PHOTO of the DAY...

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
21/02/15

No aeroplanes today, well not unless you have eyesight like that of a circling bird of prey.

Today we 'ave a plan...Blackbushe Airport as seen from somewhere above normal circuit height.



It is a view that fills me with a generous serving of mixed emotions. Here we see the skeletal remnants of the true Blackbushe Airport, or most of it, with the more recent developments hard to miss. I'm uncertain of the exact date this revealing study was taken, but obviously well into the British Car Auctions tenancy.

Let's take a walk round the old place??

First thing to chew at the emotional tender spots is down on the lower left hand corner. We're obviously on Blackbushe 'south' namely the section of Blackbushe that used to be south of the A30 London-Southampton trunk road, and that corner shows an area of yellow due to some surface excavation. Gravel extraction I assume, but very near to this would have been the Eagle Airways hangars and maintenance complex. I think I know which we'd prefer to see....?? I wonder what tokens of the past might be scooped up as the gravel cancer eats away at dear old Blackbushe?



Continuing our journey around the opening photo and staying on Blackbushe 'south', the ravages of time have not hidden where all the taxiways, loops and parking bays used to be. The aviation history that would have taxied around these parts is legend..from 1942 until the total end in 1060. The Silver City hangar location would have been beyond the lower right hand corner out of the photo. As you can see, the north south runway, 01/19 used to cross the main road and during wartime this necessitated closing the road so as operations could continue.



A bit of Silver City's hangar..this was also the base for Falcon and Britavia over time.



Blackbushe 'south' mid 1960's during air show rehearsals, and the two mile "runway" like stretch of thew A30. Two miles of totally straight, flat road. Probably what the US military had in mind when they proposed taking Blackbushe over and building a 10'000 foot runway, plus a further parallel runway of 7,000ft??? The Blackbushe equation could have had a very different result!!

Going back to our first photo, and hopping across the road to the active remains of Blackbushe numerous points of interest jump out at me.. The Terminal Building can clearly be seen close to the A30 towards the lower right of the photo, and it is still intact. That is, the local county authority had not destroyed the east end that was under their 'ownership' and they had left to fester until it pretty much rotted. To their eternal shame - and the pocket of Hampshire rate payers - the east end of the Terminal was added to the Blackbushe extinction programme. Thankfully BCA totally refurbished their end into the smart building we see today. I'd rather not look, but right of the airfield's present boundary we see the disused and uncared for for 'common' upon which are the scars of our precious runways that were mercilessly dug up - again paid for by local pockets....but with little protest at the time. Another story for another day.



Blackbushe 'east' is still a devastating sight...This photo shows the intersection between 14/32 and the main 08/26..just to the right of the north/south boundary.

Fifty five years since the local authority destroyed it. Or rather, tried to! Makes a delightful picnic spot. Moving on before my blood pressures causes my skin to start rippling, the picture does not get a whole load better from the aviation stand point. The northern sector containing the cross runways has been allowed to become totally overgrown, and the runways closed to flying for many years. The centre from which I had my "HQ" when running the Blackbushe Air Festivals is now a forest...







Sorry, just had some happy memories..but all this is overgrown, and the runways cracking up due to tree roots and other rampant vegetation.

The growth of Yateley village (or is it a town nowadays?) can be seen spreading in from the top right of the leading Blackbushe overview photograph, while the vast BCA complex now occupies a significant percentage of the airfield's western half. Without BCA there would be no Blackbushe today, and to them we must express our sincere gratitude for keeping the airfield's aviation heart ticking. The main runway's useful length had to be reduced, as the first photo today clearly shows, due to the new car park built at its western end, but we can still see visitors like the BAe 146 and the Douglas DC-6 come and go. We have! Only for private purposes though.

The Sunday Market and BCA car parks stretch away east of the main buildings, while nestling almost centre of the lead photo picture can be seen the G0-Kart circuit that goes back to the sixties - and the cause of much local distress too!! The gravel excavation can clearly be seen eating away at everything in its path.



BCA complex, winter 2013



Gravel cancer eats the area adjacent to Blackbushe Airport.

Yes, the old place has changed, but it remains one of the finest airfield sites in the south of England. Long may it remain so....

..and may you have a great weekend!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
22/02/15

Sunday. Once again I'm sitting religiously in front of the PC's keyboard, and reflecting on that word...Sunday. No doubt the word means different things to different people, to me it spells the restrictions it imposed during childhood when one had no choice but to attend church and Sunday school. In retrospect it did me no harm, but there existed a dreadful conflict between my aviation ambitions and the more down to earth Sunday activities.

My Mum died when I was eleven, a chasm had opened in my life, it was on a Sunday. The day of the week I endured more than enjoyed suddenly took on an ever darker image in my mind, my dark age had begun. From a very early age I was obsessed with model aeroplanes. One's I could walk round the garden with while uttering 'aeroplane sounds' from my mouth which probably worried the neighbours..Dinky Toys were a big hit, I had loads - the Avro York being my favourite. probably because I'd seen plenty at Blackbushe. It was on a Sunday when I was around 13 that I discovered powered model flying, the smell of diesel fuel and the excellent noise model engines emitted. The model flying bug had bit - big. Going to church while no doubt honing my spirit to some kind of perfection on Sundays played havoc with the ethereal beauty imposed by my efforts to defeat gravity with balsa, and small but noisy engines..

By the time I was 14 the Sunday church was reduced to going in the evening with my Dad. This was also the time that Blackbushe had been closed by those in high places, and another devastating blow came to visit as the airfield at which I had spent so much time, and loved dearly, was taken away. BUT, then came the hallelujah moment. AVM 'Pathfinder' Bennett had bought Blackbushe (well, 360 acres of it), and planned on its revival as a general aviation, executive airport. To cut a long story short, I got involved from the very beginning, became a founder member of the new Blackbushe Aero Club, and spent every minute I could manage at the airfield helping the wonderful body of people who had come together as one to help the AVM and see Blackbushe receive new life. Sitting in church on one spring evening I could hear light aeroplanes overhead - and that was it - time to break free.

At risk of some terrible retribution, my religion was devoted to aviation, but if God had wings, he was my kind of God! I had arrived at one of life's great terminals, and was ready to depart on what seems to have been a life long journey with Blackbushe. Endlessly frustrated by seeing its potential locked away, but always happy to do whatever I could to lend her a helping hand.

Talking of 'terminals'....



An early morning at Blackbushe shortly after BCA had completed major renovation of the one surviving structure from the original Blackbushe Airport, the Terminal Building, complete with new Control Tower.
What a relief to see so much time and money poured into a project that was directly airport related.

The Terminal was developed in two stages..



Phase One in 1956 as seen from what is now 'the Common'....



Hidden by a DC-6, but the full length Terminal lies behind.



Still hidden by a DC-6, the once again shorter, but rescued, Terminal..



Partly obscured by an Islander in the Arnold era..love the Control Tower. A listed building?



Early days with the AVM in command...



Showing signs of age..



Revival...BCA style!



Desecration Hampshire County Council style...



..and a nice view from the Council's 'end' in the sixties. Life on the apron was not what it used to be..



..and finally, the days of magic in the sixties. Hope sprang eternal that great things lay ahead for Blackbushe. For some of us, that hope still remains..

Hope I didn't bore you toooo much with my early days, apologies if I did.

Do have a fun Sunday!!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
23/02/15

Sorry chaps, no EGLK POTD, just a quick wave from the best seat in the house!



Duty calls..back tomorrow.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
24/02/15

Morning..perhaps this should be 'Photo of Yesterday' following my reply to Clint's observations of a growing Red Kite family...

With the growing numbers of these amazing birds, leading to the consequence of more frequent airspace incursions, I captured one such incident at Blackbushe last summer. A jet departure coincided with an example of bad bird airmanship as a Red Kite rapidly ascendeded toward to the unsuspecting jet's intended climb out.. Fortunately the bird made a dirty dive toward terra firma soon after posing for his in-flight picture...



The thought occurs that with an increased frequency in these avian encounters, there may well be another meaning to feathering one's prop?

Another red kite causing concern in our air space is the increased frequency in Russian bombers taking a look at our south coast holiday spots. Either Ivan is keen to show us the red card, maybe it's the Moscow branch of Trip Advisor looking out for future vacation locations?

Our defences are gravely weakened as those in high places bring our air force to the bare knuckle, but one thing will never change in your scribe's vision of the perfect 'kite'...



The last war gave us this. The ultimate silver lining?

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the day"
25/02/15

My attention was grabbed last night by the statement that the 'black death' was delivered to this country by a squad of cuddly little gerbils, and the historically blamed rat should have his case re tried.. Maybe the black death was not wholly the responsibility of the rat, but I can say that the death of Blackbushe certainly involved rats in her downfall.. But for today, we'll look at a couple of memories from the days when the rats had already bitten, and still continued to gnaw at the edges of Blackbushe Airport..

In a delightfully rat free environment I captured Blackbushe from an Auster of some kind, as we made our way around the circuit.



Date, probably 1962...I spent a lot of time enjoying the wonders of flight in those remote days. Dear old Blackbushe had only been closed a short while and those who opposed any winged activity resuming at Blackbushe gnawed daily at its frailty either in council environments, local press, or nocturnal sowing of fresh nails on the runways. Rat traps were needed.

The photo suggests we may have been downwind for 32 at the time, we were certainly in the right position for such. But just look..the entire airport layout can be seen. Blackbushe south of the A30 had been chomped up and the rats were chewing away at the east end by this time. Aviation, the country, had lost a great asset...

Moving along..



Looking west from the second floor of the Terminal Building in about the same era. One was confronted by desolation. We had a windsock flying from a structure produced by AVM Bennett who had saved a large percentage of Blackbushe from certain destruction - otherwise a nuclear war would not have done much better in totally flattening a prime target. Try and put yourself in my shoes for a moment. This monument of aviation wonders, a hub of growing independent airlines, a major US Navy base, somewhere to while away precious days just watching, listening, and soaking up this rich atmosphere - was suddenly gone. Like a nightmare that would not end, like a bereavement where it is impossible to accept what has happened - and yet you must. The light coming through the door came when the AVM bought the place, hope shone through, and it was that hope that lead me to become somewhat involved in the airfield.

The light was even brighter when flying machines descended upon us.. Those long cold weekends of mixing with those of a similar mindset, clearing rubble, anything to remove the government sponsored desecration, were some times punctuated by the arrival of a heavier than air flying machine.




In her red and yellow decor, the RAE Flying Club's Tiger Moth would drop in with her heroic occupants. Tea and a warm welcome awaited! Heaven. I could touch a real aeroplane, feel her canvas skin, gaze into her cockpit and imagine myself mounting this marvel of British engineering.



The Tiger Club would arrive from the east, Fairoaks or Redhill in those days. PRA wa a 'regular' and the first aeroplane upon which I enjoyed powered propulsion. I say, "upon which" for good reason. Being terribly keen, and fit, I would volunteer to sprint out to be the wing-tip man whose job it was to steer the new arrival to her resting point.. The pilot, name long lost in the fog of time, beckoned me onto the walk way on the wing. Hand signals suggested he did not need a wing tipper, and as such I rode back to the Terminal amid the massive blast of slip stream proudly clutching a wing strut as I was actually being propelled by an aeroplane. Hair a tangled knot, (yes), eyes streaming, but what a ride and we didn't even leave the ground. Even better things awaited me in the future!!

Here's one of our early visitors and eventual home based aeroplanes..




Phil Irish's Autocar, OHF..Phil ran Ascot Refridgeration and became a regular part of the Blackbushe establishment in those close friendly days of the sixties. I flew with Phil on numerous occasions, one Saturday popping across to Staverton where their Mosquito happened to be flying, along with their resident Anson. Skyfame, or some such enterprise from memory. What a nice day out! Returning to Blackbushe and my car was always the same after a couple of hours in an Auster..the car sounded SO quiet and sweet!! Even my Mini with its, err modifications!

Not all our weekend were fun...well, they all were fun, but somehow the weather could temper the degree of 'fun'..



The great freeze of 1962/63.. It seemed endless, nothing flew for weeks, it was indeed a mini ice-age. No doubt today's climate extremists would say it confirmed the climate was warming, but it sure took a grip on us. Every weekend we had an engine warming/oil thinning run-up of those poor marooned aeroplanes. I had become proficient at prop swinging by then. Might sound suspicious in today's terminology, but with few aeroplanes sporting the luxury of self starting one had to swing the prop in search of ignition. Standing on ice made it the more interesting.

I've said too much..so.



Our first Dakota. Triumph, after all the efforts of rats - near and far - Blackbushe took the Dakota back in her arms in 1963 when Derby Airways operated this charter.

I will never forget this one Dakota movement as she appeared from the north, dropped those large Dunlops as she turned downwind for 26, and that wonderfully familiar sound of two P&W's reached our ears - a gentle screech of rubber and the impossible had just happened ....

The Dakota was back, and did she look HUGE after the months spent amid lighter equipment!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
26/02/15

The Outside Air Temperature has displayed a welcome move toward warming somewhat over the past day, coincident with things warming a little at the 'One-stop' forum..Warming in so much as very kind people have contributed some priceless memorabilia from the days when the Eagle proudly operated from its Blackbushe nest...

First stop today is on the A30 - once again! But this time it's not flying machinery that takes our interest, but...



Our man from Eagle, dear Eric, sent me this memory jerking image. Eagle Airways' Blackbushe administration block. This was the beginning of new airline premises being built on the Airport, and my shadowy memory recollects this modern structure appearing by the road side and looking rather impressive. Sadly, the Government had a different view point, and before the building was very old it was demolished - to vanish with most everything else that had 'Blackbushe' written on it.

Today must be 'Eagle Day', not to be confused with the Luftwaffe's abortive day with the same name, for the next frame is from Flight magazine in 1955..Thanks to Mike Biddulph for sending me the following.



..and moving along to an advert of the latter days...



..Eagle had moved on from Blackbushe for reasons we all know. Nice to see one of my much loved "tens" in the picture too!

My memories of Blackbushe and Eagle Airways are getting rather ancient, being a young spring chicken at the time. I can still see the new Eagle offices, the Lancaster, and Vikings clearly enough in the memory cell, but it's a happy duty to help re kindle old memories or bring fresh images to those too young to have enjoyed the days of the Eagle at Blackbushe. They were great days..



PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
27/02/15

Having had my daily encounter with the local birds...meal worms, suet pellets, and a beak watering variety of seeds in hand, the weather conditions looked good for flying..CAVOK, nil wind, just right for the daily feathered fly-in. Such are conditions in the garden, and maybe the winter is about to fade into history leaving not much to remember it by?

Talking of fading into history, which is what our forum is largely about, mornings like this remind of one or two road side recollections from the days when Blackbushe served the nation as a major airport.

Travelling down the A30's long straight run through the Airport before 1960 you could expect sights such as these..cloudless days (not always), with wonderful aircraft (always) to capture your imagination. Bound for destinations that I might have known more of had I given more studious attention to school's geography lessons? Later career moves were to enhance my geographic awareness.



Convair 440,OH-VKM, provides the perfect example of an airliner resting by the roadside during the days that those who are old enough can but dream of - aided by distant memories! No reason why younger folk can't dream either, but you'll have to improvise - although our photos may help you!! This photo was taken in December, 1957. An RAF Beverley can be seen nudging into the photo - a regular type at Blackbushe thanks to the Airport's close proximity to the home of the British Army and its need to throw soldiers out of big aeroplanes. The Convair was property of Finnish carrier Karhumaki Airlines.

The chestnut fence in the foreground was the ultimate security weapon, and features in very many photographs taken from the splendid vantage point offered by the A30. A ditch and enthusiastic gorse bushes along the Airport's roadside boundary tended to deter most who were tempted to trespass. I gained the attention of a prickly policeman on one occasion while perhaps getting too near to crossing the divide twixt A30 and Airport. It was made clear to which side of the ditch I belonged...



It might be black and white, but another study of a famous fence..



Blue skies make all the difference. Bristol Aeroplane Company's Bristol 171, G-ALSK, takes on fuel during a pre 1960 Farnborough Week..



Our current Header photo taken on Blackbushe south under clear skies..

Looking back I think we remember the things in general with a blue skies image - I like to remember the "true" Blackbushe in similar fashion...

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
28/02/15

One of the joys of a forum such as this are the contacts you gain with those of a common interest in aviation, and in this case Blackbushe Airport.

A major benefit derived from this rich assembly is that within its bounds there comes shared memories or information from members and guests. Happily sometimes those recollections come with pictures..We've seen recent example of graphics conveying material relevant to Eagle Airways, today - and for the coming week - I'm handing over the past to our member "BB" who could not have better initials. Barry has sent me an excellent selection of photos from the pre 1960 Blackbushe along with his own remarks. Thus the following photos are the work of "BB" accompanied by his words...



Taken on Tuesday 2nd September 1958
Royal Netherlands Air Force C47B X-11/ZU:11 of 334 Squadron parked out on the grass with a row of Ansons and a Devon on the tarmac in the background. X-11 crashed and was written off in what was then the Dutch East Indies in June 1962.




Taken on Wednesday 3rd September 1958
Varsity T1 WL637 G/1ANS from Topcliffe makes its way out along the taxiway. It was an unremarkable aircraft in the standard RAF Training Command colours of the day – overall silver with yellow trainer bands. It later flew with 2 ANS & 6 FTS before being relegated to ground instructional duties at Newton in 1970.



Taken on Tuesday 8th September 1959
Taxiing out for 08, Beech SNB-5 39899/FT:899 belonged to the US Navy’s resident FASRON 200 and was finished in high visibility red & white. She moved with the rest of the squadron to West Malling in May ’60.




Taken on Tuesday 8th September 1959.
Taxiing out, camouflaged RCAF C47A Dakota KG441 came from their 137 Transport Flight based in France. Disposed of in 1967, it became G-AVPW and subsequently YV-25CP and later on YV-761C – it was destroyed in Venezuela in December 1994.




Taken on Thursday 10th September 1959.
Dove 6 G-ANGU pictured on the grass just north of the A30 with a Bretagne, Dakota, Anson, Valetta and Rapide parked in the background. This was Vandervell Products corporate aircraft, but was quite anonymous with the only markings being a thin blue cheat line. First registered in November 1953, it went to Eire in 1970 as EI-AUK and was eventually scrapped at Baginton.


Huge thanks to Barry for the above photos and details, this initial selection certainly confirms the variety of types and interest that Blackbushe Airport ably provided. We'll continue with Barry's records from Blackbushe over the coming week, although there may be a break in transmission from "Photo of the Day" for a couple of days while your scribe takes a very short break. All being well I'll be back here on Tuesday.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
01/03/15

Hello chaps..it's March (or very soon will be), I'm running an early edition as I'm about to partake of a couple of days away from base. "POTD" will be back on Tuesday.

Can't hang around..as some Airport owner's did



Here's the next episode from "BB" and his Blackbushe collection.



Taken on Tuesday 2nd September 1958
A rather poor picture of a real Plain Jane, but nevertheless an unusual visitor. Armee de l’Air MD312 Flamant No.156 came in an overall silver finish with yellow spinners.




Taken on Tuesday September 8th 1959.
Douglas R5D5 BuNo. 39120/JM:120 on the taxiway with a C124 Globemaster in the background parked over on the north side. 39120 belonged to the US Navy’s VR-24 Squadron based at Port Lyautey, Morocco – the 6th Fleet’s Logistics & Support Squadron in the Med - frequent visitors to Blackbushe in the 1950s. Named ‘Ciudad de Palma’ she had a white top, thin blue cheat line with a diagonal green band & the ‘Stars and Stripes’ on the fin. Earlier in her career she had flown with Eastern Airlines as N88704.




Taken on Tuesday 8th September 1959.
USAF VC54 0-50516 taxis towards 08 and home after the day’s Farnborough show. Befitting her VIP nomenclature she came with a highly polished bare metal fuselage, blue & white cheat line, white top and ‘Two Star General’ marking under the cockpit window. As in some of the other photos, C124C Globemaster 51-5207 can be seen to the North – it is believed to have been the only one to have ever visited Blackbushe.




Taken on Tuesday 8th September 1959
In the approaching gloom of early evening, Apache G-APCL sits outside the Eagle hangar. Registered at the time to the Earl of Derby, it was about to change hands so was possibly at Eagle’s in connection with this – it was eventually permanently withdrawn from use in 1972.



Where else apart from Blackbushe could you have seen a German Convair, Dutch Neptune & French Noratlas together? CV440 CA:032 was assigned to the Luftwaffe’s Government Flight at Cologne-Wahn & following de-mob embarked on a peripatetic life style, flying in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, America & Mexico. She finished her days as XA-RYV with Aero Cedros. MDAP supplied Dutch Navy P2V6 Neptune was serialled 19:28 and transferred to the Portuguese Air Force as 4708 in the early 60s. The Noratlas, F-BFRG, belonged to the manufacturer – SNCAN. Originally built as the N2501 pre – production machine No.04, it was modified to type N2503 and subsequently to type N2508 No.01 with wing tip jets as seen here.
Fabulous aeroplanes, fabulous Airport.

That's it for now. More from Barry on Tuesday and thanks to him for more "fabulous aeroplanes" on a "fabulous airport"..

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
03/03/15

Feet back on home soil giving just enough time for some more of Barry's Blackbushe works... moving into the Doug Arnold era.



Taken in September 1980
Visiting Belgian registered Piper PA44-180 Seminole OO-ALK. These days it flies as F-GDLK out of La Rochelle.



Taken in November 1986
Sitting out on the ramp, 1977 built Cessna 421C Golden Eagle G-OSAL was operated out of the ‘bushe by Air Swift Ltd at the time. She is still current in 2015 but after several changes of ownership is registered as G-HIJK.



Taken in November 1986
Blackbushe operated, Air Swift B200 Super KingAir G-SWFT, parked on a deserted ramp. She later flew as G-MCEO & G-OLDZ before being sold in the US in1999.




Taken in November 1986
Parked out on the ramp, based Beech 58 Baron G-OSDI in Air Swift colours but actually registered to a different local company – the software house, Systems Designers. Following several changes of ownership she was eventually sold in Paraguay during 2012.




Taken in December 1988
Super KingAir G-OAVX. This is the former G-IBCA, then operated by the airport’s owners - British Car Auctions. She still flies in 2015, now out of Stapleford as G-FRYI.

Thanks again to Barry for today's look at some slightly more recent, but still historic, tenants of Blackbushe Airport...



..and to conclude, Blackbushe as she looked in June, 1986. A view caught from Air Swift's G-OSDI during a 'local' in June, 1986. How can nearly thirty years ago seem like yesterday? I have to say I wish Blackbushe looked at least like this today....



Sadly, that's not the case..as seen this winter.

Hopefully back tomorrow with some more photos from Barry.

PB