Leconfield

[AndyHUY]

I would be interested if someone knows what destinations where served out of RAF Leconfield in the early 70s. I understan there was a charter to jersey using an anglian friendship. I believe there was a regular service to LHR but im not sure how long it lasted or what aircraft was used so if anyone could enlighten me please do. I wonder why all services were stopped and when they were stopped? I would have thaught that it would have been the perfect place for a Hull airport! Did the building of HUY have something to do with it? Of course the Humber Bridge was not open then! If anyone has any information please post here i would be grateful.

Cheers

Andy

[Capitol 203]

Andy,

I can't throw too much light on the Leconfield commercial filghts either I'm afraid. I've found no reference to any operations other than the military undertaken there. However I've been having a look through my books and did find that Air Anglia began operating a weekend Jersey service from Kirmington, commencing in May 1975. Amsterdam services had started a month before this. But I'm sure someone with better local historical knowledge can give a better account than I.

As for the fate of Leconfield......well I hazard a logical guess that the local authority had already committed to developing Kirmington as a commercial airport well before Leconfield was given up by the RAF (January 1977). Also I suspect that despite Leconfield having an excellent 9000 Ft. main runway, it was aligned approximately North-South thus taking traffic directly over Beverley. I'm sure the local folks there were well used to having RAF hardware breaking the silence, but even so I would guess that this would have been a considerable obstacle for those arguing the case for a new local airport.

Hope someone can put some flesh on the bones.......

[POL1W]

Autair used to fly regular scheduled flights out of Brough Airfield in 1967/68 using Herald aircraft and possibly HS748s.
If you paste into your browser http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ou1.htm sorry don't know how to create a link yet, you will see some Autair Timetables showing Hull with air links to Luton, Amsterdam, Teesside, Jersey and IOM.
In 1969 a large chimney was built right on the approach to the runway at Brough, which I believe is still there today, which effectively stopped all schedules in and out immediately, by large turboprop aircraft. Initially, the Jersey and IOM routes were transferred to Leeds for a couple of months, before a temporary terminal was converted at Leconfield. The flights then resumed at Leconfield for a period of time, but I'm affraid I can not remember how long. Autair purchased BAC 1-11's then decided to become an I.T only airline, and changed name to Court Line in 1970, all turboprops were disposed of. So I think there was an instant demise of schedules for Hull/Leconfield, which did'nt return until Kirmington, became Humberside airport, along with Air Anglia flights to Norwich, Amsterdam, Aberdeen in the early 70's. Hope this helps, and maybe jogs the memroy of someone else who can remember this era.!

[zed3]

I believe that the Amsterdam/Kirmington/Amsterdam services went via Leconfield for customs clearance , for a short while . Seem to remember reading that in a book called Yorkshire Airfields .

[airhumberside]

While on the issue of East Yorkshire airfields, do any planes still go to the BAe airfield at Brough?

[AndyHUY]

The big "Cigarette" called cappa pass was demolished in the early 90's, i think the problem with brough is the runway, it is very short, i dont think its even as big as LCY! My dad has worked there for over 30 years since the site was Blackburn! The company jetstream 31 used to be based at brough (I think) and used to do regular trips between brough and warton in lancashire and i think dunsfold too! I remember watching him boarding the aircraft when i was young before my mum dropped me off at school! I dont know when they stopped this happening but the reason for this was purely money, they found it cheaper for workers to rent cars so they now have an avis car rental on site! I believe they moved the aircraft fire service back to warton so the runway, although still licensed is normaly now used as a car park! Not sure when the last aircraft movement was though! I believe the Blackburn B2 is still based there and occasionaly flies in the summer! The police flying club Cessna 150 used to be there but not sure if it still is? Great shame that we dont get much activity there anymore! When blackburn where there they used Holme Upon Spalding Moor for test flying the Buccaneer i would be greatful if someone could help me with the history of HOSM as i find that place very interesting!

Leconfield interests me too! I can never find photos of any later aircraft based there is there anywhere i can get some i.e a website or book? Wasnt there an attatchment of Vulcans at Leconfield during the height of the cold war?

[niknak]

The BAe Jetstream was never based at Brough, but made occassional visits, however the Dove was, along with a few other light twin aircraft.

No scheduled services ever operated from Leconfield, (although a few inbound to Kirmington/Humberside tried to land there mistaking it for an airport the other side of the Humber).

Holme on Spalding Moor airfield was the place that the bigger privately owned aircraft operated from, until some daft **** in BAe decided that Brough was the place to expand the factory, then they all moved to Humberside/Kirmington.

It's a well kept secret that if BAe had decided to put all the factory expansion into Holme on Splading Moore instead of Brough, it would be a thriving airport instead of the current Humberside one, (cos it would have attracted EEC grants by the million to become "Humberside Airport"), and that Brough, with it's very short runway and lack of space to develop the factory, would have closed, leaving the current Humberside as an undeveloped flying club.

Ho hum.....:rolleyes:

[AndyHUY]

Youre right the J31 was warton based but according to my dad it was there every day! I have a video of the buccaneer gate guard landing at brough!!! The pilot just didnt want to touch down! The used an arrester cable from an aircraft carrier as the runway is too small!

No scheduled services ever operated from Leconfield, (although a few inbound to Kirmington/Humberside tried to land there mistaking it for an airport the other side of the Humber).

They where but how long they lasted i dont know! HUY obviously got the services because of its 'central' location!

Holme on Spalding Moor airfield was the place that the bigger privately owned aircraft operated from, until some daft **** in BAe decided that Brough was the place to expand the factory, then they all moved to Humberside/Kirmington.

As far as i know it was similar to warton in that it was used for testing and an RLG for the provosts from Church Fenton!

It's a well kept secret that if BAe had decided to put all the factory expansion into Holme on Splading Moore instead of Brough, it would be a thriving airport instead of the current Humberside one, (cos it would have attracted EEC grants by the million to become "Humberside Airport"), and that Brough, with it's very short runway and lack of space to develop the factory, would have closed, leaving the current Humberside as an undeveloped flying club.

When was this supposed to happen? As far as i know they vacated the site when BAe took over as all test flying was carried out at Warton! There have been rumours from within that a runway extention at brough was on the cards but still, nothing has happened as yet, nor is it likely to happen! Doubt they would have turned HUSM into an airport, its far out of the way and i doubt a link road to the M62 would have been welcomed! HUY was set up because it lies exactly in the middle of the regions main centres! The best place for an airport would have been leconfield but of course the land on the approach has been turned into a housing estate, which should not have happened as beverley residents are always complaining on expanding the town! The MOD were probably nort prepared to let go and in 1979 the army moved in. Although the runway is still there im not sure what condition its in, would like to know if anyone knows!!!

When was the last fixed wing movement at Leconfield? I heard a Herc visited in the 90's???