PHOTO of the DAY...

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
8/05/15

Herewith Monday's POTD..Early press deadline.

Rumours and speculation always have a way of moving fast and often they have a way of evolving as they pass from person to person, forum to forum or which ever way they choose to travel..

So it is at the moment with suggestions that Blackbushe has been sold. Large question marks may be seen floating up from the airfield as an understandable air of excitement hangs over the possibility that Blackbushe may, or may not, be under some kind of transfer of ownership. The idea that an aviation enterprise has bought Blackbushe whets the appetite like nothing else.. Alas, we must wait and see if the airfield has a tomorrow to look forward to as well as her illustrious past.. a past we've looked at for the last four years as a result of many hours down in the vaults searching through the banks of pictures from yesteryear..

Those years have flown by at Formula One speeds, and on that subject today's recollection goes back to the heady days when Colin Chapman's black and gold "John Player Special" Navajo Chieftain would swell our numbers during Farnborough Week..


G-BCOD rests on runway 14/32 when Farnborough Week brought life to Blackbushe..the runway where the F1 film "Rush" was partly filmed!

Colin died in 1982, and the UK lost another real gentleman, one who was an inspiration - one of those figures whose stature you can never seemingly replace. We loved having him and his aeroplane visit us at Blackbushe. Graham Hill was another man of great stature who arrived in his Aztec from time to time.

Today's other chosen photo also goes back to the heady Farnborough Weeks when Blackbushe welcomed Farnborough visitors - they came in droves and sometimes occupied both sides of 14/32.


The result of another day's marshalling and much running about!

Today that runway is disused apart from the likes of dog walkers and your scribe who uses it for part of his 'keep fit' regime by walking its length at a good lick keeping the heart moving and the stent flowing!

It would be so good to see the burgeoning forest that has been allowed to grow on the airfield's northern side levelled, 14/32 brought back into service when the wind demands or simply to see that vast northern area put back into some kind of aviation use. You need to walk it to appreciate just how much airport land is simply being eaten up by mother nature. Even if the airfield changes hands the anachronistic 'rights of common' that date back to medieval times would still provide a hurdle to cross if Blackbushe hoped to become an airport in the true sense of the word..

As I said in my contribution elsewhere in the "one-stop" forum on 15 May when presenting a futuristic plan of a future Blackbushe, "We need people who can dream, and ask "Why not"...". Whether Blackbushe changes hands, or not, the sense of hope coursing around the arteries is a welcome feeling...and we can still dream.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
19/05/15

Throughout its life Blackbushe has been host to countless famous faces, and no doubt will continue to do so as her future becomes better secured...

Kings, Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, 'celebrities' from the world of show business and the film industry etc etc..all have trodden our hallowed acres.


HM The Queen departs Blackbushe with Prince Phillip aboard an RAF Valetta

Our serving Monarch deservedly goes to the top of the Blackbushe VIP passenger list, her father King George V was also here during the war to meet and decorate our air crews. If you have not done so already, you should read "Flyboy's" account of wartime Blackbushe elsewhere on the Forum.

A more recent visitor of great importance to the world of aviation was Edgar Percival...


Edgar Percival visits Blackbushe in the sixties/seveties. Flying by Proctor..of course! Apologies for the gap, it was a tiny photo.

The Australian genius who gave us the Gull, Mew Gull, Proctor, Vega Gull, Prentice, Q6 Petrel, and the Piston Provost.. One of aviation's heroes who had belief in his ideas, was driven by an unstoppable passion for flying, and took the view of "Why not?" rather than the opposite.

The sort of attitude we need to get behind Blackbushe!! Another Australian tried his best having saved Blackbushe from final destruction, but whose ambitions were beset by a seething blinkered bureaucracy whose ambitions were to reduce Blackbushe to scrub land. Happily, Blackbushe has survived through her darkest hours, the future may now promise what Churchill would have referred to as the airfield,"Moving forward into broad, sunlit uplands".. Time will tell, but I feel the clouds may be clearing? A lot of hope has been poured into the past fifty-five years.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
20/05/15

A step back into the past when Farnborough Week produced a presentable display for us to accommodate on runway 14/32..




G-BCWH Practavia Sprite

One cute little aeroplane..!

That's all.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
21/05/15

A wind of change seems to be blowing across Blackbushe. A metaphorical wind for the good, but long hours spent in the vaults last night produced some old images that should the events recorded be repeated the wind could bring about some most unwelcome changes...




Blackbushe east goes up in flames - bad news for the rabbits.

The division between cared for airport and uncared for common is hard to miss...The above fires demonstrate how the tinder dry scrub land that once was Blackbushe's eastern end can pose a threat to all forms of life that might frequent the "common".

One dreads to think of the consequences should such a conflagration occur near the current airport boundary..


The scene yesterday afternoon, and the narrow margin between aircraft and overgrown common land.

One hopes that those responsible for the 'upkeep' of the common have noted the liability their undergrowth/overgrowth might represent??

On a more positive aspect, it was good to see the Aerobility Blades arrive at Blackbushe yesterday...one just felt that the wind of change is beginning to come from a more agreeable direction?



PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
22/05/15

With an unearthly early start awaiting me, herewith Friday's POTD delivered early - well, if you can call 00.30 early?

While the future of Blackbushe poses many questions as to how it will pan out, at least we have our yesterdays to look back on with a degree of certainty. Thursday's meeting with the management at Blackbushe was hopefully going to throw some light onto the future, but I've come away with more questions than answers.. and that's all I can say at the moment.

Meanwhile, back in the early fifties I guess the future of Blackbushe and how it would grow before its tragic demise was as uncertain as the airfield's future is today??


The way we were, and it's definitely an airport




Sadly today this area is just overgrown wasteland - some call it the common...

Hopefully POTD will bring more news on the future as and when it is able.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
23/05/15

What a good feeling...Two days off, not one meeting in the diary until some bizz jet bizz on Monday - and I actually logged more than four hours sleep last night - really unusual!!. And Blackbushe is under new ownership with a rosier future ahead...one has to admit to a degree of feelgood today. Will it last? Who knows?? Even the Met Man's predictions suggest a good weekend is in the offing..

Obviously if I'm sleeping longer hours less time is available for trolling around the vaults looking for POTD material overnight...Do we recall Blackbushe of old, of recent, or times when your scribe was of a more youthful disposition spending all the spare time he could muster joining the wonderful team who also spent much of their spare time helping AVM Bennett with his endeavours to keep Blackbushe flying.

Whatever happens in the future, I'm convinced that all the hours devoted to Blackbushe have not been entirely misspent. I've a head full of memories, I'm the richer for all the wonderful friends and faces that have become part of my life through Blackbushe - sadly many are no longer with us, but their importance and friendship to me will never die. Perhaps a quick glance through the years today?


The Eagle offices, Blackbushe Airport


I clearly recall Eagle having their new admin block built close to the A30. It was impossible for me as a mere twig of a lad to imagine that before long this building, and almost everything else would be devasted in the government's haste to remove Blackbushe from the commercial aviation scene.




US Navy Super Dakota


..US Navy Super Connie and the US Navy hangar

Certain aircraft types, shapes, sounds, epitomised Blackbushe in the fifties. The US Navy being based here produced a terrific amount of military movements making Blackbushe a most unusual form of London airport!






Foggy days were Heathrow's loss, Blackbushe's gain!

Blackbushe Airport's fog free benefits were legend, amazing collections of diverted airlines would nestle on the Blackbushe tarmac.






Main entrance 1950's




Just another day at Blackbushe..


Blackbushe, "The Happy Airport" was a wonderful way of life for many.





State airline crew training..


BOAC and BEA fully utilised the benefits of Blackbushe for their crew training programmes.




Roadside Blackbushe

The A30 provided the country's most superb airport viewing platform!!



Then, May 1960..


"Armageddon"

I'm sure I was not the only one to shed tears at the utter destruction that tried to remove the south-east's wonderful airfield from the map?


Desolation



Then came the years of desolation. An empty airfield, rubble, destruction, opposition, common land, no aeroplanes or almost no aeroplanes as things improved!..




Life amid the carnage

Life did come back, and slowly slowly Blackbushe reappeared as far as it was able - we still had an airport called Blackbushe - and that name will always mean so much to those of us left who remember the good days, the bad days, and the ugly days that have lead us to where we are now. Where is that? Time will tell, but hopefully this forum will keep you posted.




1968 Daily Telegraph Air Show


"The Airlines of Blackbushe Airport" our sign that ensures Blackbushe's old friends will always be seen where they belong - at Blackbushe!


The past and the future side by side...

Enjoy the Bank Holiday...
PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
24/05/15

ANOTHER week gone by, never to be seen again...hopefully the future of Blackbushe will become clearer in the forthcoming weeks, but for today - as everyday - we slide back into the certain past.

Some days additional head scratching is necessary to derive the day's POTD 'story line'. Today is one of those days, as I remain hopeful that a few good souls will take a minute to scan over the results of next few minutes concentrated head scratching. I haven't checked the numbers visiting POTD lately - hopefully I'm not being over optimistic about it being seen?? Regardless, the type of aeroplane featured on today's "Header" has given me an idea for a theme..

History tells us that they came from across the North Sea, in long boats, hairy and fearless in their ambition to storm our peaceful isles..They would ransack, pillage and err take advantage of our fair maidens. The Vikings!!

But, as we know they came from Blackbushe. There were at least thirty-one Vikings based here during the heavenly fifties, they were peace loving, hard working, robust looking work horses of the growing numbers of independent airlines - especially when BEA sold them! Not loved by all, and the accountants would claim to be amid the group of people to whom the Viking was not such a good idea..They did not offer the economics of the well known twin transport made by Douglas.

So, a few of the Blackbushe Vikings..


The main spar could become a talking point



Pegasus, happy memories as "HPL" awaits duty on Blackbushe 'south'



All weather ops..Dear old "HOS" always appealed to me as a roadside Blackbushe enthusiast



Continental..another Blackbushe airline with a splendid light blue colour scheme. "HPE" another well logged BB reggie!



"HPG" of Falcon Airways outside the company hangar on the now vanished Blackbushe 'south'..



Independent's "IJE" on a bit of old Blackbushe tarmac, no doubt unchanged from the war days..



..and finally today, registered "HOR", a Viking of that great Blackbushe operator, Airwork Ltd..



I think it's safe to say that the Vikings will not be coming back, either in long boats or propelled by a couple of Bristol Hercules.

PB

PS. I think it's time for breakfast. Please don't feel shy about making the odd comment in the attached 'comments' thread. Always nice to hear from you after a bout of head scratching....

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
25/05/15

Good Morning and to all who still follow POTD might I wish you a pleasant Bank Holiday Monday?

Sitting hunched over a PC at 06.00 is not perhaps the best way to start the day, but for a while longer I'll do this just for you!

Time is short today, and while in reflective mood I thought I'd throw together a few frames from the moments when during the post 1960 era Blackbushe entertained aeroplanes slightly larger than the average of nowadays..




Don Bullock arrives with Sally B



Keith Sissons arrives with a CL-44, if only we'd had a GPU!! Without which he couldn't land...



IAS Air Cargo arrive with a DC-8 full of grapes from Greece to LGW via EGLK



G-APSA comes home after many years away..



A nice display by British Airways and UK debut of the RR powered 74..




British Air Ferries popped over with a Carvair en route to some other destination




..and flew plenty of passengers with their Herald at the '77 Air Festival



We've even had Varsities come back to where they were once not an unusual sight, probably marking the last time any of this veritable Vickers line would be seen at Blackbushe?

Happy memories! Blackbushe may have been closed by the government in 1960, but they didn't kill her....


PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
26/05/15

POTD staggers on with your scribe under a degree of pressure from time..

Despite being in possession of the grand title of 'pensioner', 'senior citizen', 'old git', you name it, life has never been busier. Well, that's how it feels but is not necessarily true.. The world of aviation, especially focused on EGLK, seems to claim a generous percentage of my so-called 'leisure years'. That and one's domestic responsibilities of encouraging - and congratulating - one's better half's great work in the garden etc etc seems to take up much of the time afforded by officially being an old person. Perhaps life's autumnal years put the pressure on to do what must be done before it's too late? On that subject, I can say that wheels are turning toward a couple of aviation events at Blacbushe, but I'll say no more on that until some rubber stamps have made their marks where I want them.. Don't jump about too eagerly just yet.

Various meetings of recent may produce the pieces necessary to see where Blackbushe is going in the future, and I will pass on what I am able to pass on as and when I can. An interesting meeting at EGLF yesterday provided some insight into how certain airfields in north Hampshire might progress in harmony.. More such meetings today as one feels softly softly for the future.

Today, for now, it's a return to the past for a moment....


Trans Gabon Bristol Freighter F-OBDP

Taking a classic 'Blackbushe by the road' pose, Trans Gabon's Bristol Freighter F-OBDP provides a perfect back drop to the famous chestnut paling that features in so many photos from the days of the 'real' Blackbushe. Alarmingly, the photo was taken in May, 1958 - fifty seven years ago. The aeroplane was en route to Wymeswold so the records tell. Wymeswold is no longer an airfield, it was connected to the National Grid in April 2013 having become a £35m solar farm. I doubt that the venerable old Bristol Freighter fared so well?

Here's to our future, and that of the south-east's airfield with the potential of becoming one of our great aviation assets. No, not Farnborough....

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
27/05/15

Greetings from the POTD nerve centre where the wheels started turning at a healthy 06.00hrs. Hours have passed as my attention has been diverted to various other aspects of the Blackbushe scenario - or even the call of the breakfast table, the post bag, the paper... but back on duty now!

Before we take another step back in time might I hope that you've had time to note our "Welcome" to Blink on the Members' News section of the 'one-stop' forum? Apart from looking backwards with POTD, we can look forward to a more positive future with Blink who will be keeping us posted as to their news on their dedicated section of our forum. Participation in both the Forum news and Blink's section will be for our signed up members, so if you have not done so already, sign up for membership of the Forum. It won't cost you a bean, just a very short amount of time...

POTD. With the choice spanning from 1942 up to yesterday, the options for today's look behind are vast. Perhaps then I'll dig out a few shots from fly-ins from the past, inspired maybe by ideas pertaining to the future?

It's 1962!!


The Great Blackbushe Re-opening Air Display and Fly-in

One of the most extraordinary days when the abandoned, silent, bereft Blackbushe found her aviation powered heart beating once more with vigour. I can tell you that it was a jaw dropping day as small dots in the distant sky converged and settled upon Blackbushe's acres - over 200 aircraft flew in for the celebration day. Magical is all I can say...it was.




The Queen Air from Beech. It truly brought the sound of aviation back with its distinctive sound effects!



A welcome visitor from Switzerland added international flavour to the 1962 event



Down on the loop

One of a number of PFA fly-ins held at Blackbushe. Pretty sure this was a chilly Easter fly-in where the loop by the A30 and the surrounding grass was used as the event centre.



Fun too, flour bombing went down well at some of our past happenings...



Some took it very seriously!



Blackbushe 50th Anniversary in 1992. We collected over 250 visitors on the second day..

2017 gets closer...75 years to celebrate!



1977 Blackbushe Air Festival pulled in countless fly-in visitors.



Parallel to the A30 it's amazing how many aeroplanes can be accommodated!

We'd need to take a very close look at the area before any similar activity?



For quite some time the Farnborough Air Show contributed to an impressive gathering every couple of years.



For pure enjoyment - and satisfaction - the early fly-ins and their memories truly tug at my heart strings!





For whatever reason, these many acres of land known a Blackbushe Airport have produced some magnificent memories over the past 55 years since the government thought they'd closed the place!
I somehow feel the memory making machinery has still got more in store?

Let's hope!
PB