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Post by PB on May 26, 2021 6:37:58 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
26/05/21May continues to break the Met Office records with its large quantities of precipitation and low temperatures. Photos taken last May during lockdown show the garden far advanced over this year's performance.
POTD has been looking back to 1945 from time to time, looking back to May, 1945, RAF Blackbushe recorded an average of 16C, about average for the time of year. Operationally the resident Warwicks were proving a problem, more of that tomorrow.
The aviation history book today tells that on this day in 1972 Cessna produced its 100,000th aircraft. The first manufacturer of aeroplanes to reach the number.
Currently 2021 proves to hold some concerns for north-east Hampshire as the Indian Covid recipe appears to be at large in four post code areas..the dreaded swab down the throat beckons once again. Blackbushe is not in one of the affected areas. Not sure how serious it is as yet, but local BBC TV media yesterday gave it plenty of air time. Meanwhile news from Mars and NASA's "Ingenuity" rover indicates the possibility of finding organic salts in the planets sub 'soil'... We live in an extraordinary age of human achievement, sadly not one whereby a general aviation airfield in north east Hampshire is permitted to erect hangars to protect aeroplanes from the English climate.  "The Blackbushe Fence", Hampshire's equivalent of the Berlin Wall. One has to ask as to the motivation applied leading to this crazy view and wanton costly destruction by local forces?    Four random moments snatched from the sixties era, red and white seemed a popular colour scheme...
Have a good day, and if you have any comments to make about anything Blackbushe or POTD, please feel free to use the Forum's POTD comments section!!
PB
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Post by PB on May 27, 2021 6:47:14 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
27/05/21Here we are again. Good morning to our faithful followers and new visitors to our Blackbushe Forum.. 06.30 and a beautiful May morning accompanied by weather predictions that are actually good for the coming Bank Holiday Weekend. Yesterday afternoon's met was excellent too, bit of a cross wind, but Blackbushe was alive and throbbing with activity on the ground and in the air. Met a group of work associates in the afternoon spending two hours enjoying al fresco refreshment from the Airport's excellent new "Pathfinder Cafe". A non aviation minded group all were impressed by the amount of aerial activity and the Pathfinder!! Compared to the years prior to Blackbushe's present owners taking hold of the deeds one can now feel genuine pride in the way the airfield looks and works. If only the bureaucratic opponents could appreciate what the airfield offers we would have the most amazing General Aviation centre................. For now, we'll step back a bit as we do from time to time. As mentioned yesterday, we're stepping back to May, 1945.. The 27th May in fact. The new resident Vickers Warwicks operation Blackbushe's new role as a Transport Command airfield were giving significant levels of technical issues, some were now grounded by repeated engine failures pending rectification. 301 Squadron moved out on his day in 1945, they relocated to RAF North Weald having only been at Blackbushe since 4th April..They operated Warwick MkI and MkIII aircraft. Resident 167 Squadron flying Warwick, Dakota, and Anson aircraft were flying to destinations including Prague, Vienna, Paris, Naples and Brussels on a daily basis. Malta was served three times a week from Blackbushe, Prague proved the most difficult destination to find in bad weather. With so much experience in flying passenger services how amazing it would be to see Blackbushe continue the tradition. Just a thought, circumstances are somewhat different today.
Temporarily 167 Squadron had had to load and off load at RAF Lyneham due to Blackbushe's lack of adequate facilities, but by this time in 1945 Blackbushe had new purpose built passenger and freight handling facilities. She was on her way to becoming one of London's major airports...Reflecting news from aviation's history books for 27th May...
1961. First crossing of the English Channell by a VTOL aircraft. The Short SC1 flew from England to the Paris Air Show.
1958 First flight of the McDonnell Douglas Phantom II
1955 First flight of the Sud Aviation Caravelle.
1941. Bismarck sunk by British naval and air forces.
1933 First flight of the DH Leopard Moth.
 The DH Leopard Moth at Blackbushe. Taken in the early sixties, the type celebrates her 88th birthday since first flying today!!! Ultra quiet, very short take off and landing capability, the Dash 7's visit to Blackbushe during a sales tour long ago conjured visions of aircraft of such size providing service from this once busy passenger airport.. I'm going to enjoy some time absorbing Vitamin D from the sun this morning, and enjoying a day with absolutely no commitments, well not many....actually, there's a letter I should write...
PB
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Post by PB on May 28, 2021 6:14:10 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
28/05/2106.00, Friday morning and the OAT was a tad over +10C.
Thanks go to our roving reporters for recent coverage of Blackbushe's visiting aeroplanes of late, controller, lynothehammer, rj, jadedjohn, exeglkflyer, and pphillips being the members to whom we must extend the Forum's eternal gratitude for their services found in our "Recent Movements" department.. Thank you all, keep it up and let's hope Blackbushe's purpose and popularity continues to grow and provide ever more material for you!!
Looking over the shoulder at past events in aviation, POTD notes that on this day in 1916 a young man named Harry Hawker flew the Sopwith Triplane on its first ascent from terra firma. Just 19 years later, November 1935, young Hawker made another contribution to aviation. His company's aeroplane called Hurricane made its first flight. Like AVM Bennett who saved Blackbushe for us, Harry Hawker originated from Australia. The only triplane to have flown from Blackbushe must be the Fokker Triplane participating in the 1977 Air Festival?
On this day in 2010 "Solar Impulse" made its first flight powered entirely with solar energy as its fuel...the first flight of any aircraft powered this way. The flight took place at Payerne Airport, Switzerland.
 This morning, recall of how Blackbushe used to look beyond the fence that today marks the divide between land owned by the Airport and Hampshire County Council. Airwork's hangars, workshops, and Proctor G-AHGA on the once neatly mowed acres of Blackbushe 'east'.. Proctor HGA was one of Blackbushe's long term residents, flying regularly from 1950 to 1960, owned by Stewart Smith & Co... The bureaucrats of Hampshire and Yateley certainly implemented some changes during their years of 'control'....Wishing you a pleasant day..
PB
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Post by PB on May 29, 2021 8:26:56 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
29/05/21Just a couple of days to when meteorological summer begins. ?
Of recent days Blackbushe has handled a number of business jet movements. After lockdown it's been truly gratifying to see Blackbushe handling more jet business movements; confidence in Blackbushe as a valuable business aviation resource will surely spread as it becomes obvious that she is the affordable alternative for business traffic where a hard runway, professional service, and quick and easy surface connections to London are prime requirements.
The airfield just needs to overcome the bureaucratic barriers erected by Hampshire County Council enabling her to provide the very best in more complex terminal facilities, services, and engineering. Daily it seems more pitiful that a facility as valuable as Blackbushe suffers from any form of local government handicaps.
Leaning on the aviation history book for a moment's reflection..
1908 The first passenger flight in Europe - Henri Farman took Ernest Archdeacon for a brief flight at Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
1925 Alan Cobham flew the prototype DH 60 Moth Croydon-Zurich-Croydon in one day. At least he had plenty of daylight at this time of year...
1934 The first regular air mail service in the UK launched, flown by Highland Airways between Inverness and Kirkwall. An image seen from the Tower during the days of Doug Arnold. Warbirds, bizz jets and air taxi twins. The north side of the airfield before it was permitted to go wild. Undercover operations. Some perspex can make all the difference when the weather turns inclement.. Early days' activity. The Arrow Active quite often popped in, often with Neil Williams strapped to the hot seat..Have a great day, why not pop into the "Pathfinder" for a coffee and some cake??
PB
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Post by PB on May 30, 2021 7:26:25 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
30/05/21This morning's "POTD" is a reflection, a reflection of yesterday's impromptu decision around 11.00 to nip up to the airfield and take the air. I was not to be disappointed!
On arrival the car park from the Pathfinder Cafe to the Terminal was almost fully subscribed, solid with cars. Impressive, the atmosphere of momentum was palpable.
The first weekend for ages blessed with warmth and bright skies, a Bank Holiday weekend, families were enjoying the atmosphere, aeroplanes were in abundance moving on the ground and wearing grooves in the circuit.
The Airport's new Pathfinder Cafe was buzzing! Inside were plenty of diners while outside all the tables were occupied and the fabulous Pathfinder staff shuttled endlessly delivering orders to their customers indoors or at the plentiful tables outside.
The air was warm, soft and sweet, a gentle breeze advising summer was on her way, if not already here. Aero engines were running all over the place, aircraft taxiing, refuelling, heading for the hold or returning to their waiting disperal, while in the air aircraft were doing what aircraft do. A deep and strong feeling of satisfaction with Blackbushe consumed me, perhaps more so than ever before? The very best has been made of this superb location and aviation facility right up to the boundaries of bureaucratic madness beyond which she may not tread...
After six decades of being involved with Blackbushe Airport one way or another, yesterday presented more clearly than ever an airfield that is not only superbly well organised but busy serving aviation and proving a popular venue for the public to enjoy the views, complete with a new cafe adding a whole new element to the Blackbushe product. Blackbushe was bursting with life, the new Pathfinder Cafe providing the perfect viewing opportunity.
The airfield was literally buzzing, from the mighty tri jet Falcon and Cessna executive jets to the nimblist of light aircraft the airport known as Blackbushe looked extremely well and very much alive..  Blackbushe has fought for six decades against bureaucratic powers, nevertheless, she's come a long way since the days when this might have been the sum total of a week's visiting air traffic. Dr Hocking's welcome visits from White Waltham for a cup of Blackbushe Aero Club tea..IT'S A SHAME ALIEN BUREAUCRACY FROM HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL WERE NOT AT BLACKBUSHE YESTERDAY TO WITNESS EXACTLY WHAT IS IS THEY ARE HELL BENT ON DESTROYING, THE GIFT HORSE WHOSE MOUTH THEY BLINDLY CONTINUE TO STARE IN...
Anybody got anything to add?
PB
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Post by PB on May 31, 2021 7:43:40 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
31/05/21May Bank Holiday Monday..not raining! The first two days of the long weekend witnessed Blackbushe showing signs of emergence into something of the Blackbushe Airport so many would wish to see. Bountiful action amid the home based fleets of aircraft joined by numerous visitors over the weekend from singles up to larger multi engined jets. Today's 'header' photo comes courtesy of Ken Lipscombe, a Falcom 50EX from Aberdeen. More photos from Ken and John Varndell to follow..The "Pathfinder Cafe" continues to be a fantastic success and bonus to Blackbushe, but don't forget they close on Mondays until June when the seven days a week service commences.
As "POTD" stated yesterday, members of the local bureaucracy should have been at Blackbushe over the weekend to view exactly what it is they are condemning with their contorted and antediluvian politics. Comments from our Members always welcome......... Nipping back to the 1950's..A United States Navy Albatross and a panorama of Blackbushe Airport's eastern extremity - as it was. Immaculately maintained and the gleaming white Control Tower. The same view taken from the same place yesterday. The Parish Council of Yateley claimed that their destruction of the Airport's eastern end would provide a wide open recreational area. There it is!! Hampshire County Council's subsequent ownership of Blackbushe 'east' has achieved nothing further except, of course, they demolished two thirds of the Terminal Building despite being offered vast sums of money to NOT smash up what they could.. Malevolent politics are alive and well in Hampshire.Now back to happier times, such as this weekend. Photos thanks to John Varndell and Ken Lipscombe... Nicer chaps you'd be hard pressed to meet!! Saturday, this weekend.. Visiting aircraft numbers on the up, including the business end of the market. Two King Airs added to the atmosphere.. D-CUBA, Cessna CJ3 added to the international business airport atmosphere.. Saturday's Falcon 50 enjoying the Blackbushe tarmac.. Blackbushe welcomes all whether they come by land, sea, or air.... "Farewell"... The Falcon 50 departs Blackbushe while leaving much of the runway unused. Fast, graceful, and quiet...On Sunday, Ken Lipscombe has very kindly agreed to share his Falcon photos with us.. Sunday's Falcon 50. Magnificent! Cannot be denied, the Falcon 50 looks great wherever she is, but on Blackbushe tarmac - pure perfection! ..and another Falcon farewell!!Blackbushe has shown what she is capable of! We've seen what local county politics are capable of.. Surely, the potential jobs, business, support of the local economy and benefits that Blackbushe Airport holds in store cannot wait much longer for common sense to emerge over the horizon? Sixty years is already sixty years too long...
Sincere thanks to Ken and John for agreeing to share their photos..
PB
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Post by PB on Jun 1, 2021 6:35:27 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
01/06/21One month to go and we're half way to next year. Time, it would seem, continues to pass by at an ever accelerating pace.. at least temperatures are finding the correct levels for the time of year, +10C OAT before 06.00 becoming more acceptable! 05.30 a demented magpie decided to release an endless volley of its screeching machine gun like chatter rather too close to the open bedroom window, so here we are again...  Blackbushe enjoyed something of a traffic renaissance over the Bank Holiday weekend, but the skies overhead have a way to go before the regular interlacing of vapour trails floats overhead confirming the air transport industry is anywhere near recovered from its Covid attack.. G-APKL, Holly Birkett's maroon red and yellow Auster J1N. An early Blackbushe resident aeroplane, Holly was the Blackbushe Aero Club's Press Officer, writer of the "Bushe Telegraph" the Club's journal and news letter. A Vet based in Farnborough, Holly was very much one of the key players at the airfield back in the beginning of time somewhere around 1962...A story comes to mind from the time. Many stories do, but one in particular has just come back to memory. I was a mere 16 year old who in 1962 haunted Blackbushe at every possible moment. Wasn't much at the airfield physically but the old place had a strong growing spirit amid the new flying club. My weekends were not complete if I had failed to get airborne with somebody, and most weekends I managed to ascend from Blackbushe one way or another. On one hot August afternoon in 1962 Holly was taking PKL to White Waltham for fuel. As I said, there wasn't much at Blackbushe at the time.. He was taking a friend in the right hand seat but I was welcome to take the Auster's snug seat in the back. We departed runway 26 (it was 26 back then) and climbed to around 3,000' overhead. Fabulous day for aviating, good vis and the sky fitted with a gentle collection of fair weather cumulus. As we turned north toward our destination whilst in the Blackbushe overhead something funny happened. The world rotated at speed, the horizon gyrated and then appeared at ninety degrees to where it should have been, my thought at the moment was for my Dad. My Mum had died five year earlier and he'd be alone. The gyrations continued as all hell let loose in the cockpit! Fortunately things sorted themselves out and PKL returned to level flight somewhat nearer the ground than a few moments earlier. Holly's quite hefty brief case flew past my head during negative G, the very few gallons of fuel in the tank were now even fewer having vented during zero G out of the filler just forward of the windshield into the cockpit and heaven knows where else... Result was stinging eyes and high octane lungs. We were going for fuel 'cos the old girl was thirsty, now she was parched.. Yateley was now located where it should have been all along, the aeroplane remained intact from its unusual indulgences for an Auster. One difference hard to miss was the engine's song. Replaced was the even throb of an Auster by a popping banging backfiring and obviously unhappy power unit. I sat taking in the atmosphere with luggage items that had joined me recently while the chaps in the front aimed for White Waltham. The staccato engine song played its merry tune all the way. I clearly recall looking down on Wokingham and the steeple of its landmark church by the railway wondering what they down there thought of us up here making noises akin to a Model T Ford or the such like..The engine continued to run, our fuel tank continue to drain, our eyes continued to water, our luck continued to hold.. Those familiar with the Auster will know that alongside the throttle lever you also have the mixture lever. For whatever reason, it had not been noted until in the Waltham circuit that the mixture lever had accidentally been brought to the 'very lean' position during our gyrations hence the popping and banging that propelled us on our way! A little leaner and all would have gone quiet!
We had a nice cup of tea at the Aero Club, KL had a nice tank of fuel, and back to Blackbushe. I cannot say thoughts of how the airframe endured during our unscheduled aerobatic display had not entered my mind as we bumped across Waltham's grassy runways and rose back in the air... Arrival back at Blackbushe was greeted by witness reports of dismay at how KL started to fall out of the sky while performing an unexpected aerobatic display. Holly could offer no explanation. Somehow a wing dropped and what happened after that was good fortune as apparently the aeroplane regained normal flight by good fortune. Comments from Blackbushe bound observers were varied, but I do remember David Rimmer of Rimmer Aviation saying he thought our time was up!
I guess it's lucky the mixture lever did not get pulled back any further or undoubtedly the flight would have been terminated somewhat earlier than it was...
One of those days you tend to remember! I was glad to be able to go home to my Dad that evening....
Sorry to have gone on so long, time to hang up. Whilst during my time working for AVM Bennett at Blackbushe I helped Holly and his wife Margaret load up PKL for a trip to France. The back seat was full of luggage this time. Standing on the then glass shrouded Terminal stair case I stood and watched as PKL became a speck as she disappeared beyond Farnborough. Next morning on arrival at Blackbushe I was greeted by the awful news that Holly and Margaret had lost their lives when PKL crashed in poor visibility on the French coast.
I don't suppose many 'Blackbushe people' remember Holly, but he was the salt of the Earth, larger than life, a key player in those early days as Blackbushe gasped for breath.
PB
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Post by PB on Jun 2, 2021 6:45:10 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
02/06/21What a difference real sunshine makes! Yesterday tickled +27C combining with more multi engined jet movements at the busy airfield known as Blackbushe.. The fabulous Falcon 50 returned yesterday, photo courtesy of Paul Phillips. Blackbushe and Heathrow both operating on easterlies yesterday. Paul captured this shot of the the Falcon's departure from Blackbushe whilst an Iberia flight was downwind for Heathrow.. obviously a degree of zoom involved!Thanks for the photos Paul!!Historically, Blackbushe's past is always worth revisiting. For the past weeks POTD has popped back to 1945 to recall what was happening on THIS day back then...A year previously she had been gearing up for D-Day on 6th June, but today in 1945 the day was noted for the arrival from Brussels of a Short Stirling from 295 Squadron based at RAF Rivenhall, Essex carrying 24 former prisoners of war. One can but imagine how welcome a sight RAF Blackbushe must have been...Continued Stirling action was witnessed on the following day when LK331 arrived from RAF Shepherds Grove in Essex. She landed at 1426 on runway 26 and on doing so this very large aeroplane lost directional control swinging to the north ending up on the Blackbushe grass. Flight Sergeant Webb concluded the flight with no damage to the aircraft of its occupants. The dreaded ground loop awaits tail draggers large or small it would seem!!
 Enjoy the Blackbushe sun, looks like it's going to be in good measure with 25C, or more, although our friends across the Channel might be sending some thunder and lightning our way later?PB
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Post by PB on Jun 3, 2021 8:45:37 GMT
"Photo of the Day
03/06/21There may be clouds overhead this morning, but so far as Blackbushe is concerned the past days have shown the Airport in glowing colours with the variety of visiting aircraft types and the degree of aircraft movements. Combined with the new Pathfinder Cafe Blackbushe's activity has been dramatic on the ground and in the air! The pain and frustration due to local politics preventing the basic construction of new hangars grows by the day as does the clear benefit of an affordable General Aviation terminal with a hard runway located just where Blackbushe is!!
The future remains up in the air, the past is more concrete. For example, returning to 1945 once more, on this day RAF Blackbushe was busy as her home based Warwicks continued to supply units over long distances. Pilot Officer Crawford and his crew flew Warwick C3 HG230 on one of the longer flights... Blackbushe to Pomligliano in Italy routing via Yvetot and Avignonin, France. Flight time was 5 hours and 50 minutes, return flight on the following day taking a little longer at 6 hours and five minutes.
Next year HM the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, 70 years 'in command', Blackbushe celebrates her 80th year of almost unbroken service. Blackbushe is, of course, one of the British airports from which Her Majesty travelled during her reign. Four days of celebration next June for HMQ including the traditional RAF fly-past over Buckingham Palace. .jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds) Royalty at RAF Blackbushe. King George VI and the Queen attend an investiture at what was then RAF Hartford Bridge, July, 1944. A rare occasion, investitures were primarily conducted in London. HM The Queen and Prince Phillip about to depart from London's Blackbushe Airport. Royal 'ascent courtesy' of Blackbushe.. In later years the hangars now the domain of British Car Auctions provided home for the Queens helicopter, but times they are a changin'...
November next year Blackbushe becomes an octogenarian amid British airfields. Not the oldest, but one of the most hard fought for in recent years. Perhaps a beverage at the Pathfinder Cafe to mark the occasion? God willing I'll be there to toast the old airfield and the Pathfinder et al who saved her....
PB
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Post by PB on Jun 4, 2021 6:32:06 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
04/06/21Blackbushe Airport's Forum continues to deliver a daily moment wherein the past, the present, and the future get a share of the day's editorial brain storm.. yesterday's 'edition' enjoyed well over 600 visits to its paragraphs and pictures. Thank you to all who popped in!
Happily Blackbushe's operations continue but we must feel for the airlines and the travel industry who will be suffering yet more body blows following the travel traffic lights changing colour on operations to still just 'green' Portugal to the dreaded 'amber'.. It's not POTD's position to comment on yesterday's announcement, but it's a significant anti-climax to the very successful UK vaccination programme.
With extreme irony on this day in June, 1940, BOAC commenced a twice-weekly service between England and Portugal, scheduled to connect with Pan Am flights from Lisbon to New York. The BOAC Flight 777 departed from Heston aerodrome.. A Blackbushe moment from the fifties.. An Eagle Viking about to clear runway 08 on the now overgrown and forlorn Council owned Blackbushe 'east'... Airwork's complex is partly visible in the background.
 Another 'moment' captured on Blackbushe 'east', a couple of representatives from the United States Navy whose vast hangar and associated complex were once a feature of Blackbushe's north eastern corner..Looking at today's Covid figures in the Hart District from the ZOE case study there are 7 reported cases, down by 12 from last week. No better time to enjoy a taste of today's freedom than now by visiting Blackbushe's already very popular new "Pathfinder Cafe". Treat yourself to a delicious full breakfast.. go on!!
PB
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