Wisley....ah Vickers....

[PFR]

Looking to find some good info on Wisley, the disused Airfield just off the A3. Use to be the flight test airfield for Vickers/BAC.
Photo's especially in it's hey day or contacts who might have some history.
Anybody know of any plans for it?
Thanks in advance :) PFR

[Polar_stereographic]

I live quite close to it. Last I heard it was owned by the same people who own Fairoaks. There was some agreement with the locals/LA that it would never operate as an airport ever again. Shame, it's got a VOR/DME on site and a hard runway (still there).

Rememmber also that Surrey CC are one of the councils that oppose any form of aviation, so any request for planing is more than likely to be turned down.

Anything in particulay you are after? Send me a private message if so.

Regards

PS

[R for Robert]

As I'm down at the Brooklands Museum every weekend (which is on the site of the old Vickers factory), I'll ask one of the guys currently sorting through the archives if we have any info on Wisley.

There is a planning application to build a waste incinerator on the site but the nimbys have put up fierce opposition.

Will let you know what I find in due course.

[ 20 December 2001: Message edited by: R for Robert ]</p>

[newswatcher]

PFR,

You may be interested in the following site:

<a href="http://www1.getmapping.com/sorry.asp?method=move&dir=Left&oseast=507825.38&osnorth=157629.1&cellId=1136149010005" target="_blank">http://www1.getmapping.com/sorry.asp?method=move&dir=Left&oseast=507825.38&osnorth=157629.1&cellId=1136149010005</A>

a little grainy, but you can pan left and right. Current plans for this site have included a waste incinerator, or housing development. Nothing confirmed yet, as far as I know.

You may also be interested in the following site:

<a href="http://home01.wxs.nl/~hiemi003/History/vc10_25years.html" target="_blank">http://home01.wxs.nl/~hiemi003/History/vc10_25years.html</A>

[PFR]

Thanks for the replies. Polar_stereographic I'll drop you a line - thanks also R for Robert, much appreciated if you can see what's in the archives. I'd love to have enough info/history, stories to write a book to give due recognition to the valuable part played by this forgotten airfield and the dedicated poeple both at Wisley and Weybridge who contributed so much to what was a heyday of British aviation. More's the pity we ain't got it now!
Is Hugh Tyrer still involved with the Brooklands Museum?
Newswatcher thanks also for your reply....I'd found the VC-10 sight earlier plus some good aerials from multimap, nevertheless all inputs welcome.
Thanks to all, more contributions always welcome
Seasons Greetings <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> PFR

[buzid]

A wee Q for the history buffs of Wisley; how were the '10's and other machines that were test flown from there transported to sight - in large sections and then re assembled? Was GARTA not originally flown from Brooklands runway or am I mis informed? Were the 1'11's also test flwown from Wisley or manufactured and flown from Hurn?

Ok, maybe more than one question........

[Daifly]

Wisley is indeed still owned by the owners of Fairoaks. The runway is still there, but now has bollards along its length to stop the car racing that used to go on (illegal racing of course!)

The Incinerator was turned down - because of the local Nimby lot, probably no bad thing, though there case was largely misinformed - still, at least it won't destroy OCK (Ockham VOR is on the site).

The VC10's were not assembled at Wisley (I think I'm right in saying, certainly Trubshaw's autobiog refers to them being positioned from Weybridge/Brooklands across). It makes interesting reading that book, and also combined with the comments of the "Old, Bold" brigade around these parts. Apparently they would take of with enough fuel for the 3 minute flight. And I mean, with enough for the 3 minute flight ONLY! But, those solid RAF types nevered wrapped one around Byfleet!

It's a great place, but sadly, like Brooklands (in total, but good on the museum for keeping some of it healthy) and inevitably Dunsfold, it isn't getting any younger and is gradually being consigned to the land reclamation past that was Surrey's aviation history.

Surrey CC are a real bunch of short sighted ******s, though there's a great (and by that I mean HUGE) opposition to anything remotely developmental within airports in Surrey/Middx. Dunsfold has to be the crime of the decade. BAe pulled out and the airport will not, because of the council's development plan, be able to be used for anything other than Harrier test flying. So, that'll be back to farmland again.

Kick off, that's what I say.

Mind you, if Wisley did reactivate it'd scare the sh*t out of drivers on the A3 - about 100 metres from the end of the runway! "But it weren't there when we built it!"

Ho hum, airport rape and pillage rant over!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

One of my work colleagues met Jock Bryce a few months ago and was entertained with some great stories from a totally unassuming gentleman.

[Hew Jampton]

All the 10s were flown out of Weybridge over to Wisley. However, G-ARTA went back in to Weybridge, possibly more than once. I was told that this aircraft also did all the deep stall tests; at one stage the stress engineers were calculating the 'life' of the tail in minutes. It was subsequently bought and operated by Fred, one hopes with a new tail!

[Saint-Ex]

It was not unusual to fly the -10s back into Weybridge. Wind had to be in the right direction because of the railway at the north end. Fire engines were ready at the end of the landing roll to put out any brake fires! Getting out was never a problem and one could load quite q reasolnable amount of fuel. Take off in a 1-11 from Weybridge was much more "exiting".