Wikiposts
Search
Private Flying LAA/BMAA/BGA/BPA The sheer pleasure of flight.

North Weald.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 21st May 2015, 23:12
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 2,517
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
North Weald.

Anyone here know what happened to the two DC4's that were parked at North Weald to be used in a movie about the Berlin Airlift?

I was supposed to fly for that movie but it never happened.

Is North Weald even there anymore?

Chuck E.
Chuck Ellsworth is offline  
Old 21st May 2015, 23:13
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: wherever I lay my hat
Posts: 446
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Still sitting at the edge of the airfield, and visible from the motorway.
North Weald is still active.
4Screwaircrew is offline  
Old 21st May 2015, 23:27
  #3 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 2,517
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks!!!

I spent a lot of time at North Weald and would like to see it again someday.
Chuck Ellsworth is offline  
Old 22nd May 2015, 07:24
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mare Imbrium
Posts: 638
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
NW is an excellent airfield with good facilities and helpful staff. A great place to visit with all sorts of resident aircraft from microlights, through the usual GA stuff, WWII fighters to cold war jets.


I worked there up to a couple of years ago and used to park my car under the DC-4s
Heston is offline  
Old 22nd May 2015, 11:21
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Highrise
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I was told that they tried to put some fuel in one of the aircraft in order to do an engine run. Fuel came straight out of the bottom of the wing due corrosion. A pity.
Manker is offline  
Old 22nd May 2015, 15:04
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What Heston said. NW is a brilliant place with great people. I'd base my plane there if I lived a bit closer but I still have all my maintenance done there.
Heliplane is offline  
Old 23rd May 2015, 00:09
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK - North Weald (EGSX) & Southend (EGMC)
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
North Weald is my home base and I love it
SidT is offline  
Old 23rd May 2015, 09:18
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: The frozen north....
Age: 49
Posts: 547
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I was there a couple of weeks ago doing some testing on one of our race aircraft, deffo still parked up looking very sorry for themselves.

As for N Weald, fantastic place, very accommodating to the odd spot of hooliganism ;-)
Unusual Attitude is offline  
Old 23rd May 2015, 12:44
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Job Centre
Age: 74
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
used to park my car under the DC-4s
Can't recall which test pilot said "Fly it? I wouldn't stand under it"

SD
sunday driver is offline  
Old 23rd May 2015, 23:45
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,813
Received 94 Likes on 67 Posts
I raced at a couple of drag race meetings there in '85 and the runway surface was horrendous! Hopefully this has been rectified!!
chevvron is online now  
Old 24th May 2015, 02:18
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 2,517
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Do they still have the restaurant in the old WW2 Air Force building?

Who runs it now?

Is the M24 still a parking lot most of the time?
Chuck Ellsworth is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 06:24
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mare Imbrium
Posts: 638
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yes they do.


Same people (The Squadron).


Yes (but its the M25, not that it matters ).


North Weald Airfield - Epping Forest District Council
Heston is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 10:04
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: east ESSEX
Posts: 4,653
Received 68 Likes on 43 Posts
Chuck, you`re wecome anytime;we did try starting one of the -4s,but whilst they would turn and `chuff,fuel ran outwhen the pumps went on. A couple of yrs ago it ran for a while ,but the system was jury-rigged from a tank in the fuselage with pipes out along the wing to the engines,bypassing the mains.Nothing since. Other stuff you can find on the NW Thread on `Key publishing /Flypast site`.
sycamore is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 14:03
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Munich MUC/EDDM
Posts: 6,641
Received 74 Likes on 46 Posts
Yes (but its the M25, not that it matters ).
Probably a change in magnetic variation since Chuck was there.
India Four Two is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 14:20
  #15 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 2,517
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Or my mind is slowly decaying and I can't remember a lot of things clearly.

I do vaguely recall a circular parking lot around London that could hold a lot of cars.
Chuck Ellsworth is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 15:07
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Munich MUC/EDDM
Posts: 6,641
Received 74 Likes on 46 Posts
Soon after the motorway opened in 1986 traffic levels exceeded the maximum design capacity and in 1990 the Secretary of State for Transport announced plans to widen the whole of the M25 to four lanes.By 1993 the motorway, which was designed for a maximum of 88,000 vehicles per day, was carrying 200,000 vehicles per day.
Build it and they will come!
India Four Two is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 16:50
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: UK
Age: 83
Posts: 3,788
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
I can remember listening to a documentary on BBC about the M25. The gist of it was that when the original computer projections were done, the conclusion was that it should be built with four lanes all the way round. Then some comedian decided that with the huge increase in oil prices in the 1970s, they could get away with three lanes.

We all know what happened afterwards.

What did make me smile was the opening statement by the presenter of the programme.

"We are about to meet Mr Smith. Now not many of you out there will have heard of Mr Smith but he is the gentleman who is in charge of the M25. If you don't think that is important then consider this. He has the undivided attention of more people sitting and standing still than the Pope".

It made me smile.

As to the two DC-4s at North Weald; I haven't been up close to them for some years and one of them was leaking like a sieve even then. My very first co-pilot in the RAF in 1966 was a South African and we have been best friends ever since. He flew the SAA Historical Flight DC-4s (and DC-3s and Ju-52) until age defeated him. He came over to stay with me last year and we had a day at Duxford. On the way back I offered to take him into North Weald to look at the DC-4s. He declined; he reckoned that the sight would break his heart.
JW411 is offline  
Old 24th May 2015, 18:34
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: West Sussex, England
Posts: 487
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I was given a Fly-In sheet at Stow Maries (WWI airfield, Essex) a couple of weeks back when I landed.

If you are here to fly or drive, North Weald has a Vintage & Classic Fly-In run by Air-Britain 20th & 21st June. www.air-britain.com/flyin-about

PPR (free landings) 01992 524510.

By road - Vehicles with one driver £10, extra car pax £5 each.

mike hallam.
mikehallam is offline  
Old 25th May 2015, 14:01
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London, England
Posts: 271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The man himself in the orange Cat



A selection of pics of the DC-4 engine runs…







North Weald is certainly still operational, with some interesting projects in progress!

RD
Rallye Driver is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.