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Post by PB on Aug 23, 2017 6:31:56 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
23/08/17Looking at yesterday's final photo, a couple of observations that I could have made..  There's a helicopter exactly where today the "Airlines of Blackbushe Airport" sign is located, the fence line having moved onto the grass providing more space to 'walk about'.. This was the time when we used all the runways, the signals square indicating 32 was in use. Three Counties Aero Club are in situ where today the Bushe Cafe resides. The Three Counties fleet are dotted around their dispersal, now the domain of Blackbushe Aviation. The AVM's shed/mini-hangar can be seen just west of the helicopter. Contained a Linnet and the AVM's assorted stuff.. The car park shows where various building stood a few years before. A closer view would show bits of angle iron still sticking out of the concrete from the 'imperfect' demolition work. Short term resident Anson sits on the grass ready to take part in some African conflict, Biafra perhaps. The memory dims! Finally, what a bonus if the local forces of opposition had left untouched the bit of 'their' apron that is to the right and lower of the photo. Put a price on replacing that today! Sadly they dug up everything they could and left us with so far over fifty years of eyesore.  Some memories from the sixties, Airlines Flying Group's resident Auster "PCY", and Doug or Tony Bianchi must have been over from Booker in their Jodel. TWO Pembrokes! Memories of July and the effort of getting one here. Some much loved residents of yesteryear flank the apron. Pat McCarthy's Personal Air Training, including Skywagon "RMJ" and Reg Venning's +D "HUG" at the far end..and the blasted choppers..Note the apron being severed by the local anti-Blackbushe forces. The way we were... fun and games. Nobody in the tower? The commanding US Navy hangar still very much in situ. Another asset lost due to local buffoonery. "Farnborough Week" during Doug's Days...Nice to see the whole airfield before the north side overgrowth of today. Poor old airfield... The end of a perfect day, or the perfect end of a day. Neil W in a Spitfire. Need I say more?PB
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Post by PB on Aug 24, 2017 10:40:03 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
24/08/17Better late than never? Few tech hitches earlier, but back on the rails now. One view from the past today...Incidentally, a letter from the Airport's solicitors has reminded me that today, August 24, is the start of a 42 day period for public representations regarding the Airport's Planning Application. Could this be the start of the new beginning we've hoped for for so many decades? One photo this morning looking back to Blackbushe when she was young, very young. Photo very kindly provided by Harry Hogben who was Blackbushe air traffic in the fifties.  The complete - and perfectly situated - Blackbushe Airport.
Cannot put an exact date to the photo, but all the runways look pristine and new. The main runway's FIDO lines can be seen in parallel and on both sides of it, they ran for the full runway extent. Runway 01/19 crosses the A30 going well into Blackbushe 'south'. The photo again goes to show the clear unobstructed approaches to Blackbushe's runways, very much the same situation today regarding the one runway left in operation. Hangars..Airwork's hangar that was part of the RAF technical area is the first hangar you come to on photo centre and on the north side of the A30 that, as ever, runs through the airfield east to west.. The hangar on the left side of the A30 was used by various carriers including Silver City, Orion, Britavia and Falcon post war to 1960. Eagle's hangar is way down the other end, south of the A30, and being 'end on' looks much smaller than it was. Before Eagle this was Westminster Airways hangar, and before them the Royal Air Force who, of course, had the entire airfield... The criss cross patterns in the foreground may be remnants of the trenches that were once dug on the 'Flats' to discourage enemy aircraft landing before the airfield was built??? Could be wrong... The clearing in the forest to the north-west was accessed from the taxiway where BCA are renting their bit of Blackbushe nowadays. This was a wartime military area, the bomb dump taking up quite bit of space... Happily, today a useful amount of Blackbushe remains in service. Hopefully, today might lead to better use being made of this exemplary aviation site? Time will tell... PB
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Post by PB on Aug 25, 2017 5:32:00 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
25/08/17Summer holidays are in full swing no doubt, but...  Kite flying on airfields is strictly inadvisable...Watch out for the 'elf 'n' Safety notification that all birds larger than a sparrow must wear an 'igh viz when operating within the boundaries of a licensed aerodrome. Have a safe day... PB
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Post by PB on Aug 26, 2017 5:56:43 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
26/08/17Saturday, looks like some decent weather lined up for the Bank Holiday weekend? Might venture over to Dunsfold for a change of scene. Possibly not too many Dunsfold based Wings & Wheels after this year, the airfield planning has not been fully resolved but it looks as if the planned residential development will get the go ahead. If that's the case the area loses another aviation venue, not to mention one of those rare events - an air display! Just leaves us with mega expensive Farnborough where if the restrictions placed on us at Blackbushe were also to be applied there would probably be very little display flying? But... On the positive side, you will have seen my note in the new Forum section adjacent to "Photo of the Day" with regard to Blackbushe having now submitted the application to deregister the common land upon which the operational bit of Blackbushe resides. I was lucky enough to be asked to submit a sworn statement into the evidence supporting the application many weeks ago, and happily that is a part of the weight of evidence in support of the airfield. To clarify the situation, the plan below is the total area where it is hoped to deregister common land.  We can but hope this moves in favour of the Airport. If it does we could, at last, hope for some proper infrastructure in due course. With an aircraft engineering base, and other essentials Blackbushe could become a 'proper' airfield again, never what is used to be but nonetheless an asset to the area. Enhancements would bring additional employment to the area and, of course, would support the local economy. If you feel like making a representation in favour of the airfield it would be truly appreciated. All the details as to how to go about it are provided in the Forums, new "deregistration" section. Thank you.. PB
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Post by PB on Aug 27, 2017 7:28:54 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
27/08/17Dunsfold's Dakota arrives for a sunny weekend at Blackbushe, 30 June, 2017.  Pat can't wait to share another fishing story? Same weekend. A little more of yesteryear relived...PB
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Post by PB on Aug 28, 2017 9:32:42 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
28/08/17Bank Holiday Monday.. hard to believe as the temperature climbs up the scale, clouds are in short supply, and even Dunsfold had perfect weather for Ws&Ws this weekend... POTD staff felt inclined to close the office today, but seems the plan did not work. First, massive thanks to our forum member who has penned a brilliant response in regard to the Common deregistration consultation. Hopefully a few more have or will follow suit? Second, received some great photos from Keith Paine recently reflecting upon a matter of success at Blackbushe thanks to his Dad's flying. The details are below where celebrations are taking place outside Airwork's Blackbushe hangars..  Camberley News, June 1953. ..The family Proctor, Blackbushe based "Nannie Ann", red and beautiful, seen on Blackbushe 'east", amid the Airwork complex. She couldn't keep away. "Nannie Ann" during a visit to her old home quite some years after the airfield's 'closure'.."Nannie Ann" was the very last aircraft to depart Blackbushe Airport on 31 May, 1960, the day the Airport closed for all time.. Theoretically the last aircraft movement ever. Not quite.... PB
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Post by PB on Aug 29, 2017 6:00:46 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
29/08/171971....Today's POTD taken way back when during a local sortie in Messenger, G-AKBO. Way back when it was generally hoped the future of Blackbushe would be sorted before too long, certainly not having to wait until the summer of 2017 before some hopes might be raised as to the Common Land issue and deregistration of at least part of the airfield. The photo below allows the imagination to have some illicit fun. Imagining if AVM Bennett had managed to secure the entirety of Blackbushe north of the A30.. It's not a vast tract of land, but imagine having the full length runways, all the apron, and not having the crazy situation we have today of Blackbushe 'east' festering and wasted. Been nice if they'd left a few buildings too, like the Control Tower and some hangars, but that's just being silly...  Don't look back!! ..it's hard not to at the "way we were"...and perhaps could have been!At least we had a sunny Bank Holiday. That's something else we usually have to imagine.. PB
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Post by PB on Aug 30, 2017 5:53:55 GMT
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Post by PB on Aug 31, 2017 7:05:38 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
31/08/17Some aeroplanes look like, well, aeroplanes...  N5056. Lockheed Learstar...oil drums suggest oil leaks? Sometime in the seventies.N5056 ditched in the sea off Penrhos. N5056 at that time, March 1940, happened to be an RAF Anson from the RAF Navigation School. No serious injuries. This N5056 offers two nice radials, two fins and looks like a seriously solid aeroplane. Reminiscent of the golden fifties, perhaps? Enjoy the last official day of summer. PB
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Post by PB on Sept 1, 2017 6:04:44 GMT
"Photo of the Day"
01/09/17
Regret some gremlin is lurking this morning, September is not off to the best beginning as either 'Photobucket' has a problem or my computer has caught a cold.. Hopefully back after investigations.
PB
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