Croydon "safety"
It was hardly Croydons fault that aircraft outgrew its suitability for public transport operation.
The HP42's seemed to manage ok.and their huge tyres could cope with the grass surface.
The airport's site was no doubt chosen due to its good road links to London, and less flying distance to Paris.It was always prone to fog,and also no doubt to the dreaded "smog",and would get water logged with ease.With no chance of extending its TODA or TORA any post war flying was going to be limited,and without a tarmac runway any aircrafts takeofff performance was going to be weather limited.
However it served to put transport flying into the public gaze,and pioneered many features that we now take for granted.The classic terminal building was designed to be "passenger" friendly",and was a model of efficiency in its day.It took a while for the post war regulations to catch up with Croydons situation,but once the "metal monoplanes " went from J52's to DC3's its future was sealed,but past never forgotten.
AS a youngster growing up in the area i well remember the powerful rotating beacon that could be seen for miles (it reflected on low cloud very well),and the railway station at Banstead that had its name on its roof (a legacy to Croydons early radio days).
Pobjoy
BTC attended the first airshow there after it closed.