Wolverhampton Pendeford and THE MAN IN THE SKY

[Pull what]

Anyone got any information about this period at Pendeford when this Jack Hawkins film was made. A rather well known CFI at the time, ' Woody' was at Don Everall Aviation and famously sacked for being drunk.

Below is a post which appeared a few years ago




Does anyone have any further information on Pendeford Airfield. The airport was situated adjacent to Boulton and Paul Aircraft works. It was opened in 1938 by Amy Johnson and was the wartime home of No 28 Elementary Flying Training School operating 108 Tiger Moths. After the war, Lindsay Neale and Peter Tishaw died when the Balliol T2 crashed after the windscreen disintegrated a power dive. In 1956 Charles Chrichton directed the film 'The Man in The Sky' starring Jack Hawkins (flying a Bristol Freighter). Don Everall Aviation operated the airport with Auster J1N's, Beagle Terriers, Piper Colts and at least one Cherokee 160.

Sadly, a De Havilland Dove crashed onto some houses killing the crew and at least one occupant of the houses - this was the end for Pendford Airport and it closed in 1970.

I do hope that the many knowledgable readers of these posts will reply. Thanks!
http://static.pprune.org/images/statusicon/user_offline.gif http://static.pprune.org/images/buttons/report.gif (http://www.pprune.org/report.php?p=2186828)

[Pull what]

As far as I remember the Dove was operated by the NCB, National Coal Board, and was trying to do a circling approach in poor weather, making several attempts. A witness in a high rise block of flats said she saw the aircraftt flying past her window with one pilot looking forward and one in the normal position!.

I understand that it was this accident that brought about the introduction of circling minima

[diginagain]

A Google search comes up with G-AVHV, operated by McAlpines, owned by Dowty, who at that stage probably owned what had been B-P. There's an online link to the accident report here (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/formal_reports/10_1971__g_avhv.cfm)

A similar search did bring up some history for the airfield, but not much more than you have in your opening post.

[John Horovitz]

The Dove that crashed was definately not from the National Coal Board (registration G-ARUM) for I enjoyed (!) flying it many years later. It was indeed operated by Dowty Group Services. My father was in the film and managed to obtain Jack Hawkins autograph. I watched it on television many years ago and remember thinking that it had a rather plodding story line. I would very much like to see it again, however, to see if my critical facilities have improved over the years.

John

[Pull what]

Thanks John--please see Don Everall post on where are they now too.

I have been trying to get a copy of 'Man In The Sky' for years but its not available.

[Matt-Braddock]

Oh yes it is! – But under the US title “Decision Against Time”

Rare Classic DVDs - Drama Collector Classics (http://www.rareclassicdvds.com/drama-collector-dvds.html)
Decision Against Time (aka The Man in the Sky) (aka Test Pilot) 1957

I have a copy from them, which is taken from US TV as no “official” version appears to be available.

[Pull what]

Is it reasonable quality?

[forget]

Gift horse - Mouth. :)

[Pull what]

Gift horse-arsehole

[forget]

Oh dear Pull what. I think you may have blown it. :uhoh:

[Matt-Braddock]

I have found that some channels on British Sky do show poor quality films from the USA but the DVD I was sent is good quality.

From my (32 inch LCD TV) the Black and White picture has good quality contrast and sharpness and the sound is also good. The film is continuous (without adverts) but does have a channel logo in the corner at times if I remember correctly.

I have been very pleased with it and the service Classic Films on DVD - High Quality DVDs of Rare Movies (http://www.rareclassicdvds.com) provided.

[Pull what]

Thank you very much--I think I have a copy coming! Great list of films on there--It reminded me of afew i would like to see again.

Anyone seen a copy of the BA Hamble film 'AIRLINE PILOT' floating around?

[Pull what]

Excellent film and great shots of Wolverhampton and the Bristol Freighter, what an aircraft!!!!

[colin penny]

The film has recently been re-released(digitally restored) in The Ealing Studios Collection and is available for £9.99 .Pls see link.

Play.com (UK) - Free Delivery - DVD - Search Results: the man in the sky (http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/6-/Search.html?searchstring=the+man+in+the+sky&searchtype=r2alldvd&searchsource=0)

Beautiful quality.

Colin P.

[Pull what]

Great DVD - Excellent shots of Wolverhampton airfield--thanks again BAZ!

[Pull what]

From AMAZON

Man In The Sky [DVD] [1956]: Amazon.co.uk: Jack Hawkins, Elizabeth Sellars, Walter Fitzgerald, John Stratton, Eddie Byrne, Victor Maddern, Charles Crichton: DVD (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Sky-DVD-Jack-Hawkins/dp/B002VD5S8S/ref=cm_cr-mr-title)

[phil.brick]

Yes. I am geoff philbrick. I started my PPL course on the 24-march 1956, and completed my test on the 24-june 1956. The CFI at the time was Flt LT. Gibson ( Gibby !! ) . The training was on austers, although at the very last minute before the test, we were suddenly required to do spinning and recovery solo, which involved switching to Tigers for that exercise. !! ( not funny ) . The only other instructors at the time were Boyle and Bradley , who was just a week end instructor. The name " Woody " just does not ring a bell. (sorry). The Silver City plane being used in the film finished up on top of the canal, and held up the film. I was in one of the shots in the film, but in all these years have never seen the film advertised any where. I have only just learnt today ( for the very first time in all these years ) that the film was released in USA in 1957, under a different title. !!

[chopd95]

The OP mention of CFI "Woody" and his penchant for the occasional shandy stitrred the grey matter - one such was CFI at Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club, Lulsgate, circa 1965 ( piper colt, carribean and an auster for spinning!)

[Steve E Tax]

:ok:more Pendeford/W-Ton Airfield info;
The History of Pendeford (http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Pendeford/Airport.htm)

Black Country History (http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/search/?cb_submit=1&cb_ipp=50&q=tettenhall&cb_sort=title&fq)
Scroll down when at this link for "Defiant" Fighter Aircraft.

Also a short excerpt from Wikipedia ; Pendeford Airfield In the 1930s Wolverhampton Council decided to establish an airfield at Pendeford, on 178 acres (0.72 km2) of land at Barnhurst formerly used for sewage disposal. The airfield was Officially opened on 27 June 1938, by which time Boulton Paul Aircraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulton_Paul_Aircraft)
had established a factory there to build its aircraft including the
Defiant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulton_Paul_Defiant) fighter (which had its first flight at Pendeford in August 1937, almost a year before the airfield was officially opened). During World War II the airfield was also used for training military pilots, with over 100 de Havilland Tiger Moths (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Tiger_Moth)
stationed there at one stage. Postwar the airfield was used for private and training aircraft, with limited scheduled services from 1953.

By the end of the 1960s the airfield was losing money and there were safety concerns over the close proximity of houses to the airfield; as a result the airfield was closed on 31 December 1970. A memorial to the airfield can be seen on the walls of an estate within Pendeford. Shortly before the airfield's closure, on 9 April 1970,
a de Havilland Dove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dove) crashed onto a house in Redhurst Drive, Fordhouses and caught fire.
The crew of the aircraft (which was owned by Dowty Group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowty_Group),
by then the owner of Boulton Paul) were attempting to land at the airfield in poor weather; the accident investigation determined that the aircraft
stalled (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stall_%28flight%29) at a height too low for the crew to regain control. An occupant of the house and the two people on board the aircraft were killed in the accident, two more people escaped the burning house by jumping out of an upstairs window and were slightly injured.

[T-21]

I remember going to an airshow there 1963 ? when a Blackburn Beverley landed.

[spargazer]

Many many years ago,1958-59sh, at school I remember watching a film about airline booking, tickets and travel. I am certain it was made by ESSO but I remember propliners and little else, I would love to see it again, I tried to track it down with zilch results. I was born in 1944.

[horatio_b]

I realise this thread has been dormant for years, but I came across this interesting video showing old scenes from Pendeford, including the film "Man in the Sky"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld5bDFH7AI0

I only visited Pendeford once - on 29th August 1966. I know the date is correct as I was on my way to a display at Halfpenny Green during which Cosmic Wind G-ARUL crashed on take off and ended up in a hedge.
Pendeford was all closed up when I visited and I the only two aircraft I saw were G-ANCX Tiger Moth and G-ATKZ Nipper through gaps in the hangar door.

[chevvron]

One of my ex work colleagues learnt to fly at Pendeford in 1967. In 1962, on my way to Cosford to see my older brother 'pass out', we must have passed the airfield on the train but I don't recall it.
In the film, the air traffic controller was played by actor Raymond Francis, who later (1957 - 1965) starred in several detective series such as 'Murder Bag', 'Crime Sheet' and 'No Hiding Place'.
Coincidentally, I recently saw a documentary about him with inputs from his daughter.

[Quietplease]

Wolverhampton 19/06/1964 the 6FTS JP aeros team were practicing for a display the next day. We were asked to desist as the local school children were all at the windows watching instead of doing their exams. I was doing the solo spot.
Next day for the show the cloud base was about 700 so we could only do a very abbreviated bad weather sequence.
We were operating from Shawbury.

[Brewster Buffalo]

Re-activated this thread as the Man in the Sky was on TV the other day. A lot of the film takes place on Pendeford Airfield in and around the control tower.

If you view the above you tube at 5:13 onwards you'll seen some exterior shots of the control tower. Fixed to it near the top is a large sign R.
I thought as a control tower that should a C?

Any ideas why R?

[chevvron]

I'm just guessing but it may have stood for 'Pilots Report Here' which has now been supplanted (where it is still displayed) by the black 'C' on a yellow background meaning the same thing.
Alternatively it might have normally been suffixed by the runway QDM but I never saw this displayed, just the runway on its own.

[DaveReidUK]

Re-activated this thread as the Man on the Sky was on TV the other day. A lot of the film takes place on Pendeford Airfield in and around the control tower.

If you view the above you tube at 5:13 onwards you'll seen some exterior shots of the control tower. Fixed to it near the top is a large sign R.
I thought as a control tower that should a C?

Any ideas why R?

Had the filming taken place on a different day, there could easily have been L rather than R displayed on the tower.

[Brewster Buffalo]

Had the filming taken place on a different day, there could easily have been L rather than R displayed on the tower.
Sorry you've lost me there....

I'm just guessing but it may have stood for 'Pilots Report Here' which has now been supplanted

Makes sense...searched for uk control tower photos in the 50s and the few I found most had no sign; some a C and none an R...

[DaveReidUK]

L or R to indicate the visual circuit direction:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x671/pendeford_l_r_e8d25e92b6d4eb282049c61ec7a281eab3b28b7e.jpg

[chevvron]

That could be it but normally the indicator for a RHC was horizontal in the signals square, especially in the 50s/60s
The convention was 'When in the ATZ, all turns are to made to the left' for which there was no signal but there should have been a signal in the signals square showing a right angled board covered in white and red stripes which would indicate 'RH circuit in force'.
Could the photos above be Pendeford by any chance?

[Brewster Buffalo]

I thought the L & R reference might be to the circuit pattern but dismissed it as I presumed that would be shown in the T square. Did many airfields in those days vary their circuit patterns?

[DaveReidUK]

That could be it but normally the indicator for a RHC was horizontal in the signals square, especially in the 50s/60s
The convention was 'When in the ATZ, all turns are to made to the left' for which there was no signal but there should have been a signal in the signals square showing a right angled board covered in white and red stripes which would indicate 'RH circuit in force'.
Could the photos above be Pendeford by any chance?

Yes, the photos are Pendeford, taken respectively on a LH circuit day and a RH one. I can't find any photos that show the signals square.

[chevvron]

Just looked at the video and there was a signals square next to the control tower at about 2 min..

[Brewster Buffalo]

Just found out that if I had watched the video to the end I would have seen the caption, at 11.35, -

"Note the R sign positioned on the control tower. This told pilots that a non-standard right hand circuit was in place."

Possibly this R was for the information of departing pilots

[Discorde]

The standard indicator for right hand circuits (other than the arrow in the signals square which was not visible to aircraft taxiing) was a green flag flown from a mast in the signals square. L and R might have been a non-standard Pendeford anomaly.