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Post by PB on Jun 8, 2017 5:47:46 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 08/06/17One thing is abundantly clear this morning. Actually two things. One is that it's not raining, the other is that by the end of the day - whatever the weather - our nation's fate for the next few years will have been well and truly sealed. The General Election where maybe June will see May return? Or maybe not? The media has never provided more pre election coverage than it has this year. The media machine is now massive propelled by the latest high tech means of delivery. Our news is now literally delivered at light speed. Amid this endless delivery of political coverage, has anybody heard the words, "aviation policy" during the past weeks punctuated by Brexit and acts of the most cowardly brutality? I think I missed them... Looking back on Blackbushe's contribution to the media process, one example comes to mind although not connected with politics. It happened in June, and came after the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The USA and Canada were hungry for Coronation coverage, and an RAF Canberra was ready at Blackbushe to be first to fly the Atlantic with film of the Coronation. Sadly the attempt was not successful as a fuel feed failed shortly after take off and the aircraft had to return to Blackbushe. June, 1953... apart from the Canberra's short flight, you would have seen the likes of Silver City's DH Dragon Fly, an Airspeed Consul delivered to the Israeli Air Force, BOAC crew training - a BOAC Constellation making 12 landings on 21 June, '53, BOAC Comet crew training, a DH Dove delivered to Tokyo, lots of Dakotas and Vikings, light aircraft - and so on. Sadly, in a few short years all this was to end. "Aviation Policy" dictated that Blackbushe was to close, and close it did. A beautiful and valuable aviation asset was cast adrift, this..became this.. Blackbushe Airport, abandoned by her owners - the Government - destroyed and left to rot.Hopefully "Aviation Policy" will take a more positive view toward airfields such as Blackbushe in the future. May be, may be not? PB
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Post by PB on Jun 9, 2017 14:21:26 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 09/06/17An interesting election result... Last night's election results perhaps make you wonder where or when future boom times will be found? These booms found at Blackbushe 7th September, 1955... PB
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Post by PB on Jun 10, 2017 6:09:04 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 10/06/17Just three weeks to go, the Blackbushe 75th will be declared 'open' and soon after the old feet might be able to find the ground again, restoring life to its former blissful pace - or not? Running a flying event in 2017 is more difficult than ever before, no longer are our skies 'free', restrictions curl themselves around every maneuver you plan, our risk averse modern world kind of suggests that you'd be wiser staying in bed with a nice cup of tea - but do make sure it's not too hot - risky! Time has been an odd beast since launching the 75th 'project' back in September. July 2017 seemed a life time away, now it's round the corner and no doubt the stress levels will do a few final aerobatics before the corner is reached... The photo below reflects on time, and how slowly it passes on Blackbushe's long term issues such as hangars - or the lack of. Blackbushe's new hangars - built by Doug Arnold for his warbirds and other flying machinery - real hangars returned to the airfield!! For a while..The crumbling 'lock-up' hangars built by AVM Bennett are just visible, while various subsequent structures are seen to the right, the latest hangars are obviously in the foreground. For a while Blackbushe actually had aeroplanes in hangars, but it wasn't to last. The subsequent sale of the airfield to British Car Auctions saw the old hangars built by Arnold turned into car auction premises while the largest of the new hangars survived for aviation use until a couple of years ago when their use too was changed to valeting used cars, or the such like. Since 1960 one has hoped for a little progress in making Blackbushe more complete as an 'airfield'... Hangars, engineering, accommodation. How slowly the years have revolved in that context. Work is in hand to bring about changes, but bureaucracy continues to move at the pace of a snail and that little beast is impossible to speed up... I just hope the pace is fast enough to allow those who've waited since 1960 to see some real changes come about? Who knows?? Have a nice weekend... PB
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Post by PB on Jun 11, 2017 6:10:44 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 11/06/17Another day amid the ocean of papers that might evolve into a physical manifestation early in July. Here's a physical manifestation of an air show at Blackbushe in the 1960's...... The Red Arrows made an impressive attack, singleton caught over Blackbushe's abandoned "east" that today has been allowed to grow into useless overgrown scrub. Be nice to see the "Reds" and Blackbushe "east" both return.Touch of irony. Not many years ago we had Dakotas galore living at Blackbushe. Now it's the back pocket that's necessary to get the legendary Dakota back to Blackbushe for the big birthday bash!No way we could mark the 75th without the Dakota. Such a regular view in the fifties..Blackbushe Dakotas...there were many!Bygone Blackbushe, hard to forget if you were there..Let's hope it's a long while before the sun finally sets on both the Dakota and Blackbushe...PB
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Post by PB on Jun 12, 2017 5:12:28 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 12/06/17A picture fresh from the, "Just another Day" files... Resident Eagle DC-6 returns home..."Just another day", at Blackbushe long ago......and this from the,"Just another colour scheme" files.PB
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Post by PB on Jun 13, 2017 4:56:08 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 13/06/17June approaching the half way mark...looking good this morning CAVOK, glancing out of the window at 04.30 one felt a good day in the offing. I wonder? If it's like yesterday it probably won't be that good, I'll spare the detail but if one had a tail it would have been well chased!! I think we pulled a Yak 3 out of the bag to add to the static collection, some we lose, some we gain. Talking of small but elegant, the Yak 3 is certainly elegant, a quick recall of some of the small yet elegant days gone by at Blackbushe - long, long ago. G-AEYE, Percival Q6, resident in 1955 enjoys the expansive acres of 1950's Blackbushe..G-ADNL, Miles Sparrowhawk, ex wartime surfaces Blackbushe in 1949.G-ADGP Blackbushe based Miles Hawk Speed Six 1952. Resting amid the Airwork complex, original ATC on right behind the rudder.G-AHAA Miles 28 in 1948, also parked in Airwork's tech area.Once upon a time Great Britain had a light aircraft industry! Miles, Percival, De Havilland, household names in the fifties, replaced by the advent of mass production on the other side of the Atlantic, but I'm sure it can safely be said that none were more beautiful than the elegant shapes that flew from British drawing boards? PB
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Post by PB on Jun 14, 2017 5:18:46 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 14/06/170530 and it's like a summer's day - England at her early morning best...so naturally we've got meetings from 0900 onwards, but all in a good cause. Let's hope the weather is like this throughout July's Blackbushe weekend? Maybe we should call in the fairy's for some help? One Fairey that came to Blackbushe and made a lot of noise and swishing of its bits was the Fairey Rotordyne. The idea of city centre to city centre air travel had been cast and the Fairey boys at White Waltham created the rather amazing looking Rotordyne. Sounded amazing too with a jet propulsion unit at the tip of each rotor blade, combined with two Napier Eland turboprop engines mounted in her short wings. The project was cancelled as noise and costs were beyond acceptance, and the RAF's order for 12 and BEA's order for 6 were terminated. A great concept but ahead of technologies reach, the city centre to city centre question is one that may never be truly answered? Time will tell.. The Rotordyne at Blackbushe, or rather just leaving, on either 10th or 11th September, 1959. The last 'true' big Farnborough Week at Blackbushe..As usual, when a government sponsored aviation enterprise is cancelled the victim is unceremoniously broken up. The Brabazon, and Blackbushe are just two examples that spring to mind... The Rotordyne suffered the same end, just a fuselage section and the rotors were saved, today resting and on show at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare. PB
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Post by PB on Jun 15, 2017 5:48:57 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 15/06/17Time is very much not on my side today...so a quick step back to the serene seventies, and Blackbushe when the piston twin ruled the skies... Regular scene when the twin piston powered aeroplane ruled the air taxi scene. US Navy hangar still in situ, while Blackbushe "east" was starting to disappear under Yateley Common's attempt to hide under nature's overgrowth..PB
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Post by PB on Jun 16, 2017 8:33:45 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 16/06/17Time is a wonderful thing, or it used to be when it was in more plentiful supplies. Today it's running out fast, so I'll be brief as deadlines swoop around the office ready to bite at 12.00 if the finger is not extracted.. The passage of time will be demonstrated at the 75th, happily not just by my drained appearance! A Pratt & Whitney Dakota engine undergoing maintenance at Blackbushe pre 1960, British Airways will be bringing an RB211 engine as part of their extensive contribution to the 75th's Ground Exhibition..The RB211 won't be running, but it will surely demonstrate the changes brought about by the passage of time since the P&W photo was taken... We will be running static Rolls Royce Merlin and Bristol Hercules engines during both days of the 75th. The Hercules's sound truly spanning the time since it was one of the daily sounds of Blackbushe.. Always time for a bit of nostalgia... No more today though! PB
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Post by PB on Jun 17, 2017 6:07:59 GMT
"Photo of the Day" 17/06/17Two Weeks today, and.....Time is a conundrum, the months since that famous September meeting in the Blackbushe Terminal when I sat down with the Airport's owner to sow the seeds of an event to mark the aerodromes 75th birthday have been utterly endless, yet at the same time they have passed at light speed. Two weeks today!! Two things..will the weather be like it is today..with blue skies and 30C, and will we sell enough tickets so as we can give the charities a really worthwhile gift??? What else could we have done that we should have done? With an amazing team around us we've done all possible, but it's been a very bumpy ride under a barrage of rules, regulations, and heaven knows what else to comply with the risk averse times we live in. Spent £100K so far, maybe more, to give our visitors - and the free loaders who loiter outside the airfield - a good day out. Those who loiter on the wrong side of the fence are always going to be there, they'll miss all the fun on the inside while bereaving the charities of the profits we will be donating to them 100%... bit like illegal down loading, but nothing we can do about it. We still need volunteers, this year's response to the call for help has been a bit slow. Volunteers will, of course, be given free passes, they will ALSO be given a free ticket to give to anyone they wish, they will also get tickets to the Saturday party with our air crew and be privy to some sun down action that I'm not going to mention here.. Duties for volunteers are running on a strict shift system, all will have free time to enjoy the event, and duties will be easy, and hopefully agreeable to our super volunteers. IF you feel like lending a hand on one, or both days - or the days either side of the show....please let us know, drop me an email at 75@blackbusheairport.co.uk - do it today if you can, you're missing a great experience!! Two weeks today. Funnily enough they are going to be quite busy weeks.... Meanwhile... 1977 still lingers in the memory, no big jets diverting to Blackbushe this time.. Times they are a changin'.Here's one or two that will be diverting to Blackbushe in two weeks.. ..and many more. Hopefully you'll be diverting there too?? I'd better go and get on with it... WHEN you're at the 75th, do come and visit the History Hub, it'll be the structure you can't miss next to the Bushe Cafe - see you there!! Have a sunny weekend! PB
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