Panshanger Airfield Circa 1970

[LynxDriver]

Hello all, kinda newbie checking in. I've been a lurker for a while but thought it was time I joined in! :O

I am wondering if anyone out there can help me with a bit of info about a largish air show that was held at Panshanger back in I believe the Summer of 1970.

My mother took me to this show but my memories of it are very dim now as I was only 9 at the time. All I can remember is seeing the Rothmans Stampes and having my pic taken in the cockpit of a Bolkow Monsun. Sadly the pic is long lost and my parents have since passed on. I've tried the local newspaper archives, have even put out an ad for help with my enquiries but sadly, nothing has materialised. I still live locally so the lack of info is most frustrating to say the least.

So, if anyone out there can help me fill in the blanks, I'd be really most grateful.

Thank you in advance

I J Williams

[DHfan]

Doesn't ring any bells with me. At that time I lived less than 10 minutes leisurely pedalling away and was regularly I'm sure a complete PIA to the kind people that let me wander around everywhere.I'll see if my sister who still lives locally can remember anything.

[G-KEST]

The Barnstormers Flying Circus put on a display at Panshanger on 2 August 1970. I flew 8 slots in various aircraft including parachute dropping, formation, aerobatics, streamer cutting, crazy flying, limbo, flour bombing and an air race item.

Reims Cessna F172 G-AWTI, DeHavilland DH82A Tiger Moth G-AHRC, Champion Citabria N4766T and Grumman Yankee AA1 G-AYFX were the aircraft involved.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Reaper 69

[LynxDriver]

Hi, many thanks for that, it does help a lot and has jogged the old noggin!

Can you confirm that Citabria reg? On further investigation it comes up as belonging to a Mooney M20B.

I'm sure though that the Rothmans Stampes were involved and I definitely recall a red and white Bolkow Monsun. I had my pic taken in the cockpit and remember being intrigued by the blue tinted canopy!

Does the name Harold Best Deveraux ring any bells? I know he often flew out of Panshanger and that my late father knew him on a business basis.

[Warmtoast]

Does the name Harold Best Deveraux ring any bells? I know he often flew out of Panshanger and that my late father knew him on a business basis.

Do a Google search as Harold Best Devereux (note spelling) and you'll get lots of hits.

[SPIT]

Hi
Try contacting a bloke called Geoff, he used to be an ATController at Elstree Airfield. His compatriot Peter Woods (now deceased) used to fly a Tiger Moth from there and in his spare time did Airfield control at some local/national displays so I am sure he Pete would have related any facts about any local displays to Geoff.
Good Luck
:):):hmm:

[LynxDriver]

Thanks for the replies, I now have some useful leads as a result. What a great place this is!

Actually, whilst discussing this with some friends, one of them told me that there is a Harold Best-Devereux buried at the same churchyard as his father. Said church is but a stone's throw from Panshanger.

[caiman27]

The first time I ever flew was in an EP-9 piloted by Harold Best-Devereux. I was at school with his son Igor - had dinner with him last year and talked about many of these things

[Best-Devereux]

Harold is my grandfather. I never got to meet him. He died of cancer many years ago. My father doesn't talk about him much. If you know anything regarding him please tell me. All I have heard was he was with the royal Air force and did recon for the allied forces.

Thank you

by the way: it's Harold Best-Devereux

[jumpseater]

I can vaguely recall that air show too, I'd have been eight and I can also recall the coverage in the WHT as it was so unusual.

B-D, If your dads initial is 'i', he was good mates with my brother for a while at school in WGC ...:ooh:

[Talkdownman]

Try contacting a bloke called Geoff, he used to be an ATController at Elstree Airfield. His compatriot Peter Woods (now deceased) used to fly a Tiger Moth from there and in his spare time did Airfield control at some local/national displays so I am sure he Pete would have related any facts about any local displays to Geoff.
If you mean Geoff Warnes I am reliably informed that he, too, has QSY'd and joined my Old Mentor Pete in the Ultimate Control Tower. If you get two-way with either please pass on my regards. I'd prefer not to do it personally just yet....

[Sir George Cayley]

Lynx Driver,

Try N4766 or combinations. I think the a/c was owned by a farmer from Cambs

He had a couple of sons who carried on with agricultural equipment sales and maintenance.

Evenin' Barry.

Sir George Cayley

[tornadoken]

Farm Avn. Hitchin (Rush Green) had Citabria 7KCABs N7587F and N7566F.

[bobward]

Have you tried the Scramble website (Dutch Aviation Society)? They have reports for a lot of obscure airshows going back to the 1950's

Try this link:
http://www.scramble.nl/showreports.htm

Good luck
Bob

[norwich]

Should anybody want a very good read, about Panshanger, with a lot of detail of events and aircraft, with a few characters thrown in ! I wouldrecomend this book ...... it covers 1943 untill 1993 ...... Keith.

ISBN 0-7524-3917-0

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii58/keithnewsome/panshanger.jpg