Bovingdon Needs Your Help !!

[johnwebb123]

Dear Sir, Sorry to trouble you, I have just registered on this forum in a hurry and can not see how to post my notes, Please may I ask you to post this for me ? We only have 10 days to get as much information about our runway so that we can obtain a Certificate of Lawfulness to continue flying, otherwise the local Council will issue an Enforcement Notice to stop us.

I hope you can help,
Best regards,
Paul Webb. email: [email protected]

Dear Members,

RE: BOVINGDON AIRFIELD. Hertfordshire. HP5 3RW. United Kingdom.

We need Urgent Assistance ! Please can any of you help?

My name is Paul Webb and My father and I recently purchased Berry Farm HP5 3RW. We bought the farm, freehold, specifically because a large section of one of the former RAF runways in included on our land and currently used for light aircraft. Our section is 08 -26 and it is the section that runs vertical just north of the V.O.R. (Easily identified on Google Maps, HP5 3RW. ) Runway is 150 Ft wide concrete, more than a 1/3rd of a mile long. There is a Cherokee 180 based on the farm, owned by a local businessman who has used the 08 – 26 runway continuously during the past 25 years but only averaging 12 days a year. We ourselves are learning to fly a Eurostar Microlight and intend buy one as soon as we pass our tests.

The county boundary runs through our land. Herts / Bucks. The majority of the farm is in Bucks but the runway is in Herts.

Our section of runway has had continuous use for light aircraft since the RAF vacated the site in the early 70’s and it is our intention to continue flying from our runway but we now have a serious issue with the local council. They want to stop us flying as they are suggesting that the use has been abandoned! We know it has not been abandoned at any time but we now need to prove it.

Our only chance to keep the runway active is to apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness and to do this we urgently need to hear from any members who have, or are aware of anybody who has; either landed at Bovingdon or used our runway with or without permission for ‘Touch & Go’s since the end of WW2, to date.

If any members have any entries in their log books that mentions Bovingdon this will be great but even if flights have not been logged a simple statement by email will be very much appreciated. Please ask around as we need urgent help from as many people as possible.

Please keep in touch because if we succeed with our ( CLEUD ) you may find the facility at Bovingdon of use to you at some time. Any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Best contact is email as we run a working farm and are not always available on the telephone.

Please remember, we are looking for any flying activity at Bovingdon since the war till now.

We have an Aviation Planning Consultant, Peter Kember helping us but we still require urgent help / information from any members !

All emails received will be attended to promptly.

Thank you very much,

Paul Webb.

Email; [email protected]

Postal address; Berry Farm. Whelpley Hill. Chesham. Bucks. HP5 3RW.

[10W]

Hi Paul,

have moved this post here to help target private flyers who may be able to assist.

You could also seek help from the Flyer Magazine Forum, which also hosts many UK light aircraft pilots. (I think it is found at Flyer Forums (http://forums.flyer.co.uk)

Good luck !!

10W

[Intercepted]

Would it be of any help to you if some of us would land on your airfield over the next coming weeks? Would we be allowed to do this?

[KING6024]

There is a large RAF Bovingdon - 1960s thread in the Aviation History & Nostalgia section,I flew from Bovingdon as a CCF cadet in the mid to late 1950s,unfortunately I no longer have my logbook.
Colin.

[flybynight80]

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the prompt response,

Please could you email a short statement to confirm you have used Bovingdon Runway, 08-26 for touch & go's or whatever, dates would be good but don't worry if you have no records,

I am sure you are aware, flying has always been discouraged on Saturdays and Bank Holidays at Bovingdon when the Public Market is held at the other end of the 08-26 runway, ( the half that we do not own ). Our land stops at the intersection of the cross runways.

Sincere thanks,

Paul.

[chevvron]

Wish I could help; I lived in nearby Chesham for many years and flew from the runway with 613 Gliding School's detached flight when it operated there 1965-1967 ie prior to 617 moving in from Hendon. Any ex 617 pilots out there may be able to help as I think they continued flying there for a short while after the Communication Squadron moved to Northolt.

[kevmusic]

I'll link this thread to some ex-617 colleagues. You never know......

[KING6024]

I have just googled the airfield and regret to tell you that all the flying I can remember was from the other ( longer ) runway,there were traffic lights on the road at the SW end.The film 633 Squadron was made at Bovingdon in the early 1960s.I recommend you use the search function at the top of this page and look up RAF Bovingdon - 1960s.

Colin

[chevvron]

I can remember gliding off runway 08/26 in Sept '66, and it was in good condition albeit un lit. The Ansons and latterly Bassets often used to do circuits on this runway. Parts of the B of B were also filmed here as was 'Mosquito Squadron'.

[Jofm5]

I was born and raised in Bovingdon (my parents still live in the same house there), I can remember late 80's watching the farmer wheel out his plane from an open fronted barn (A bi plane of some sort IIRC). I can also remember a Windsock being on the field - this was both before the prison was built (Against my parents wisdom the old control tower was a cool area to explore) and also not long after it was built. If I remember correctly the farmer back then used the grass rather than the concrete.

If you are new to the area the village itself is not that big and everyone knows everyone pretty much; so speaking with some of the locals. e.g. Gilbert Motors probably would be a good bet (On Ley Hill road on the left before the aston garage) Steve Gilbert runs the business that was previously his dads and I know his son is a PPL holder. Gilberts have been there 40+ years and will know the local community and what has been going on around the airfield. Probably best to pop in for a chat (ask for steve) as they are usually very busy and dont use the phone more than they have to.

PM me if you want more names, in the meantime I will ask around, I have a friend who has family in whelply hill who may have some recollections.

[Talkdownman]

Used to be a Cessna based on the south side of the B4505 just east of Ley Hill Road junction. It would taxy across the road to the airfield. Probably mid seventies, post-closure, pre-market.

Anybody remember the accident on the Chesham Road by the threshold of the north easterly runway? Dak or something hit a double-decker. Traffic lights were installed after that. Must've been about '53.

[ZoFreX]

Hi Paul!

I used to live in Whelpley Hill about 10 years ago and the only plane we saw flying out from Bov at that time was Gordon's, I'm pretty sure. For proof of use I think he would be your best bet if he kept logs, I'll try to remember to ask him if he did next time I see him.

If I find out I'll reply here or give you a shout next time I see you in the White Hart :p

James

[pasir]

I dont know if this will help.
In the winter and spring of 1947 I was a junior with KLM Air Traffic Div at Croydon Airport and during one period of poor vis. and ground fog there was a great bustle of activity with hasty gathering into brief cases of various aviation forms and documents and a mad scramble of KLM ground staff speeding off to Bovingdon - where incoming DAKs from Amsterdam were being diverted on account of the poor weather.

[Rood]

Good luck, the Nimbys seem to have been organised by one person based on the copy cat responses here
Dacorum Planning Documents (http://www.dacorum.gov.uk/planonline/AcolNetCGI.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeDocs&TheSystemkey=203071)

A lot of the responses seem to actually support the idea that there has been activity at the airfield. In between comments that it will worsen the traffic caused by Tesco`s that is.....

On Airliners.net there was an author doing a history of the airfield?
Bovingdon Airfield UK — Aviation Polls Forum | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/aviation_polls/read.main/2624/)

Maybe he can help.

Perhaps a parallel application for former Dale Farm residents to move in might change their minds.

[robin]

I'll link this thread to some ex-617 colleagues. You never know......

Is there a link to ex-617 colleagues? As one I'd be interested to know

[kevmusic]

@Robin - PM sent.

[KamikaziKaPe]

Son of Steve assures me his University funds don't run to flying lessons !

[MrAverage]

Try the guys at Halton. I'm sure at least some of the microlight pilots have been in. I can definitely get you some movements from Elstree if it's not too late........

[Wycombe]

Wasn't part of "Band of Brothers" made there? There must have been some flying activity around that (fairly sure it wasn't all CGI :rolleyes:)

Apologies if I have the wrong airfield.

[weekday flyer]

I think Harry Potter was filmed there last year.
its a great space for filming

[wsmempson]

Harry Potter filmed at Levesden

[chevvron]

It's Leavesden!!
'Band of Brothers' was part filmed on the 'Saving Private Ryan' set at Hatfield.

[Sigh] All these airfields (Bovingdon, Leavesden, Hatfield, Radlett) in the same area but closed and unuseable apart from Bovingdon, what a waste.

[weekday flyer]

I'm sure they did something there recently I saw in one of the film gossip mags

[LTNman]

I took this picture in 1978 when Bovingdon was transformed into a US airbase for the filming of Hanover Street. Flying lasted around 2 weeks.

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/8983/photo0013cl.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/256/photo0013cl.jpg/)

[uksatcomuk]

Does anyone
have an update on the status of the airfield ?

[cockney steve]

Have you considered issuing (or threatening to,) proceedings against the planners, for harassment and malicious and vexatious threatening behaviour.

Sounds very much like they're "flying a kite", as the posts here indicate that there has been spasmodic use of the facility, from RAF closure to present.

I once had a similar problem....a repair garage and filling station on a prominent main-road junction.....no planning permission, as it had formerly been a barn and was turned to a garage in the '20's- so, established use...I eventually removed the pumps and let the storage-license lapse. a constant stream of petty , niggling issues with the local planning, culminated in them telling me I wasn't allowed to sell cars!...Displaying them was a distraction to motorists negotiating the junction....I was able to produce a letterhead from the business, which had antiquated verbiage - "Accumulators charged" "Shell motor spirit" -and the clincher...."Any make of car supplied"
Stuck it in his hand and warned that I would sue for harassment if they didn't get off my case....it worked.
a few years later, a fire gutted the premises. Council informed me, if motor trade activity ceases for more than three years,your "established use" will be extinguished I don't know where the 3-years came from and they were evasive when it came to proof.....
sometimes , attack is the best defence......if they are exceeding the remit of their authority, the threat of sanctions from their superiors,or being heldpersonally responsible, can have a remarkable effect on "attitude-adjustment"

good luck!

[avionic type]

Perhaps the dates are too early but B.O.A.C. had a maintenance base there in the middle to late 40s and flew many of their Halton fleet to and from there also Lancashire Aircraft Company and a few other freight companies flew from there, but BOAC left in around 47-48 and most of the others faded away from there after the "Berlin Airlift "finished.

[chevvron]

Freddie Laker started his first airline there too.

[chevvron]

Does anyone
have an update on the status of the airfield ?

Apparently Dacorum Council recognised it as a 'legal light aircraft airfield' in 2012.(PPR required of course)