PHOTO of the DAY...

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
24/06/15

As a quick follow on to yesterday's Bugs Bunny tale, and for the benefit of the handful of good people who stopped to read it, herewith a better view of the runway's end. It simply confirms the multiple layers that make up our main runway, and that's before you reach McAlpine's deep concrete base.



Still strikes me as a national disgrace to have disfigured this structure in such a way...Especially as the Common Land public notices instruct you not to damage the land, remove plants etc etc..

Obviously there are those out there who would violently disagree with my sentiment. Or should I say, they would have done before leaving us with a ruined runway and passing to another plain.

That's life...
PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
25/06/15

June 25th...we're half way to Christmas.

On that sobering thought it also means our September 'event' is not far off, and a lot of work awaits upon the shoulders.

It could be that "POTD" becomes a little briefer as time sadly does not stretch that much...however, I'll do whatever I can in support of the olde aerodrome..

Today, we travel back to late 1959, either September of November, as Army Air Corps EP9 XM819 taxies across the main Blackbushe apron. The distant trees suggest it was November??


Edgar Percival EP9, XM819

..and here's the great man himself....


Edgar Percival with another of his well known creations..the Proctor during a visit to Blackbushe.

One of aviation's great characters stands by his Proctor during a call on Blackbushe some while back..it has to be said that not all his designs carried the beauty of the Proctor, most did, but the EP9 had a job to do, being beautiful wasn't one of them.

It had a unique appeal though?

PB

[PB]

Just noticed "POTD" has just gone through 9,000 hits today! My grateful thanks to all who have shared the 'moments'...

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
26/06/15

Some of the Forum's followers will have seen my note about changes to the September Fly-in date. If not, it's now going to be a one-day event lined up with Battle of Britain Week. Sunday, September 20th, 2015, is now the date you note if you wish to see a few more aeroplanes than usual in our circuit...

The Blackbushe "Battle of Britain" Fly-in will see and hear the Spitfire in action as we recall the RAF's outstanding achievements in the dark days of 1940.


Spitfire displays at Blackbushe in 1977


As explained elsewhere on the Forum, there are good and tactical reasons for the date change the nature of which I won't go into now. However, if this year's event goes at all well it will be looked upon as a stepping stone to perhaps a similar happening next year - and the 75th Anniversary of Blackbushe in 2017. Blackbushe Airport were good enough to, "Give me the Airport" when I placed ideas and the need to put the airfield back into the GA field of events in their mind, now we've got to make it work.

The crux of the 20th September event is not purely to remember the Battle of Britain - Douglas Bader will be represented - but primarily to support Aerobility who perform such amazing work in helping our injured and handicapped achieve heights they never thought possible. To that end I hope the Forum will continue to produce a few more volunteers to add to the list.


One time Blackbushe resident...


Further details will be found in the "Future Events" section of the Forum at a later date, but for now I hope you'll be around on 20/09/15...

Please note that the Fly-in will not, this time, be a "public event" as such.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
27/06/15

Back to the past, 1958 in fact...


Douglas Skyraider AEW1


WT965 made three visits to Blackbushe in June, 1958. Parked close to the A30 on the old runway 01/19 the Skyraider provides just another example of the varied types of aircraft Blackbushe produced during her golden days prior to May 1960.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
28/06/15

Driving past Blackbushe this morning the inevitable flash-backs occur...

Here's one


BOAC "Ghana Airways" Britannia, G-ANBI as seen on 15th April, 1960.

The mighty "Whispering Giant" would appear at Blackbushe either because Heathrow was again below limits, or for crew training.

The 15th April, 1960. Just six weeks later the Airport was destroyed by the government. Destroyed so as it would no longer be a threat to the new baby in West Sussex. For over half a century she has been blighted by ancient rights, political and legal jiggery pokery and intervention by bodies designed to impede..some in the name of England. Naturally...

Do I care? Well, I have done since 1960, but am beginning to wonder if there is much point as we live under the repression of political correctness, anachronistic ancient rights, Euro controls, rules, rules, and more rules, regulations, environmentalists, air space manipulation and the things called 'humans' behind all these manifestations of their species.

At least they can't take away the memories of those old enough to remember London's Second Airport located in north-east Hampshire. Can they?

PB

[PB]

Monday, 29 June, 2015..POTD diverted, hopefully back tomorrow..
PB

[PB]

Correction. POTD service did not divert, it was cancelled...

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
30/06/15

POTD has emerged into the light of day once more....

Talking of the light of day...


Early morning at BCA's Blackbushe


The now absent BCA Lion clings to the Terminal, Cabair aircraft frequent the apron, no Airlines of Blackbushe Airport sign, but the Tower is manned and the Airport Manager's office is already buzzing as the sun climbs into its lazy winter patrol ready for another low level transit to the western sky later in the day. The slowly changing scene at London's Blackbushe Airport. Well, if Oxford and Luton can call themselves London airports, Blackbushe jolly well can being so much closer to London than they ever will!

Today's photo must go back to soon after the Terminal was refurbished by BCA, Blink were probably pre embryonic. One thing that never changes, yet changes all the time..The forest. It largely surrounds the airfield and each years grows in its relentless efforts to cover the great flat expanse of Hartford Bridge Flats. If the surviving acres known as Blackbushe Airport had not been saved from the clawed hands of those who wished its final destruction, today the airfield would be just hundreds of acres of disused wilderness. As it is we have a potentially magnificent aviation asset that gives employment to many, and enjoyment to many others who just stop, stand and stare at what remains operational of dear old Blackbushe Airport.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
01/07/15

POTD is with you, we've made it through to July despite the heat, the nanny state health warnings and rail tracks possibly forming new routes as they stretch out in the noon day sun, despite the intense excitement of Andy Murray doing post match analysis, and despite the Airports Commission finding Heathrow the preferred site for London's next runway. Oh well, I suppose none of these come as a great surprise...the latter probably the least likely to get an OMG response.

One thing the Airports Commission has made clear is the demand for air transport services in the south-east. They did, of course, receive a lengthy document some while ago suggesting how smaller airports - especially to the south-west of London - could be incorporated into a strategic plan. While Heathrow celebrates today as being the 'chosen one' we should not forget how long the 'new runway' saga has been running for. How governments since the 60's have failed to show us their balls and make any kind of decision as to where our vital airport development should be. So much lost time with political ineptitude the UK is already missing out to European major hub airports. So much so that not only have we lost the plot, we've also missed the boat!

It's tragic that our nation is held back by the intervention of the political elite, and people like Boris who have stated they would lie on front of the the bulldozers should they try to develop Heathrow. Maybe he should...

It's quite odd in this day and age looking at Blackbushe in her present form...this is where the US Government once proposed a 10,000ft runway with a 7,000ft runway in parallel. This is where the British Government of the time considered might be a good site for London's main airport of the future if the US were to develop at their expense and eventually leave.. Probably a very big IF, but apparently our leaders proclaimed that Heathrow would eventually be closed if Blackbushe was to be grow as in the plans of the US military..

That's how the story went. If it's true it brings a multitude of scenarios to mind as to how life would have changed both here and in the London vicinity. However, we all know what happened as the sleepy fog bound race course in West Sussex got the green light from our government of the day...it's still only got one runway, something it still shares with its sadly forgotten sister airport in north-east Hampshire.


USAF Globemaster enjoys the Blackbushe infrastructure


We can but look back on the days when Blackbushe was indeed London's second airport, probably the best possible location from geographic and environmental points of view. It may be a shadow of its former self, but Blackbushe continues to hold the trump card so far as potential is concerned for smaller regional type services to serve the burgeoning business community within which it is central. David Cameron said of HS2, "We need to do business better"..meaning faster travel within the UK is needed. The railway idea costing billions is to the minds of many a gross waste of money. It would cost a fraction of that to help us, "do business better" and pump a little new life into Blackbushe. The Airports Commission make it quiet clear the demand is there, and ever growing...

That's all I'm saying, we all know that most likely nothing will happen to put our airport truly back on the map, so we'll have a fly-in in September and dream of bigger things.

Have a cool day,
PB