Post by PB on Jun 9, 2020 5:45:08 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
09/06/20
Another night spent with a stranger..sleep!
Red eyes peer out into a grey sky where our golden star is doing its best to brighten our lot.. The Mind at night tends to exude life's cares, last night being no exception.. No doubt, we live in troubled times having left the world we knew so well some time around February, the framework upon which our economic survival was tailored seemingly dismantled, the aviation industry taking dreadful blows amid forecasts that air transport may not recover until 2025.. But so many reports and theories circulate, we can postulate over the future but one thing that is certain is the past. Can't change it, it's the foundation upon which our today is structured. Our Forum devotes its time to the past at Blackbushe, the present, and ventures its hopes into the future..
The present presents difficulties due to the required social person to person distancing. Blackbushe Airport's past 77 years of aviation activity have met problems along the way, but a viral attack is one form of attack it is new to as are the necessary precautions called for... Flying training presents particular difficulties as light aeroplane cockpit space was never designed for any significant distancing within its confines.
Flying training plays a very significant role in General Aviation and none more than at Blackbushe where a number of very successful flying schools operate..
Going back in time to the 1950's, Blackbushe Airport's 'Golden Years' of commercial aviation, flying training played a significant part in her daily operations. The mighty British Airways of today grew from the grafting of BOAC and BEA, our two state airlines where BOAC catered for long haul, BEA for the shorter sectors and Back Every Afternoon. BOAC found Blackbushe Airport an asset not just as a fog diversion when London Airport was blanketed under pea soup, but also a convenient and valuable location for its own flying training. All BOAC types of the time used Blackbushe up until May 1960 when the Government slammed the door shut on our Airport.
Some BOAC moments...
Training..the beautiful DC-7.
Training, the magnificent Britannia.. "Whispering Giant" being a popular term used by the media..
Training, the doorway to the future, the de Havilland Comet. This Mk1 ended up in the Farnborough water tank for stress testing after the types tragic events in service.
BOAC aircraft would log some miles taxiing the lengths of Blackbushe tarmac..
Fog, there were times when Blackbushe's fog free runways offered BOAC safe refuge..
Our other state carrier, BEA, also crew trained regularly at Blackbushe although they did bend one or two aeroplanes in the process.... These BEA Viscounts were on fog diversions at the time, but the picture issues some of the Blackbushe essence I feel?
Fog diversions were not unusual at Blackbushe, one foggy day in particular yielded a surprise... An anticipated Pan-Am service was described as a DC-6. From the fog there came a Pan-Am Stratocruiser on 16th November, 1958, the first time a load carrying Stratocruiser had flown into Blackbushe. BOAC crew training had accounted for all previous visits of the "Strat", mighty double deck flying machine from Boeing..
That's enough history, today will see Photo of the Day click through her 350,000th visit... sincere thanks to our loyal followers and all who share our care and concerns for dear old Blackbushe..
PB
09/06/20
Another night spent with a stranger..sleep!
Red eyes peer out into a grey sky where our golden star is doing its best to brighten our lot.. The Mind at night tends to exude life's cares, last night being no exception.. No doubt, we live in troubled times having left the world we knew so well some time around February, the framework upon which our economic survival was tailored seemingly dismantled, the aviation industry taking dreadful blows amid forecasts that air transport may not recover until 2025.. But so many reports and theories circulate, we can postulate over the future but one thing that is certain is the past. Can't change it, it's the foundation upon which our today is structured. Our Forum devotes its time to the past at Blackbushe, the present, and ventures its hopes into the future..
The present presents difficulties due to the required social person to person distancing. Blackbushe Airport's past 77 years of aviation activity have met problems along the way, but a viral attack is one form of attack it is new to as are the necessary precautions called for... Flying training presents particular difficulties as light aeroplane cockpit space was never designed for any significant distancing within its confines.
Flying training plays a very significant role in General Aviation and none more than at Blackbushe where a number of very successful flying schools operate..
Going back in time to the 1950's, Blackbushe Airport's 'Golden Years' of commercial aviation, flying training played a significant part in her daily operations. The mighty British Airways of today grew from the grafting of BOAC and BEA, our two state airlines where BOAC catered for long haul, BEA for the shorter sectors and Back Every Afternoon. BOAC found Blackbushe Airport an asset not just as a fog diversion when London Airport was blanketed under pea soup, but also a convenient and valuable location for its own flying training. All BOAC types of the time used Blackbushe up until May 1960 when the Government slammed the door shut on our Airport.
Some BOAC moments...
Training..the beautiful DC-7.
Training, the magnificent Britannia.. "Whispering Giant" being a popular term used by the media..
Training, the doorway to the future, the de Havilland Comet. This Mk1 ended up in the Farnborough water tank for stress testing after the types tragic events in service.
BOAC aircraft would log some miles taxiing the lengths of Blackbushe tarmac..
Fog, there were times when Blackbushe's fog free runways offered BOAC safe refuge..
Our other state carrier, BEA, also crew trained regularly at Blackbushe although they did bend one or two aeroplanes in the process.... These BEA Viscounts were on fog diversions at the time, but the picture issues some of the Blackbushe essence I feel?
Fog diversions were not unusual at Blackbushe, one foggy day in particular yielded a surprise... An anticipated Pan-Am service was described as a DC-6. From the fog there came a Pan-Am Stratocruiser on 16th November, 1958, the first time a load carrying Stratocruiser had flown into Blackbushe. BOAC crew training had accounted for all previous visits of the "Strat", mighty double deck flying machine from Boeing..
That's enough history, today will see Photo of the Day click through her 350,000th visit... sincere thanks to our loyal followers and all who share our care and concerns for dear old Blackbushe..
PB