roger and I), parked her on the 01/19 and 14/32 intersection and mighty good she looked!!Just for the record, that's the self same spot as it looks today - or more precisely yesterday. Our airfield is slipping away...Thanks to 'official bodies' who protect our land and the species for whom all must be sacrificed, the owner of the land is not able to do anything with it, they are even putting my 75th efforts under threat.... Now that would be a stab in the chest - more than enough to send me to Frimley Park...on a one-way ticket!! Have a wonderful day.. PB
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Post by PB on Jan 7, 2017 5:39:18 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 07/01/17The first Saturday of the year, hailed by a remarkably sleepless night. Some deep seated beast stirs within my mind, or maybe its an entire flock of such beats ranging from a certain airfield's activities, looming medical events, another birthday next month, or maybe it is just the self inflicted pressure of THAT airfield's 75th? Blackbushe has given me a library of memories to run through on long sleepless nights, alas running through them apparently does little to help the return of sleep.. ...take a look! Buzzing the Terminal early sixties. Shows how much Hampshire CC grabbed, and all that lovely apron, not sleep inducing!Our "first Dakota"...there's a good memory...Arghhh, no - the nightmare returnsNo waking up to find it was all a bad dream.Dream times, we had an awful lot of fun!! Outbound to Sandown IoW..to RNAS Culdrose, 1965ish!Bleak Airport...bleak times..Tough times...Cool times...Show time!!Memorable moment..1977 style!Dark times..Magical moments with the Reds.."What could be" - what SHOULD be moments...Too many friends gone forever...the sad times.But through it all, young and old, Blackbushe will always have my thumbs up, darn me... it owes a lot of sleep though!!PB ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz??
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Post by PB on Jan 8, 2017 5:33:58 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 08/01/17Hangars. An interesting subject, primarily due to the lack of them at Blackbushe. In 1942 there was a fine collection, added to in the fifties when the US Navy took up residence having built their own magnificent hangar and base on the airfield's north eastern sector. Hangars of old...sadly torn down in 1960. Where the Luftwaffe failed in the forties, the Brit government struck in the sixties...Built by the US military...vacated in 1960Silver City, Britavia, Falcon Airways, they all were here..
Come 1960 the government flattened the place in support of developments elsewhere while the US Navy hangar remained in situ into the seventies. AVM Bennett's acquisition of a large chunk of the old airfield witnessed some rather temporary hangars being put up which gave much needed protection to those lucky enough to get it. Doug Arnold's era saw the removal of the AVM's structures and the first 'real' hangars to be built at Blackbushe since the US Navy put up theirs. Planning and Common Land issues clouded the future - as they still do - the Arnold hangars were built on the one bit of Blackbushe where Common issues were not involved. Building hangars at Blackbushe? Impossible! Well, they were hangars for a while..The Arnold HangarsWitnessed scenes like this.....and this!Air Hanson, PremiAir Helicopters and Warbirds of Great Britain made excellent use of these precious facilities. The benefit of these well demonstrated when Manhattan Jet Charters' first Premier jet arrived on delivery from the USA... Jets in hangars at Blackbushe,.. blink and you'll missed 'em 'cos now they're car valeting units.Which ever way you looked at it, Blackbushe had hangars, really superb hangars. Good enough for Her Majesty to keep the Royal helicopter in! But, Doug Arnold sold to BCA who auction off used cars, vans etc etc.. PremiAir remained in their hangar, the warbird restoration was gone, but we still had hangars that served a purpose although sadly they were not for use by any others than those in the helicopter or certain business jet circles. BCA had enough of the airfield. They wanted it gone and sold to the current consortium, but BCA wanted to keep the hangars. They did, and today poor old Blackbushe struggles on with nothing except the temporary plastic hangars alongside the A30. Everything has to be 'temporary'.... BUT, things might change over the next 12 months as will become evident soon. If Blackbushe can have hangars, she will have hangars, but maybe a public enquiry first. That will eat up time and money, but at least the effort is now there to resolve this once and for all. Time, money, lots of money, and patience beyond reasonable limits are called for, but if it can happen it will happen. But, it was simply amazing having the hangars shown above, the joy was short lived. PB
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Post by PB on Jan 8, 2017 23:19:50 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 09/01/17No POTD today 9th January, gone to EGCC... ..I'll be back. PB
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Post by PB on Jan 10, 2017 7:37:46 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 10/01/17Yesterday engulfed in the Manchester rain, today..back to cloud cuckoo land! Clad in Wee Willy Winkie hat and armed with the Mk1 Candle Guidance System today it's back to the POTD vaults for a quick sortie before my wick runs dry...No, don't take that as in any way euphemistic, but time is short in so many ways this morning. A meeting with a respected member of the House of Lords, the daunting bid for USAF participation in July to complete, plus some family ferrying and the need for a long walk after yesterday's confinement to the motorways and one very close encounter!! Only one, but enough... Thus, today's offering from cloud cuckoo land... Take one Airport serving London, numerous independent airlines, the US Navy etc etc and close it by way of expedience in support of another airport's development. Destroy it. For better, or for worse, sell a high percentage of it to a new owner who sees the aviation potential still within that airfield's dying acres..BUT leave the rest in the hands of local influences who don't agree with that new owner's plans and are driven in support of ancient anachronistic (love that word) rights who do all they can to destroy 'their bit' to wreck any plans for a future Blackbushe Airport. Here the cloud cuckoo lays its egg in the old Blackbushe nest and 57 years later it has still not hatched. I think the yolk must be rotten.. The nest... The scene from a Three Counties Auster 6 in 1963..the apron being digested from right to left, the amazing vanishing Vigo Lane enters the apron to the right and ploughs straight through the Terminal..A lot of the apron already destroyed, the mystical Vigo Lane being the declared boundary west of which was still "Blackbushe". A fortune in local funds is consumed by the heated efforts of 'whoever' to further destroy a national asset that the government had done their utmost to finish off, it was an 'embarrassment' to their plans elsewhere. Is this not cloud cuckoo land? The fascinating fact is in the flexibiity of Vigo Lane, or even what its purpose was in the first place? No doubt it served as a route to the Anchor pub for somebody but where they would come from is not at all clear.. However, it very conveniently at the time was drawn through the Terminal giving most of the building to the local common, which in turn lead to its costly demolition due to council sponsored neglect and abuse. The photo clearly shows how little of the huge original apron will remain once the forces of destruction reach "Vigo Lane". Reminiscent of the 'scorched earth policy' exercised by others in years gone by? Look on Google maps today, you will see that Vigo Lane no longer crosses the airfield but uses the convenience of an old Blackbushe perimeter road now renamed Vigo Lane to take traffic around the north east of what was once a proud airport of great value. Cloud cuckoo land refers to an idealistic fantasy of absurd proportions. The question is this... Which side of the 1960 Vigo Lane is Cloud Cuckoo Land? Please ponder at your leisure, I'm off as there's much to do in support of "our" side of the fence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PB, and please don't rain on me today.
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Post by PB on Jan 11, 2017 8:49:06 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 11/01/17Red kites, the species of avian spreading its wings across the land and possessor of the most enviable flying abilities is no stranger to the Blackbushe circuit - hopefully being up to speed on traffic procedures in the process? Red kites look great in the air, but no doubt some of us would rather see the Eagle return to its old 1950's roost... Blackbushe based Eagle Airways' Rapide enjoying the Blackbushe air beneath its wings...Eagle Founder Harold Bamberg always enjoyed flying her!If plans for the Blackbushe 75th come off this July we'll have at least one Rapide on pleasure flying. More if necessary... It may not be an Eagle, but this Heron looks good wearing Eagle's feathers...Seems a long while ago since Eagles landed at Blackbushe in numbers.....although one did slip back to the nest briefly in 2008.Harold Bamberg said when unveiling the "Airlines of Blackbushe Airport" sign that were he younger he'd do all possible to start another Eagle at Blackbushe. HB's ideal would have been a London City type operation providing links from the huge Blackbushe catchment area across the UK and into Europe. A bit like red kites, where one appears, more would be sure to follow? Count EGLC's daily movements! Meanwhile the red kites will continue to soar above the old Eagle's nest in the Eagle's old airspace, an "eyrie" silence is all that's left compared to "those days".... PB
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Post by PB on Jan 12, 2017 8:10:17 GMT
"Photo of the day" 12/01/17Pondering on where to go today so far as POTD is concerned, the photo below maybe says something.. The BAA live under different names today as their airports now live under stand alone brand names. The photo created a fleeting image of "Blackbushe Airport Holdings Ltd.", a la Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd. Just wonder what the airfield would look like had things been somewhat different...? A brief momentary day dream, let us hope that the current owners plans come to fruition. They are the best ones Blackbushe has had since 1960. PB
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Post by PB on Jan 13, 2017 7:57:34 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 13/01/17Summer feels like it was a long time ago as I survey the frozen waste land that only yesterday was one's garden! Freezing cold days make me glad the central heating is earning its keep while the mind can scan over random memories relating to warmer days.... I'm happy to share these random mental moments! A September day at Blackbushe in the late fifties..Perhaps a dream from long ago?Lost friends, both man and machine..Memories still warm from last summerMemories of a length of chestnut paling that featured in one's boyhood!Even memories of one of life's other pursuits! My SU26 that happily won the concours trophy that sits behind me in the office...she flew like her names sake, but alas has not flown for a couple of years. Too busy trying to create future dreams at Blackbushe!!Memories of this "Standard" VC10, to me the much loved "RVM" at White Waltham in 1977. (Of course, it was British Airways RR powered 747 that appeared at Blackbushe that year - its first UK public show). I finished a round the world trip on Christmas Day 1972 on RVM, JFK-LHR in the company of the lady who became the Mrs Brown and has been for 42 fantastic years!! A section of RVM resides at Brooklands to this very day..Ahh memories - some just cannot die.The memory of this moment the more sad as the day was spent with my very best pal Roger Russell who was later lost in the Invader at Biggin Hill. Life is made of a cocktail of memories, not all good... But I'm truly grateful for most of mine... PB
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Post by PB on Jan 14, 2017 8:48:25 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 14/01/17We've almost arrived at January's mid point. We've actually had a dusting of snow, quite seasonal, trains disrupted and flights cancelled in advance at the mention of the "S" word (again quite seasonal), the temperature is equally seasonal as nature's weather systems go about their business. The flying display that I continue to work on has multi national participation lining up with aircraft from both World Wars, prop and jet participation from types from the fifties, etc etc etc.... The 75th apart from marking a milestone in the old airfield's life is to raise funds for Help for Heroes and Aerobility.. It's "Blackbushe East"!!!!Another of my photo recce missions back in '63 as the dark forces invaded what they could of Blackbushe and destroyed it.... The faint course of Vigo Lane at the time can be seen running north to south across the airfield, through where the runways intersected with continuing service taking out most of the apron and through the Terminal. Everything to the right of mystic Vigo Lane was unceremoniously destroyed. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, once the destruction line defined by Vigo Lane was activated, Vigo Lane magically moved to become part of the old Blackbushe north eastern taxiway - originally domain of the United States Navy. If the east end of the airfield had been subjected to the exchanges proposed by previous owners of Blackbushe at least four people would be alive today had the runway not been hacked by those opposing forces. Blackbushe's eastern end would today look cared for and tidy plus be generating revenue for the local community - instead it is a dog fouled disaster. Just to let you know all is not well this side of the computer screen so far as the 75th is concerned.. but we're not done yet! PB Some comments received, here's the first of several! blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/6227
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Post by PB on Jan 15, 2017 9:22:11 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 15/01/17Here we are again. It's a wet grey Sunday, cold, dismal.... On such a cheerless Sunday the conditions drag the memory back to the many such days from 1960's winter and onwards for some years. Part of a small but perfectly formed team who became the Blackbushe Aero Club and spent weekend after weekend working on the huge operation of making the Terminal area habitable. The building was surrounded by debris, the demolition squads sent in by HMG made a real mess of demolishing the place. The A30 was edged by piles of broken concrete, tiles, pipes, and all the debris you can imagine that resulted from a blitz style operation to flatten Blackbushe in the fastest possible time. Awful to see, but those days were legion in the camaraderie and team spirit that we all shared. I was the baby of the pack then, it did not help my school work, but out of the tragedy of Blackbushe's demise I found a new direction in life that taught much about getting the job done.. That old spirit has stuck with me ever since, and maybe its for those old dear friends with whom I worked but are no longer amongst us that I still insist on getting things done on our old aerodrome? I know they'd approve... Back to the early sixties... One of those far off cold grey Sundays in the sixties....Back in the air, the mischievous Vigo Lane can be seen sneaking in on the lower right corner. I note it takes a sly turn to the right just before entering the apron..Follow that and the Airport loses even more precious parking space! On both sides of the A30 you can clearly see where buildings have been removed, but we do have a signals square with the Airport Land Rover, a Messenger and Hornet Moth on the apron. The AVM's Linnet (I assume) parked on the grass t'other side of the signals area. Try and visualise this. There are no trees except the forestry commission land beyond the bounds of the original Blackbushe, the area is a vast plain except for the Terminal and the freshly abandoned US Navy hangar over to the north-east. Just debris - everywhere.. If you look along the land bordering the A30 the piles of broken concrete and assorted rubble are to be seen. Tons of the stuff.. Electrical wiring ripped out of the ground, leaving severed arteries of the Airport's excellent lighting systems simply waving in the wind - as if the Airport's lost soul were calling for help? Drains, all of them, filled with rubble, broken and then abandoned. For someone who has spent many happy hours at operational Blackbushe it was as if seeing an old friend who had been brutally murdered. The photo above shows the Terminal..and in particular I look at the wall comprising the building's east end with a neat rectangle of grass just what would have been 'airside'.. That wall is where many a bike was propped during the era prior to May 31, 1960. The scene was very different then, and many young chaps enjoyed all that it had to offer when Blackbushe was truly "Blackbushe"! Ahh, those wet grey Sundays. They were boring in so much as the scene was depressing, hard work, but the friendships more than made up for the negatives, and occasionally, just occasionally, an aeroplane would "come in"... Often a passing Auster, or such of the era, would fly a wide circuit to take a look while below we jumped about and waved whatever we could in hopes they might venture onto the cold Blackbushe tarmac. Sometimes they did, and that was just the greatest thing!! "The way we were"...Deserted airfield, just dear old November Lima, the Blackbushe Aero Club's Colt having the empty acres to itself...The Colt was housed at Eastleigh, and flown up every weekend and flown back again on Sunday, the best that could be done at the time. It was on a cold, grey Sunday back in March, 1962 that I first tasted the pure joy of flight when strapped into November Lima the airfield known as Blackbushe slipped beneath me. I had flown, life felt different.... Cold grey Sundays are not all bad! Thank you Blackbushe... PB
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