PHOTO of the DAY...

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
03/09/21


The past inevitably gets swallowed, digested, and forgotten, some branches of the history tree remain intact while others perish in the fullness of time and are lost for all time. Airfields are in many cases living history, often conceived in war to witness the machinery of human conflict its courage and its tragedies, only to slide back to their agricultural or waste land use prior to conflict and thus become only a living memory for some or of historical fascination to others.

Blackbushe Airport is a particular case in point. Conceived at the time Nazi oppression was a threat to the civilised world she flourished as a very significant player in World War Two serving as a base for French, Dutch, American, Canadian and British operations. Fighter and bomber operations, essential photo recce work, liberation of injured troops, liberation of our PoWs, one of the few FIDO stations, her runways witnessed extraordinary variety in war, and with the onset of peace her runways continued to prove of national importance as civil aviation found its post war feet and fledgling independent airlines braved the might of state run monopoly airlines.

So, in 2021, what makes a "Blackbushe person"?

Is it the veterans who worked here in the 1950's and still remember those magnificent days at the 'happy airport' when Blackbushe became perhaps unofficially known as London's second airport. Compared to other well equipped airfields with a long 'bomber' runway that was close to London Blackbushe stood out head and shoulders above other contenders. She still does in many ways. Or are "Blackbushe people" those who came along after her 1960 closure and destruction and have no recall of the way she was in the 'golden years'? The very many who have gained their pilot licenses at the Airport's excellent flying schools, and the schools who attract new blood to seek the skies from Blackbushe's famous runway? The spotters who frequent her fences and surely have a sincere regard for the airfield that is increasingly feeding their records, the brilliant photographers whose telephoto lenses seem to grow longer by the day, or maybe the growing custom at the Airport's excellent "Pathfinder Cafe" where history, great food, and excellent views of the airfield await? "Blackbushe people", surely they must be the select team of investors and management who daily work toward establishing Blackbushe as the south's premier General Aviation centre? Certain bodies within local government are certainly far removed from qualifying as "Blackbushe people", six decades devoted to the Airport's demise qualify them for very little.

All of the above must qualify as "Blackbushe persons" providing they share that die hard spirit that has for so long encompassed the airfield...and, of course, "Blackbushe persons" religiously follow Blackbushe's "Photo of the Day".. They must do, you're the living proof!

Slipping backwards to those 'golden days', on this day in 1959, three United States Army Sikorsky H-34A helicopters arrived at Blackbushe, but not a single photo found to back 'em up..

On this day a year earlier, September 1958, the Blackbushe runways felt the touch of two Belgian Air Force C-119s, a Krupp Beech 50 D-IDUM, a Nord Noratlas demonstrator with jet pods mounted in its wing tips, Rolls Royce's Proctor G-AKIU, English Electric's Dove, Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation's Percival Prince, Hunting Aero Surveys Auster Autocrat, Miles Student jet G-APLK doing demo flights, Ferranti's DH Heron, United Steels's PA-23, three Royal Canadian Air Force C-47s, Italian Air Force C-47, Austrian Aerotransport Viking, Beech 35 OO-JAC, SABENA Cessna 310, RAF Hastings, at least nine RAF Ansons, three RAF Devons, Williamson Diamond Mines DC-3, RAF Valetta, Shackleton T4, RAF Canberra B2, a couple of RAF Varsity's, a Navy Sea Prince, three Royal Netherlands Air Force C-47s, RAF Pembroke, RAE Devon from Farnborough, two French Air Force Bretagne, French Navy Bretagne, French Air Force Dassault Flamant, Danish Air Force Pembroke, Portuguese Air Fore C-54, two Yuoslav Air Force C-47, French Air Force C-47, R5D-2 US Naval Air Training Command, US Marines Fairchild R4Q-2, Israeli Air Force C-47, US Army Beaver, Douglas R5D US Navy Electronic Test Laboratory, USAF C-54 Edwards Air Force Base test facility, four USAF C-47s, Lockheed VC-121 USAF... and that was ALL IN ONE DAY!! And in addition to the airline operations and US Navy activity that were just a part of Blackbushe's daily life pattern in the fifties.

If you're a true "Blackbushe person" that will surely have at least got your juices running? OK, it was Farnborough Week, but nowhere would you get such a spectacle of flying machinery complete with a major trunk road from which to view it....? I need a rest after such mental recall. IF you found the above of interest perhaps you could give the Forum a nod with a 'like' or a remark in the comments section?



















There are many more in the black and white collection, but my time has run out...

More to digest tomorrow for our noble Blackbushe persons!!

PB :

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
04/09/21

Hopefully yesterday's "POTD" was of interest regarding the variety of visiting aeroplanes arriving at Blackbushe on 03/09/1958, the Wednesday of that year's Farnborough Air Show..

For those who may be still be interested, looking at Thursday, 04/09/1958, many of yesterday's visitors either night stopped or returned the next day. A brief scramble through the excel files shows today yielding French Air Force Nord 2501, French Air Fore Bretange, Danish Air Force Pembroke, two Yugoslav Air Force C-47s, a couple of French Air Force C-47s, a Grumman Albatross from the US Navy Attache to Oslo, Netherlands Navy P2V-5 Royal Netherlands Navy, VC-47 from US Navy MAAG France, C-47 USAF 'ENDTF', USAF C-47 from MAAG Brussels, VC-47 USAF Prestwick, USAF C-130 322 Air Division, Beech L-23 US Army Germany, two Trans-Avia Vikings, Brazilian Air Force Viscount (crew training), Noratlas demonstrator with jet pod wing tips, English Electric Dove, two Percival Princes from MTCA, Morton Air Services Dove, MTCA Dove, Miles Student continued demo flights, two RCAF C-47s, Italian Air Force C-47, the usual crop of Ansons and Devons from the RAF, a Valetta from RAF Cranwell, 228 Squadron Shackleton, ZS-CHA Cessna 180 Giggingdholuu Sugar Estates, plus regulars like Eagle's DC-6 movements etc etc. Blackbushe was quite the busy place adding to those who had already night stopped!

Elsewhere in the world, down the road in Bristol the mighty Brabazon made its first flight on this day in 1949.




Noratlas with jet pods mounted in the wing tips..




Just some of the many "Annies" that lined up across Blackbushe during Farnborough Weeks of long ago..




Royal Netherlands Navy Neptune..




Assorted Royal Air Force types enjoying a day out at Blackbushe..




A year earlier, 04/09/1957 this Mariner from the Netherlands sailed in on a suitably wet Farnborough Air Show day..



"Blackbushe Persons" can perhaps contemplate the bygone wonders that took place upon their airfield long ago, and no doubt release a few expletives as to why Blackbushe Airport has had to meander through six decades of bureaucratic indifference toward the airfield and all she represents...


Seeing as it's the weekend, a few minutes contemplation for you in the contents of an article in the Camberley News. Reported during the days of Alan Curtiss, and Phil Cardew in the Airport Management seat when BCA first owned the Airport and were a more air minded concern...Sadly it was not dated, but gives an impression of the many verbal/written exchanges that have taken place over the decades since 1960. To no avail..






Enjoy the weekend.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
05/09/21


POTD's recall over the past couple of Farnborough in the fifties at Blackbushe may have rekindled a few memories for those fortunate enough to be old enough to remember the first hand experience.. As a schoolboy at the time and from the years as a young child "Farnborough Week" was perhaps akin to Christmas for the levels of excitement that built up, and that was before I became aware of the wonders that Blackbushe would behold as a result of "Farnborough". How things change, Blackbushe was closed down by the Government, Farnborough was sold off by its ministerial owners. Blackbushe has battled the blight of local bureaucracy, local Town and Hampshire's county council ever since the Government wrecked the joint, Farnborough has flourished under Rushmoor Borough Council.

Whilst we patiently await the descent of common sense over the Blackbushe story history remains unchangeable.

If we glance back once more to our records of 1945, and we look at this day 5th September, '45, the first VIP movement of the month took place. Remember, the value of Blackbushe as a passenger and freight centre was becoming very clear a the needs of war subsided and the need for logical logistics of peace came to the fore. Blackbushe was conveniently close to London, had excellent surface connections, yet operationally had a great good weather record and was of very little concern environmentally being well removed from major dwelling areas and surrounded by open common land and forestry land. The same benefits offered by an airfield called Blackbushe today!

Today, in 1945, King Peter of Yugoslavia arrived from Paris, his wife, the Queen who was already in the UK, met him on arrival at Blackbushe. Tomorrow, 6th September, 1945, His Beatitude Archbishop Danaskinos, the Archbishop of Greece, arrived at Blackbushe to be greeted by a guard of honour mounted by F/Lt Taylor of the RAF Regiment.

Also on 6th September, there came an historic and definitive event at London's new airport. The first civilian air services to operate to and from Blackbushe commenced when DDL Danish Airlinesstarted services to Copenhagen and Stockholm using an ex-German Focke Wulf Condor military aircraft. Most of the fine body of people who follow "POTD" will be aware of the growth of civil air traffic at Blackbushe and her many advantages/benefits as a passenger carrying facility until 1960 and the struggles she had endured for the subsequent sixty years in order to preserve some of the value she still offers. Environmentally and increasingly logistically Blackbushe is in a perfect place for General Aviation and the passenger carrying convenience of today's business aeroplanes.

Below are a few memories of "Farnborough Week" at Blackbushe in the years since she was closed by the men at the Ministry and saved by private funds who could see the value stored in Blackbushe..




An echo of the past when EKCO arrived at Blackbushe for Farnborugh in the early sixties.



Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the dear old Anson reflected her Britishness and was the most prolific of visitors during the earlier Farnborough's while Blackbushe was still a Government run airfield. G-ALIH came to see us a couple of times during the early 1960's.




Farnborough Week at privately owned Blackbushe gave a glimpse of days gone by as smaller regional airliners arrived carrying passenger loads..




A Trans Asia ATR was a pleasant surprise giving a hint of the orient and very far away places. She was in prior to delivery situation, her far eastern future lay ahead.




Light aircraft came from far and wide, especially when Blackbushe offered full Customs & Immigration services for Farnborough Week under Doug Arnold..




The sixties, the word was getting around that Blackbushe was indeed alive and taking Farnborough visitors.




Although the dark clouds of bureaucracy continued to hang over Blackbushe, her attraction grew ever stronger. We filled up runway 14/32 on both sides, placed some on the other cross runway 01/19 while more were popped onto the grass or larger aircraft used the apron..




Business comes to Blackbushe. Farnborough Week business, but the thought was ever present how Blackbushe would look if she had been permitted to become the GA centre envisaged..









A sight to quicken the heart! Would have been BEA years before, but British Airways arrived with passengers from Aberdeen. Quite the sentimental moment.




Once again Blackbushe doing what she loved doing most of all...




They drank Blackbushe fuel..lots of it!




This Italian Air Force G222 gave a taste of Blackbushe's Farnborough Weeks from a bygone era...




The apron at Farnborough Week.




The old runways when Farnborough came around..




Circuit traffic during Farnborough Week..long ago.




Some of us just had to get a closer look at Farnborough.. aboard G-FOTO.




..to meet the Red Arrows! Officially on the last Sunday of Farnborough 1986 and not an inch below 6,000ft.



In the days of Doug Arnold I wrote many letters to prospective Farnborough visitors across Europe selling the benefits of Blackbushe for Farnborough. Possibly these letters produced some more data for spotters' log books as they resulted in additional traffic, and Doug Arnold actually paid my postage bill! Taking a week's leave from full time aviation to look after Blackbushe's Farnborough visitors parking/greeting/assisting was a joyful way to spend a week (unpaid) in the very best of company too.. Arriving at Blackbushe early each morning knowing we would soon have a rush of inbounds was the best of ways to spend a few days!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
06/09/21




Seen in Wimbledon at the weekend...



The Goodie Bag.. People love to be given something, even if the landings were free, the 50th Goodie Bag was stuffed with Blackbushe promotional material and give aways although after 29 years the details as to what are obscured ever so slightly! The bags were of good quality and as you see are still in service.. Most promotional pre event communications would have been via the Mk1 Post Office letter system or on the phone..another bulging file somewhere in the roof no doubt bears testament to the 50th project. Happily, the event was sponsored by BCA who owned 100% of Blackbushe Airport back then, ity provided the opportunity to put on a bit of a flying display while a religious service at 15.00 on the Sunday afternoon to dedicate a commemorative plaque to Blackbushe's fallen aviators. The moment exactly on time was marked by the arrival of Rod Deene in the Mustang and Andy Sephton in a Spitfire as the one and only sound of Merlins concluded the service and many a moist eye bore witness to what was a particularly moving occasion.

The plaque was very kindly presented by John Varndell and remains on view attached to the Terminal.

Looking back on our events the 50th rated fairly high in the pre event work load, but was supported by the generosity of many in gathering aircraft for the small Sunday flying display. The Mustang was given to us by the late Spencer Flack, the Spitfire sponsored by the generosity of the late David Herrington. I had three Spitfires lined up, the Mk16 from Rolls Royce and another from Duxford were both involved in accidents before the Blackbushe event and consequently out of action.




Rod and the Spencer Flack Mustang..




..and Andy in the Spitfire!




Had to pay for our Sukhoi aerobatics but money well spent!




Gary Numan and the late Norman Lees cost the Airport a gallon of diesel to provide their display smoke trails.




Decided to put some examples of current British light aircraft on show, the Trago Mills SAH 1 being an example. To date she has nearly 2,000 hrs in the log book and still very much airworthy. The idea was an inexpensive aeroplane that would serve the needs of glider towing developed by designer who lived in Fleet with much help from Rex Coates who we sadly lost this year.




The Optica was one of our more unusual exhibits. Fabulous to fly in, downwind over Minley Manor I recall the view was as if you were more akin to being a bird than in a man made device.




The Sunday produced an enormous fly-in. Can't recall the exact numbers now but we were well covered in aeroplanes of various shapes and sizes..




Dear old Pembroke, she also made it to the Airport's 75th in 2017. Different owner, in '92 she only had to come from Farnborough, in 2017 she came from St Athan.




The "Diamond Nine" put on their splendidly atmospheric all Tiger Moth display.




The United States Navy came back to their old UK base!




The Royal Air Force made it too.. plus a sparkling aerobatic display.




Airport Manager of the time, Stuart Marshall, holds aloft our gift from the Royal Netherlands Air Force, it indicates the one aeroplane I was forced to reject from our inventory. I'll never forget opening my letter from the RNlAF offering an F-16 for the weekend - or having to say "sorry" I'm unable to accept it due to various concerns. They sent the excellent production that Stuart holds aloft, a treasure that today adorns the Conference Room walls in the Terminal.




No aviation event is complete without the chance to get airborne. For the 50th the wonderful executive Dove G-OPLC moved over from Farnborough and was frequently seen heading for the Blackbushe runway with another load of pleasure flyers.



Happy memories, memories as always made possible by our wonderful and reliable volunteers, and to the then Airport owners BCA who agreed to the idea of a "50th" coming to fruition....

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
07/09/21

06.00 and summer has returned. Well, you get to a certain age you don't really need to waste the time languishing in bed when there are things to be done while there's time. The mornings are progressively darker but this morning's fist light patrol of the garden revealed another night passed without the badgers' return..having spent yesterday repairing their lawn damage a further attack overnight would have been a bit peeing off. Beautiful destructive animals, hopefully they'll not be back for a while as their winter lockdown beckons?

Dark nights and night flying's return. One's memory is littered with facts about life at Blackbushe since 1961, night flying being well established in the recollections of the long ago compartment. Winter of 1962/3 would have been our first venture at reestablishing night operations. Ancient goose necks lined the runway on both sides. Rather like squat watering cans with big spouts I so well recall assisting Gordon Wilmer, the AVM's Airport caretaker of the time, with the setting up, lighting, and then standing in the very dark airfield to capture photographs of the occasion. Three Counties Aero Club were the only users of the new night facility and it was restricted to once a week on Wednesday.

The revelation came when ascending into the night sky in the sixties how amazingly black the world below became once you left it behind.. Today electric lighting and exponential expansion housing growth along with street lighting's relentless march will have changed much, but in the sixties once off the ground you would feel that much more alone. You rather hoped the fan in front continued to serve its purpose. There were no mishaps with the exception of one pilot who when reestablishing contact with runway 26 (it was 26 then!!) she introduced the prop to the runway around the same time as the wheels were due to arrive. From our position mid field the sound of metal prop gouging at the runway was a sound you don't forget!




A tripod, very long exposure, and Blackbushe's return to night flying operations!




A distant departure from Heathrow is seen getting in on the scene, but this was long before the Council owned east end of the airfield was allowed to become an unkempt tangle.




Standing in the middle of what for so long in my then short life had been this very busy civil transport and military airfield seemed somehow unreal. The joy of seeing Blackbushe come to life at night once again is hard to quantify, it just gave you hope for the future. That was sixty years ago....the hope is still alive.



On this day in 1946 I was but a few months old and it was that much harder to get to Blackbushe, but on this day a Royal Air Force Gloster Meteor flown by Group Captain E. M. Donaldson established a new world absolute air speed record of 615.65 mph (990.79 km/h) off the coast of West Sussex. The concept of Concorde or landing vehicles on Mars was far from most peoples minds, equally the concept of private jets offering the ultimate in airborne comfort would also have required a stretch of the post-war imagination..













Another stretch of the imagination is Blackbushe offering hangarage for business jets today. She did a few years back... Manhattan Air, Trevor Jone's operation enjoyed the luxury. This was the blissful scene when a business jet found refuge in superb modern hangarage at Blackbushe Airport. When BCA owned Blackbushe Premiair were tenants and hangarage became available, until that is BCA sold the Airport to her present operator while keeping the hangars for their second hand car business. Manhattan moved to Farnborough, local bureaucracy continued to rub Blackbushe's nose in the annals of despair and disbelief..No way would they permit Blackbushe to build new hangars on the other side of the runway..

They still won't..

Have a nice day, perhaps plus thirty in a few hours from now?

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
08/09/21

Having repaired no less than 117 badger snout induced holes in our lawn yesterday two things resulted..an acute awareness of the increased air traffic from ground level to FL400 that made my day under the sun a little more interesting compared to the lockdown weeks of last year when air traffic all but died. The seemingly endless flow of air traffic into Farnborough must be keeping the person who runs their landing fee till very busy, it's so encouraging to see an airfield in Hampshire able to achieve such operational success.

Talking of Farnborough it was good to see the Memorial unveiled adjacent to the airfield in memory of those who died when the DH110 broke up during the 1952 Farnborough Air Show taking the lives of John Derry, his observer and 29 spectators lives on the ground. Having witnessed the accident first hand as a seven year old in company with Mum and Dad at the front of the air show crowd line the event is still clearly embossed on my mind. It is to be hoped that one day Blackbushe will at last unveil a memorial dedicated to the many air crews who flew from here during the last war giving their lives in the process. Hampshire County and the local Yateley councils ripped up what they could of Blackbushe without so much as a thought for why the airfield was originally built and the human cost of those who served here. Our Forum has already had a number of members agree to help sponsor an RAF Hartford Bridge memorial, but its future depends on the ongoing wrangle with Hampshire County Council and those who want nothing but a waste land. Lasham airfield has a most excellent memorial to her wartime crews adjacent to the main entrance, it is be hoped that regardless of their planning views local bureaucracy might one day respect the lives lost flying from RAF Hartford Bridge aka RAF Blackbushe for the sake of their freedom..

Looks like another super September day today as the Celsius count nudges perhaps the 30 level? The BBC will be reporting, "the hottest day ever since yesterday" as they are seemingly keen to report every little nuance of our local meteorological conditions as if it's something previously unheard of ... Were we not told that this summer was the hottest on record since the ice age despite the sun's reticence to shine that often. Climate change is indeed a serious matter, but the problems confronting the UK's flooding require a closer look at our undredged river beds, and housing developments on flood plains. Meanwhile our green and pleasant land enjoys one the planet's most endurable climates, our nation producing no more than 1% of mankind's global warming gases.

Anyway, back to Blackbushe. The current burst of hot weather reminds me of a very enjoyable sortie flown with 'Baders Bus Company' the unique display team flown by disabled pilots. This was back in 2018 when summer did its thing creating fields of gold, angry thermals that pushed and heaved at all who ventured through them, and the unique pleasure of flying with such distinguished aviators..





The boys in action..




In great company..








The remains of RAF Greenham Common proved a useful training site for the team until somebody complained..




A long time since I attended the first Air Tattoos at Greenham, it looked somewhat different back then..




Back to Blackbushe, the scene in British Car Auctions massed second hand car collection in 2018. It's much more densely packed with old cars today, use of Common Land apparently unchallenged by those opposed to any developments supporting aviation on this glorious airfield.




Old Blackbushe runways, unloved and unused except by dogs, and handfuls of walkers who enjoy use of the Airport's private land..




Massive excavation of lands almost adjoining Blackbushe Airport. Does it make you question why such opposition was mounted, or has been mounted, over the past sixty years while neighbouring Blackbushe Airport has simply wanted to provide the facilities expected of a General Aviation aerodrome but been consistently opposed??




The boys return, mission accomplished, Baders Bus Company complete another training sortie before going public.



PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
09/09/21



First things first..This Saturday, 11th September, at Blackbushe we will see the first "Twilight Run" an event to raise funds for charities and schools. Blackbushe Airport's opportunity to directly support the local community. A great team of volunteers has been assembled but there is room for more. Would you enjoy being a part of the event by joining the volunteer team and enjoying a free BBQ at the Pathfinder Cafe?? Yes? GREAT!! Please contact [e-mail] as soon as you are able to join the crew and have a memorable afternoon/evening at Blackbushe!! SEE YOU THERE!!




Now back to yesteryear.... It first happened on this day in 1964, 57 years ago.

The first production Beech King Air rolled off the assembly line, the sixth King Air to be built and known as the Beech 90, the best selling version - the beech 200 - first flew in October 1972.




As it was in the beginning... the fabulous sounding piston powered Beech Queen Air joined us for the 1962 "Great Blackbushe Airport Re-opening Air Display"




Thanks to our dedicated 'on the spot' photographers the Beech King Air has been captured at Blackbushe many times over the past fifty plus years.










The King Air has flown on and in and out of Blackbushe for most of the Airport's life in private hands..and she has seemingly never dated either, just had technological upgrades and updates to stay ahead of the game






Jets may have their advantages, but the King Air is bound to be in there somewhere..





They've played their part at Blackbushe in movie making, the Beech King Air starred at Blackbushe with Kevin Costner in the movie "Criminal" released in 2016.






Air Swift moved into Blackbushe from Fairoaks, Beech 200 G-SWFT becoming a busy long term resident..




The glorious Farnborough Weeks at Blackbushe in the seventies and eighties never failed to bring the mighty Beech to Blackbushe..




It's also a very nice aeroplane to fly in!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
10/09/21


06.00 and daylight becomes increasingly rationed..POTD's set to become a nocturnal creature once again, hopefully the time approaches when badgers will stop digging up my lawn on their nightly raids? Talking of night events, tomorrow night at Blackbushe will witness the first "Twilight Run" details of which are fully outlined on the Blackbushe Airport website.. www.twilightchallenge.co.uk/

Thanks to those who responded to our notification in yesterday's POTD and have joined as last minute volunteers to marshal the course, free Pathfinder BBQ awaits all who have volunteered. If you're interested you can still send a note to [e-mail] to offer your services at what will be a unique occasion in the history of our airport..

Time continues to fly by, next year Blackbushe will have served aviation for eighty years, sixty of which have been in private ownership fighting the extraordinary malevolence of local politicians. You have to admit it is quite incredible that such a situation can have continued for so long over a situation that grown up thinking could have resolved six decades ago.. One of the Airports tenants, Air First, marked their tenth year of operating from Blackbushe at the weekend apparently with a celebratory BBQ and a Harvard in US Navy decor to add colour to the occasion.




Paul Phillips provided this classic study of Air First's visitor. As always a super Phillip's photo!



Blackbushe's most recent success has to be the new "Pathfinder Cafe".. Great food, great views, welded together by great staff! You will recall the name "Pathfinder" was chosen as a fitting acknowledgement to "Pathfinder" AVM DCT Bennett who purchased and saved Blackbushe from extinction back in 1961. Without him there would be no Blackbushe Airport today, it would be just an add-on to the already thousands of acres of open and unused acres of land in the area or perhaps even a very large hole in the ground whereby its super solid gravel base would have been excavated for significant reward. You may have noticed how much of the surrounding land has been, or is still being, dug up for its rich gravel resources. Maybe the coming year will the Blackbushe situation resolved, but patience, it ain't gonna be quick.

POTD discussed AVM Bennett's extraordinary battle with local and bloody minded opposition quite recently, but it was well before Blackbushe that Bennett fought another aggressive and selfish opponent, Nazi Germany. On more than one occasion during his wartime operations in Bomber Command did his prospects of surviving to save Blackbushe seem unlikely. One such occasion as to when the man who saved Blackbushe looked unlikely to be around to worry about Blackbushe occurred when in the spring of 1942 Bennett was posted to RAF Leeming to command No. 10 Squadron who operated the four engined Halifax bomber. He was given a special assignment, the German battleship Tirpitz was anchored at Aasfjord, he was tasked with its destruction. 10 Squadron were to drop spherical mines from their aircraft, the idea being the mines would roll down the banks of the fjord after which depth charges would trigger the mines at an appropriate moment. Two other Halifax squadrons would bomb from high altitude while Bennett's No 10 Squadron would come in at low level to draw enemy fire from the bombers above. Bennett and his boys would come in at 200ft. The Tirpitz had been covered in camouflage making it hard to see, later investigation showed that unfortunately the Royal Navy intelligence had kept that info to themselves. Bennett caught a glimpse of the ship on his first pass having managed to locate the vessel. Unfortunately his right wing was set on fire by heavy defensive armament, the starboard undercarriage decided to deploy and the flaps also selected to go down on their own accord. Bennett dropped his mines at low level and elected to head for neutral Sweden. Faced with a range of mountains where 3000 ft peaks beckoned Bennett ordered his crew to abandon ship. The blazing Halifax now being left with Bennett at the wheel and his chute in a rack behind the cockpit. Not good. Flight Engineer Colgan had not obeyed the jump order, he recovered Bennett's parachute and clipped it to his pilot. The starboard wing thereby had had enough and folded up. The fireball Halifax was way below minimum jump height, but jump they did. Rip cords were pulled and the chutes were opening as our two aviators plunged into deep snow. One second later and neither Blackbushe, Bennett, or his Flight Engineer would have had a future.

Many years later we are able to enjoy the "Pathfinder Cafe" at Blackbushe, named after an heroic and rather lucky air force pilot who was to pioneer the future tactics of skilled and precise target identification, tactics that saved many lives and no doubt shortened the war.




A happier Halifax at Blackbushe. Post war conversions to freight carrying duties kept some of the old veterans in the air bound for peaceful duties..



PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
11/09/21

Twenty years ago today. Twenty years of precious life gifted to us since that September New York day for those of who remember, but not for the 2,977 innocents who were going about their lives that morning. No tomorrows for American 11, American 77, United 93 or United 175 falling at the hands of the utmost evil. Can't say I clearly remember any other particular days so long ago but I clearly remember returning to the car and putting on the radio just as news of the first 'hit' was coming through on that fateful day..

The date is better remembered from the Britten Norman diaries. The Trislander made its first flight on this day in 1970.

This evening at Blackbushe Airport the first Twilight Run takes place. A run for those who wish to run, walk, hop, cycle the courses t raise money for charity and schools, Blackbushe's opportunity to give something back to the locality..




Another form of 'twilight run', one of the very many military charter flights that operated from Blackbushe taking our personnel far and wide around the globe.




Blackbushe by night.. the name FIDO today at Blackbushe might apply to the canines who go walkies over the Airport's many disused acres, but FIDO burned bright at Blackbushe on nights long ago aiding her runway's continued use when fog and mist played their part in trying to curtail aviation's needs..



Maybe see you at the Twilight Run later?

Wishing you a peaceful day.... flu-jab in just over an hour from now for some of us!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the the Day"
12/09/21

Yesterday was a day to remember....

The tragic recall of 9/11 was just as sobering as it ever was, but our spirits were elevated as Emma won the US Open for GB, the weather was kind and Blackbushe hosted the incredible "Twilight Runway Challenge" ...oh and I had my flu jab.




Welcome back! Yesterday's conditions were good for vapour trails, the morning produced the once familiar criss-cross patterns that pre pandemic indicated a healthy air transport system...




The trails may have soon faded, we can but hope they'll continue to span our skies unhindered by a microscopic virus as winter homes in?



Grateful thanks go to the Forum members who volunteered and turned up in support of the first "Twilight Run" at Blackbushe. It was a little strange seeing the airfield turned into a vast sports arena, but wonderful to see the enthusiasm of all who participated, to inhale the intoxicatingly happy atmosphere that pervaded the entire evening, and to see Blackbushe showing another of her arms in supporting local charities and good causes. Could not have happened if the airfield had been reduced to the wilderness desired by some..

Thanks again to our few but special Forum members who turned out and got stuck in, a fun evening rounded off by burgers and drinks courtesy of the management.




No, not further expansion of BCA's operation, but the steady stream of competitors cars that enjoyed the rare chance of parking on Blackbushe's main apron.




The end and the beginning..




The course was of optional lengths, but using all the runways it could be very long! Heroic participants having cleared the main runway take the taxiway prior to the loop and going on westwards..




Young and old, little and less little...heroes of the evening!




Junior pedal power entering the Blackbushe loop, still a long way to go..




Party time! Music, great atmosphere, and the fabulous Pathfinder Cafe!!



Massive thanks to the Forum members who responded to the call for volunteers, we've got your number for future occasions!!

Plenty of video footage on the Blackbushe Airport Facebook pages this morning.

From a personal point of view, the evening gave the opportunity of a quiet commune with 'my' airfield. Sixty years have elapsed since the days with AVM Bennett when the great Blackbushe plateau was deserted, no aeroplanes, just a wonderful aerodrome begging for new life while others conspired for her ultimate downfall. So many memories planted out there, it was quite moving to be reunited with them.

PB