PHOTO of the DAY...

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
12/11/20

Operational eventualities at POTD HQ caused delays in going to press this morning... Never outdone, here's a small but memory laden moment from some years ago...




New hangars, warbirds in residence, this reminds of me of when "we" were young...





Sea Fury purchased from DA by Mike Stowe. I felt great admiration as he lined up the beast and launched so much power down the main runway.




Harvard G-AZSC in one of her many colours from blue to camo to white when acquired by Gary Numan to become a pseudo Japanese Zero..



Fun times,
PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
13/11/20


Friday coincides with the thirteenth day of the month once again. Casting superstition to one side, things can only get better - or so we must assume! The November fog of uncertainty, so far as the future is concerned, looks unlikely to blow away this side of 2021, but in due course it will, and with it will come a dramatic rebound of the economy, health, and general optimism. The aviation sector's recovery, so vital to our island's trading capability, will be so necessary to drive our economic relaunch be it from General Aviation to the heavy metal of long haul.

Airfields and their availability will be key to driving GA's recovery, and as there is a move toward converting airfields into garden villages we must be thankful that Blackbushe is not under any such cloud of destiny. The weeks and months roll by taking us toward February, 2021, when Blackbushe is scheduled to yet again take on Hampshire County Council in the Courts of Law. Such irony that this airfield, General Aviation's biggest potential asset in the south-east has another extremely costly legal round with the cash strapped County Council who regardless of the many thousands of pounds (of our money) it will cost are hell bent on bringing Blackbushe to her knees. Just when opportunity is needed to bring employment and life back to our economy this County Council are squandering thousands trying to achieve the opposite. IF the Court of Appeal find in favour of Blackbushe Airport next February what have been six decades of immense frustration as the airfield has fought off endless bureaucratic broadsides will come to an end, the airfield will be secure to grow and provide an essential foothold for General Aviation's recovery. Hope lives on...





A poignant scene 1944 at RAF Hartford Bridge as her valiant Bostons prepare for action once again.




Many images have come my way depicting Blackbushe through the ages. This evocative scene of Bostons depicts what would have been a regular sight at RAF Hartford Bridge during the war years.

Sadly I'm uncertain of how this photograph got tucked into my many files it may, or may not, be a scene at Hartford Bridge but serves the purposes of illustrating the era. The aircraft in the foreground, BZ230, was lost flying from Hartford Bridge on 22 October, 1943. Fellow Boston BZ223 was struck by flak over the Netherlands and a collision with BZ230 resulted. The accident claimed yet more lives who shortly before had been in a degree of comfort at Hartford Bridge. The losses included Wing Commander Richard England, DFC DSO, a tribute printed in the London Gazette 9th November, 1943..."This officer has taken part in a very large number of sorties including attacks on important targets in Northern France. In August, 1943, Wing Commander England led a formation of aircraft in an attack on a target at Rennes. Bad weather was encountered on the outward flight but Wing Commander England unerringly led his force to the precise target which was successfully attacked from a low level. Some days later, this officer led a bomber force in an attack on a works at Demain. In spite of poor visibility and in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire, the objective was bombed accurately. Much of the success of these operations can be attributed to Wing Commander England's inspiring leadership, great courage and exceptional skill".

Whatever unknowns the fogs of uncertainty may enshroud our future prospects with, it will always be plain to see the debt we owe to so many heroes who sacrificed their futures for ours.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
14/11/20

Friday 13th is now history and hopefully we're all still here? Yesterday was in fact quite a good day, you may have seen the piece I entered yesterday regarding the first 'electric' air taxi operations? It's here..
blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/14656 It would be interesting to have some points of view from our Members, especially with regard to my thoughts on such forms of transport one day becoming suited to Blackbushe Airport and her facilities? The POTD Comments department is here... blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/14651 just ready for you to add some thoughts please!!

Looking at November 13th in history, in 1906 Alberto Santos-Dumont flew the Santos-Dumont 14-bis a distance of 722 feet (220 m) in 21 seconds on the grounds of the Château de Bagatelle. With the event happening after over two years of successful Wright brothers flights in the United States, this is recorded as the first officially observed aeroplane flight in Europe and the distance Santos-Dumont flies is the first officially recognized airplane distance record. In 1944 civil air services to London were restored, with the first flights carried out by Railway Air Services..these were linked to Imperial Airways flights providing UK domestic feeder services to points around the nation.. something sadly lacking in 2020! In 1981 Ben Abruzzo and crew make the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean by balloon, in the Double Eagle V, while in 2011 Emirates orders 50 Boeing 777 airliners worth about US$18,000,000,000 – the largest order in terms of commercial value in Boeing's history – with an option to purchase 20 more 777s for another $8,000,000,000. Those were the more positive moments offered by history, November 13th was somewhat less for others.




A piece of Blackbushe 'east' as it is today. Dug up by the local Council almost sixty years ago, we await the public recreation area promised by they who would do anything to take their revenge on the airport on the plateau.. Such puddles are a sad reflection on the achievements of local bureaucracy.




Blackbushe 'east' in far happier times.. Happy times when as a mere yoof who was 'cleared' to ride his bike solo to Blackbushe I would spend hours absorbing Blackbushe leaning against the fence that separated main car park from the airside activity.




Today, standing somewhere around the lighting gantry in the photo above this one, your view is somewhat changed....




"Yesterday", this would have been your view.......



I find it rather sad.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
15/11/20

Mid November. A step closer to the day when life finds a return to at least 'near normal'... A rain soaked and silent Blackbushe Airport continue her patient wait for justice and her 'new normal' we've waited for for so long!

It's interesting how scanning social media pages reveals various postings on Groups not associated with Blackbushe where photos that have originally appeared on our Forum are showing up to an ever wider audience. Certainly no objection to Forum photos being borrowed, revelations of Blackbushe past on other sites is to be welcomed especially as the Forum's prime objective was to keep something of the past alive with images and words. Quite surprising, but not unexpected, that many who see images of Blackbushe with airliners and activity in profusion for the first time are more than a little surprised that this now largely overrun remnant of the old days actually hosted such aviation glamour. Happily, we still have most of the main runway and the area south of it in use, but watching the useable area shrink to this over the years has been uncomfortable to put it mildly.

As a Forum there is very limited input from our members unless a mistake has been made in the editorial process when reaction is more noted! The POTD 'Comments' department awaits input from one and all... Yesterday our 'Star Correspondent' "Rocky14" posted a very welcome response in the POTD Comments department. A link should you have missed it so far... blackbusheairport.proboards.com/post/14660 Thanks Rocky14, you're a Forum star!! Nonetheless, the number of 'hits' the Forum takes each day continues with pleasing numbers of visitors, it won't be that long until POTD reaches her 400,000th visit, maybe by mid summer we'll be passing the half millionth caller? Bit early for mathematics, but way beyond any expectations I had when knocking out 'episode one' back in January 2015. Thank you all! Hopefully the Forum lies somewhere between being a minor voice for Blackbushe and a living entity where her old spirit may still find room for manoeuvre?




Absolutely no link with Blackbushe Airport. Just a reminder of how skies over southern, England used to look long ago way back in 2019..




A link between the years. Breitling's Constellation diverted en route to the Farnborough Air Show in 2014 to give Blackbushe a salute and play the tune of her Wright Cyclones to our circuit long devoid of such music. Breitling's navigator for the UK was a friend and Senior Concorde Captain whereby the diversion was arranged..




Beauty and the beast. The Learjet is the unquestionable beauty, the beast is the Section 52 Planning Agreement subsequently banning the type from Blackbushe. Make up your own comments.




Ahh, schoolboy memories, but how strong they live on....



Getting late, 07.30, one senses a visit to the Weetabix department...

Hopefully your Sunday will not to be too dull under the current circumstances and precipitation? One is tempted to think of days to come when maybe Blackbushe will have overcome the bureaucratic adversity that restrains her ambition, and the words "Covid-19" will not dominate every news report as a vaccine plays its part in a return to an improved normality. Combined, these two events could possibly be in place by next summer?? If so, surely there should be a true 'Blackbushe Celebration' to mark two such strategic events whereby we might at last see that road to the "Broad sunlit uplands"?

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
16/11/20


Time is one factor in life we cannot change, with it changes are inevitable. For example, on this date in 1909 German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin formed the world’s first commercial airline, DELAG Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft. In English, "German Airship Travel Corporation". Exactly 111 years later we are able to watch live coverage of the first Space X commercial space flight, "Crew 1", with its four crew as it docks with the International Space Station later today, this following live departure from Kennedy Space Centre and onboard the Crew 1 mission.

While such progress has been made in human endeavour, for over half of that time since DELAG launched Blackbushe Airport has been kept stagnant by the malignant forces of local bureaucracy. Each and every member responsible for such shameful abuse of their civic 'power' should hang their heads in shame. How many more great achievements will mankind make before he allows a simple airfield in Hampshire to be an airfield with facilities?




Mankind ventures with extraordinary steps toward new horizons in space while Blackbushe Airport is bordered by unsightly bureaucratic destruction. The nation's leading charity for bringing joy and indescribable achievement to the disabled is unable to expand its horizons at Blackbushe as a result of the 'power' of local government. Nonetheless, Aerobility's positive attitude, determination, and drive must cast further shame on local 'powers'?




Immense courage and human sacrifice was a routine offering from our airfield in the last war, 342 Squadron being just one of the many squadrons who were able to call her home during that conflict. In the light of human progress since those days and the endless battle over Blackbushe, one has to ask who it is that is misguided, bureaucracy and its anti aviation malevolence or those who see the airfield as a place where employment and the local economy will benefit while currently serving as the most outstanding potential General Aviation centre in the south east as we await the post pandemic recovery...?



Feel free to use the POTD "Comments" section if you have a point of view you'd like to share...

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
17/11/20

Quite amazing... while thinking of some POTD content my phone is covering the live "Welcome" ceremony from the ISS as the recently arrived four Space X crew members enjoy the "Welcome" ceremony some 27 hours since liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center. Human beings have amazing capability, sadly not employed in some parts of Hampshire!

With an early morning appointment POTD has to be on its way with haste this morning.. Last evening I posted the photo below on a social media page to which a very pleasing degree of positive reaction was received. Here's the photo and the comment I attached to it.




"No matter which way you approach it, Blackbushe is an exemplary environmentally exceptional, easy access, easy to use, long established airfield with an extraordinary history. It's really easy to see; tragic that local and County bureaucracy has not been able to see it too....."



I won't add the replies received just to say they were all very much 'on message'...

If I can sit here writing POTD distributed by the miraculous means of the www while listening live to the newly arrived crews on the International Space Station SURELY we should be able to build some hangars on Blackbushe Airport..it's an AIRPORT for heavens sake?

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
18/11/20


Thanks to Mike Biddulph's 'pre-lockdown' images of Blackbushe from around the circuit our current header photo and the one below indicate not just General Aviation's finest 'airport in waiting' but also a dilemma that has struck British Car Auctions who, for better of for worse, own the area now festooned with unwanted cars.




Eye's right..Somebody mention, "Blot on the landscape"?




BCA's acquistion of "Webuyanycar" might be showing the strain? The situation today with ever increasing unemployment, lease cars being returned, and an ocean of second hand cars whose waters get deeper daily, while buying an unseen car via virtual auction apparently is of limited appeal, has resulted in BCA Blackbushe running out of space. Beware the Common.... The dreadful spectacle of thousands of unwanted cars festering at Blackbushe is a tragic step in the history of 'our' airfield. BCA are already storing vehicles at Farnborough's Exhibition site, or close to it.. BCA's logistics people must be tearing their hair out!! Sad to reflect on the fact that if BCA had not kept the northwest corner and its precious hangars Blackbushe would be a viable aviation proposition, those hangars would be alive with the sound of aeroplanes in the dry and maintained in the dry too.



Moving back to a happier gathering on the airfield, 2017 and Blackbushe's 75th Anniversary. Some more photos received from Mike Biddulph during the past week. We are all having 'lockdown sort outs' it would seem!! Mike, you may remember, is the incredible soul who volunteered to manufacture the "Airlines of Blackbushe Airport" sign in support of my ambition to return the Airport's airlines to public visibility. My plaque concept grew into the sign by the Terminal that will for many years convey 'the story'. Mike's Company, Prestige Signs, have appeared on many well known commercial enterprises, he also produced all our signage at no cost for the Air Day in 2016 and the 75th Anniversary a year later..AND provided a generous cash sum for one of the Air Day prizes.




Peter Teichman arrived at the 75th Anniversary show on one day with his beautiful Mustang, "Tall in the Saddle", the next day with his 16 Squadron PR Spitfire.




"The History Hub". Our memory headquarters for the 75th wherein many a tale was exchanged amid so many for whom Blackbushe had played a part in their lives. Hungarian refugees whose liberation started at Blackbushe, Harold Bamberg who founded Eagle along with numerous of his Blackbushe employees, engineers and air crew, air traffic controllers who worked in the original Tower out on Blackbushe 'east', and many others. The culmination of so many weeks of 100% determination to mark the old airfield's 75th! Signage by Mike Biddulph's Prestige Signs.. Mike's immaculate Cessna 150 enjoyed the day adjacent to the "Hub"..




Familiar colours and memories of 'yesteryear' in the History Hub's display case...





Attending the 2017 weekend and also a star of the 2016 Air Day, a very familiar shape!




Another shape that required no introduction!




The "Cat" captured thoughts of US Navy days at Blackbushe long ago..




Many vintage aeroplanes graced the 75th weekend, the gorgeous Vega Gull from Biggin Hill being a very fine example..




A little more utilitarian, the rugged An-2 with Mike's passenger of the day, a hero with many Lancaster hours in his log book.




Should you wish to get checked out on the Dakota this will help you familarise the situation.. This being the Dunsfold Dakota, a popular component of the 75th Anniversary aircraft collection..



Sincerest thanks to Mike for today's photos, looking forward to seeing your work around the airfield when the future permits!!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
19/11/20

The wheels of November are moving things along, a couple of weeks and airfields such as Blackbushe should be coming back to life. Flicking the hands of time backward for a minute and taking another peek at life on Blackbushe (RAF Hartford Bridge) during the months following D-Day.

Earlier in the month of November, 1944, Group Captain Carpenter of Transport Command paid the airfield a visit, a visit due to the possible transfer of the Hartford Bridge airfield to RAF Transport Command. A few days later 11 Group Headquarters personnel arrived to discuss Customs arrangements for aircraft from overseas. The value of an airfield with long runways in this location was already being realised as to its future potential.

For the record, 16th November was the day when 40 USAAF Liberators arrived, diversions from air bases clamped by fog. A further realisation of the airfield's future value as to her excellent "Fog free" capability became obvious. Accommodating 400 additional air crew and hurriedly arranged film shows and concerts showed the value of the base's excellent facilities! On the night of the Liberators the occasion coincided with a visit from Sir Donald Banks who had come to watch a demonstration of FIDO, the airfield's fog dispersal unit.

136 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force formed at RAF Hartford Bridge on 18th November, 1944. Consisting of 418 and 605 Squadrons who flew Mosquito V1s, 418 was crewed by all-Canadian pilots, nearly all ex-instructors, their navigators were primarily British.

It was on this day, 19th November that 138 Wing Departed for their new base at Epinoy. near Cambrai, France. One can but imagine the Wing's departure as no less than 57 Mosquitoes took to the air...

Coming a little more up to date, it occurs to the POTD pen pusher that Blackbushe Airport in 2020 has two distinctly different groups of well wishers. All admirable people, one group will remember Blackbushe from her days as a prime commercial airport where the British Independents got a foothold plus, of course, her post closure endeavours to stay alive. The younger group, and there are many, has no recall of old Blackbushe Airport, only the way she has been during the decades of survival and bureaucratic bombardment being the extent of what they will have witnessed first hand. Being in the former group of veterans it is truly hoped that this Forum has done something toward painting the more youthful ones a picture of the years they missed?




Light aeroplanes have always been a part of post war Blackbushe. G-AJSG, Firchild Argus, lived here in 1949/1950 and was cared for by Silver City.




Until the summer of 1960 Blackbushe was well equipped with hangars wherein many commercial airliners received their tender loving care.








For many ex service aeroplanes, Blackbushe was their last sight of England before export to air forces in far away places. The Tempest just some of the many that departed to join the Indian Air Force, the Sea Otter was off to Burma.




The long years of the sixties, seventies, and thereafter sailed by with some fun bits!




Subsequent to 1960, we've witnessed the east/west divide of poor old Blackbushe.




The great "East End Massacre"....




We've taken steps to keep precious memories of old Blackbushe alive.




Seen the transformation into a most presentable GA Airport winning the 2019 AOPA "Aerodrome of the Year" award.




Fought legal battles in the highest of places..




..and she lives on with every ambition of becoming the prime well equipped example of an affordable General Aviation to serve aviation training, business aviation, employment, the local economy, and a source of pleasure and entertainment for all who visit her. A local place of pride, but first she must get those who wish to champion her return to wasteland off her back. For good.

07.30, time for breakfast..you've had your daily serving of the Blackbushe diet!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
20/11/20


Another day, another Forum "Header" photo. The Curtiss C-46, N4894V, of Westair Transport became a temporary Blackbushe resident during the summer of 1957 operating here between June and August. The photo was taken at the A30 aircraft crossing point. Beyond the aircraft the one time very expansive main apron, the Terminal 'full size', rows of apron gantry lights, and the busy main car park and coach park.




Today's Forum "Header" photo should you have missed it!!!



Meanwhile, its down to Earth once again. On Wednesday 18 November MPs debated the future of the aviation industry in Westminster Hall. A general debate, general debates allow MPs to debate important issues, however they do not end in a vote nor can they change the law. Nonetheless, it shows that an interest and awareness of aviation's part in our national well being is still alive in Westminster. For those who wish, the Parliamentary debate on aviation during the Covid-19 may be seen and heard here.... www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/eb055add-10fe-4e81-b706-12c5ac092e6a




The APPG on GA, The All Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation have not produced anything to report on since last August when they sought clarification on the status of airfields under the proposed changes in planning rules.



FYI, details of the APPG meeting on 28th August, 2020..


Friday 28th August 2020

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) has signalled its concern about the lack of protection for airfields within the newly proposed changes to planning rules in the UK.

Co-Chair of the group, Lord Davies of Gower, has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to seek clarification on the status of airfields under the planned changes.

The new reforms, announced on the 6th August, are aimed at overhauling the current planning system to make it easier for developers to build new housing. Under the new system, areas of land would be designated for either growth, renewal or protection by local planners.

Commenting on the proposals, Lord Davies of Gower said “It is currently unclear how MHCLG plans to categorise airfields under its new system. The aviation community has learned from bitter experience that airfields are already an all too tempting prospect for local authorities and housing developers. We want to make sure that the new system does not make it easier for runways to be converted into suburbs”

The consultation on proposals for the new system ends on the 29th October, any changes will then need to be made into legislation before the first round of plans can be submitted under the new system. However, the APPG-GA sees this phase of the policy as a crucial opportunity to make things better for airfields.

Lord Davies said “these proposals do represent a real opportunity to address the problems airfields face under the current system. We want to see a system where sites are protected for use as airfields as part of a national strategic network – but we also want airfields to have some planning flexibility to develop and diversify their businesses without undue constraint.

“Once an airfield disappears, one is never built to replace it. As an industry, GA cannot afford to lose any more of its vital network of airfields. This is why we need to get the right deal for airfields out of this latest policy process.”


For those still interested, this is the letter sent to the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government. generalaviationappg.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Planning-Letter-to-SoS-BD-Final-3.pdf



The above bodies, one assumes, are aware of the status surrounding Blackbushe Airport and the anti aviation, anti Blackbushe, anti progressive stance being taken by Hampshire County Council whose objectives would appear to fly in the face of common sense and any inkling of understanding of aviation's role in our nation's well being?




Back to the golden age of Blackbushe and another photo from Graham Jones. When Blackbushe had a north and south with the A30 running betwixt them, days when Blackbushe also had an "east" before the local Parish were unleashed upon its precious acres... Here a Falcon Airways Viking rests abeam the large hangar once situate on the Airport's extreme south easterly quarter way across the road on Blackbushe "south".




Have a nice day, soon be Christmas - if Boris permits!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
21/11/20


November 21st, just one more 'lockdown Saturday' before freedom of the skies is reinstated, we must hope for sunny skies to welcome the return of liberation..

November 21st...1952. The first flight of the Percival Pembroke. A fine old machine of which the air forces of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and Great Britain were seen at Blackbushe flying this delightful aeroplane.




A 'Pembroke moment' at Blackbushe during Farnborough Week, 1959. XL954 made numerous visits to Blackbushe, she was in the hands of 2nd Tactical Air Force Communications Flight. Followers of POTD will know that the 2nd TAF conducted many operations from Blackbushe during WW2.



November 21st, ...1986. No links with Blackbushe but a Wiki report and fascinating vision of long haul air travel!! Wiki states... "The first ever RAF air-to-air refuelling of a fully-loaded passenger carrying transport aircraft. It was carried out on a trooper flight to Oman as part of Exercise Saif Sareea. The refuelling took place over Sicily as part of the 4,200 mile, 9 h flight". Whilst not finding much corroborating evidence of this 'Wiki' report, a comment in Hansard of 30th January, 1986, during a long debate on defence gives rise to the possibility of such events, " Exercise Saif Sareea will be the largest out-of-area exercise we have undertaken for many ... Although it is "dry", it is like a commercial flight. ... who braved more spartan conditions and the mid-air refuelling of the Hercules."







Talking of Farnborough Week, 1959, long haul air travel, or just Blackbushe nostalgia..the view for passers by on the A30 when a C-124 Globemaster came to call at Blackbushe. Happily the airfield was built to withstand the heaviest aircraft of the time, and few came much heavier than this in 1959.


Wishing all who pass by these pages a pleasant weekend!
PB