Hatfield pictures

[diddy1234]

Hi All

Just stumbled across a couple of Photos from Hatfield (de havilland) and wondered if anyone else had pictures / experiences they would like to share.

In my younger days I do remember the Hatfield site being used by BAE 146 jets flying in and out but that was about it.

Heres the pics :-

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/BanhamTony/5061.htm

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/BanhamTony/5056.htm

The airfield is still shown if various maps are used here :-

http://www.flashearth.com/

enter hatfield england. then select from the various map types on the top left.

[Mike Echo]

Still got some video somewhere of me doing circuits in a PA28 not long before Hatfield shut and I did take some shots of some 146 displays again not long before it closed, I think, but am not sure, it included the Comet Racer which I'd watched being re-built. Hope I didn't wipe them but no idea where they are.
Memory is not as good as it was - but probably not as bad as is going to get!
Mike Echo

[gareth herts]

I lived close to Hatfield growing up in a village called Brookmans Park and my folks still live pretty close.

A friend of the family worked for British Aerospace's Missile Division at Hatfield (on Firestreak and Red Top at one point I seem to recall) for many years and I did work experience there about 17 years ago!

Best memories though are from the open days and I remember seeing my first Lightning display, Comet, Tornado fly past and a Buccaneer there.

The 146 (Whispering Jet!) was of course a familiar sight and one of the big success stories at the time.

More recently I spent a few years working for T-Mobile - their UK HQ is on the site and all that really remains is part of the old tower, which I think is a health / gym complex now!

I'll have a plough through the old photo albums and see if I've got any photos from the open days.

Cheers

Gareth

[JimmyTAP]

Fascinating pictures.

Makes an interesting comparison with one of my own taken a few years later.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/British-Aerospace/British-Aerospace-BAe-146-300/0744362/L/

I worked in the Flight Development Dept at Hatfield for a few years in the late 1980s before being relocated to Woodford.

[Mike6567]

No photos I'm afraid.
However, I do remember working at De Havillands the year before going to University and watching the first flight of the Trident.
A few weeks later I overheard the older experienced workers watching the aircraft on approach and grumbling it "didn't fly like a proper aeroplane but was just a machine that flew" (or something like that).
Years later I heard all the stories but I always envied colleagues who had flown the "Gripper".

[gareth herts]

As a 16 year old aviation nut I wrote everything down and just discovered an old notebook which includes the following:

1st July 1989 - BAe Open Day: Hatfield:

XX255 - Hawk T1A 2TWU/63SQN RAF
VP955 (G-DVON) - DH Devon
ZA101 (G-HAWK) - Hawk 100 BAe
XV206 - Hercules C1P - RAF
XX897 - Buccaneer S2B - RAE
XN637 - Jet Provost - Vintage Aircraft Team
WZ507 (G-VT11) - Vintage Aircraft Team
XP294 - Sea Vixen - RAE Llanbedr
XS235 - Comet 4C A&AEE

Not a bad line up eh! I assume the serials are correct but it was a long time ago - and I clearly didn't bother with any of the 'home team' 146's etc etc!!

Gareth

[Geezers of Nazareth]

I can remember going to the Hatfield open day in 1975 and seeing all those Tridents for China/CAAC being made. There were also a large number of 'Moth' variants there, and well as a number of other DH/Hawker types.

I found the program for it a few weeks ago, I will have another look to see if I can 're-find' it.

[Biggles1049]

Here's one of the prototype 146's taken at the Open day in 1984

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1069092M.jpg

[HarryMann]

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.762784&lon=-0.258822&z=14.9&r=0&src=msa

Looks like someones started to dig up the runway about 3/4 way along...

All a very sad story from it's heydays, should never have happened :ugh:

Best memories are of the last late lost Mosquito cavorting around while we worked, possibly John Farley (?) doing a Harrier demo for some Chinese, that nearly blew me over, the pass was so low and pullup so vicious... and the Moth days, so many Meuths on one superbly mown grass field.

Oh, and that beautiful Senior Staff Restaurant, art deco style building... Geoffrey senior did things in style alright... thank goodness he can't see the mess it all is now!

Progress? Bah humbug!

[gareth herts]

Couple of quick scans from the aforementioned open day!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e185/garethstringer/comet.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e185/garethstringer/Herc.jpg

[146fixer]

HarryMann,
The run way went years ago. The whole place is a business park now. The flight shed is now a gym. The last memnants of the "new" hanger have just been dug up. I think the only other bit left are the old design block and the gate house(KFC). Astwick manor and the apprentice training centre are flats. Had some of the best years there when I was an apprentice. Was a sad day when it all closed. Not sure if I have any pics, but will look.

[HarryMann]

146Fixer,

Ta! I think I won't drive over and have a look then...
When were you there?

[146fixer]

I was there from Nov 86 to Sept 90. Did a 3 year fitters apprenticeship. Went to school near by to so used to watch them test flying the prototype 146 to.

[Warmtoast]

Hatfield airfield was one of the locations used by Steven Spielberg when he filmed "Saving Private Ryan" in 1997.

The scenes involving the street fighting in and around towns and the final battle scene where the main American force and aircraft attack the Germans were filmed at Hatfield. Not sure if Spielberg "ruined" existing buildings or built the "ruins" as a set, but if you've seen the film the battle scenes are very imressive.

Other scenes for the film were shot at Elstree Studios and Borehamwood. The Omaha Beach scenes were fimed in Wexford in Ireland.

[Kempy51]

Hi, this is just a quick msg in the hoperiod that someone that used to work at be in Hatfield gets to see this and please reply, so that I know I am doing this right. This is on behalf of my neighbour and close friend who also used to work there. Please reply so that he can share some of his memories.
Thank you.

Paul kemp.

[Mike Echo]

Old Thread!
I only worked there for less than a year at the Hatfield Executive Aviation (offshoot of Rogers) I did find the video of some flying I did around the airfield (still blame the runway for the rough landing) but seem to have lost a lot of the other videos showing the 146, comet racer, and a mini airshow with Harrier.

[chevvron]

Hatfield airfield was one of the locations used by Steven Spielberg when he filmed "Saving Private Ryan" in 1997.

The scenes involving the street fighting in and around towns and the final battle scene where the main American force and aircraft attack the Germans were filmed at Hatfield. Not sure if Spielberg "ruined" existing buildings or built the "ruins" as a set, but if you've seen the film the battle scenes are very imressive.

Other scenes for the film were shot at Elstree Studios and Borehamwood. The Omaha Beach scenes were fimed in Wexford in Ireland.

According to an article in 'After the Battle' magazine, the set for 'Saving Private Ryan' was nowhere near the airfield buildings, it was at the southwest end of the runway just north of it and was also used for the TV series 'Band of Brothers.' Another location was at Thame in Oxfordshire whilst the beach landings were indeed filmed in Ireland.

[Allan Lupton]

Hi, this is just a quick msg in the hoperiod that someone that used to work at be in Hatfield gets to see this and please reply, so that I know I am doing this right. This is on behalf of my neighbour and close friend who also used to work there. Please reply so that he can share some of his memories.
Thank you.

Paul kemp.
When and in which department?
I worked at Hatfield from starting as a de Havilland apprentice in 1956 via Hawker Siddeley, Brutish Aerospace and Corporate Jets until 1993. For much of the time I was in Tech Sales but from 1985 it was Future Projects. Aircraft side rather than DH Props/HS Dynamics etc.

[redsetter]

Apologies for the thread hijack, but I'd be very interested in making contact with anyone who previously worked for DH Props and had anything to do with the Firestreak/Red Top flight trials programme.

[spekesoftly]

Allan Lupton
Brutish Aerospace Freudian slip, typo, or deliberate? ;)

[Allan Lupton]

Allan Lupton
Freudian slip, typo, or deliberate? ;)
I think it came from Roger Bacon (aka Mike Ramsden).

ETA Redsetter - I don't know anyone, but you could try the DHAeTS Association as we were all de Havilland apprentices de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School Association (http://www.dhaetsa.org.uk/)

[LTNman]

I took these on 23rd January 2001.

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230015_zpsl7nodbsd.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230015_zpsl7nodbsd.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230014_zpsizfd3peb.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230014_zpsizfd3peb.jpg.html)

The runway
http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230018_zpsibhddu98.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230018_zpsibhddu98.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230016_zpspi8isojs.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230016_zpspi8isojs.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230011_zpsfpt4kte7.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230011_zpsfpt4kte7.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230008_zpsj8fkcixu.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230008_zpsj8fkcixu.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230005_zpswooenoc2.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230005_zpswooenoc2.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230007_zpskckdlw6v.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230007_zpskckdlw6v.jpg.html)

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w504/nospamuk1/01230004_zpsu5ennqba.jpg (http://s1079.photobucket.com/user/nospamuk1/media/01230004_zpsu5ennqba.jpg.html)

[Blacksheep]

The hangar with the control tower attached is still standing as it is a listed building. It is now used as a fitness centre. Also preserved are the original De Havilland Head office buildings on Comet Way which are now the Hatfield Police HQ. The Gatehouse is an African hair-dressers and the personnel office is a KFC outlet. The old flashing light beacon was restored by the De Havilland Heritage Centre (De Havilland Aircraft Museum) and is installed on the lawn at the front of the De Havilland Campus of the University of Hertfordshire. The only other reminders of Hatfield's past connection with aviation are the names of the streets in the Hatfield Village housing development and a model of the Comet Racer stuck on a pole outside the former Comet Hotel - now mainly occupied by asylum seekers and refugees at public expense.

[Warmtoast]

diddy1234
Hatfield in the 1930s as seen here - c/w swimming pool!

Photo was on the occasion of first display to be held by the Royal Air Force Reserve Flying Club.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image1a.jpg

The aircraft flying by is G-ACDP the Saro Cutty Sark of A.S.T. (Air Service Training) from Hamble (see below). This aircraft remained in service used by No 3 E & RFTS until 1942 and is not the prettiest of aircraft IMHO.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/SaroCuttySarkwithGenetMotors.jpg

[Wander00]

What happened to the (large) model DH88 Comet that used to be in the shopping mall over the A1(M)?

[spekesoftly]

Seems it was removed in 2006 by the new owners of Hatfield Galleria, and now resides at Sywell awaiting repair to transit damage.

Sywell Aerodrome - The Burberry Comet Racer (http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/burberry-racer.php)

[Wander00]

Speke - many thanks, I will look when I am at the LAA Rally later in the year