Derby-Burnaston, Belfast - Nutt's Corner & Glasgow - Renfrew

[captain.speaking]

I am looking for information on the above airports as they were in the early 1960's - specifically runway details, airfield lighting, approach aids and radio frequencies.

If any of the experts here can help, I would be very appreciative - scans of the relevant pages from Pooleys, for instance, would be great.

Please PM me for an e-mail address, if this helps.

Thanks.

Richard.

[KeMac]

Richard - Check your PMs.

[GotTheTshirt]

Well I was at Burnaston in the late 50's and it was just like Dad's Army !!

There was no runway as such - just a close mown strip down the middle of the field.
It was originally just totally visual.
The aerodrome was run entirely by Derby Aviaton ( Later Derby Airways then BMA)
For Night landings we laid a goose neck flare path and we had an Aifield identifier - a huge Houchin machine( ex RAf - like all our equipement:ok:) with a large green light on top that flashed the airport ID.:E

The flare path was laid "By Eye" :hmm: and the crews used to remark about dogs hind legs! When we got more organised they actually set out 2 lines of concrete pads that were sighted in so that at least we got it looking even. This however failed miserably when it snowed !! Also if they were late telling us we only had time to lay one row of lights so the crew were told land on the right or left as was the case.

We also got a VASI type unit that was battery driven with the red and green slope lights which we set up with a couple of spirit levels every time there was night flying!
Incidentally there was night flying every weekend in the summer and most week nights.
There was an office on the tarmac that overlooked the runway and one of the office guys in there manned a VHF radio but the control was all done from Birmingham:D
The engineers were split into 4 man crews and when you were duty crew you laid the path (at night) and manned the fire engine for each t/o and landing and of course did the technical turnaround including fuel and oil:}
We operated 6 Daks and 3 Marathons and it seems incredible we never bent one of ours !

While I was there we only had one mishap where a DC3 with pax ( It was Mann brothers from Exeter) went off the Derby end of the runway. No one was hurt and free tea seemed to solve the ordeal ! (This was days before chasing lawyers !!:ugh: I am sure they would have all had severe whiplash these days!)

[captain.speaking]

GottheTShirt

Thanks so much for your wonderfully nostalgic reply - how different it all was then !!

Do you happen to recall what the available landing/take-off runs were - I've got an aerial picture of Burnaston in 1962, but am not sure about the approx. scale?

Richard.

[The SSK]

I remember being told by an old BMA/DA hand that the Argonauts were not authorised for commercial passenger ops in and out of Derby but they could and did carry staff, sometimes quite a crowd.

[Yellow Sun]

I cannot help with Renfrew in any detail but I can describe the sophisticated communication system that was in place for coordination at weekends with nearby Abbotsinch. At the weekends Abbotsinch was used by an Air Training Corps (ATC) gliding school, 663GS IIRC. An decrepitrunway control caravan was parked close to one of the hangars and furnished with a supply of old flight safety magazines, a tie-line telephone to Renfrew tower, an aldis lamp and an ATC cadet. When Renfrew had inbound traffic they phoned said cadet and informed him, he then flashed the aldis lamp at the glider launch point until he received an acknowledgement. When all gliders were down the launch point flashed the caravan who then phoned Renfrew tower with the confimation that gliding was suspended. After a time a BEA Heron/DC3 or Viscount would pass through the overhead on its approach to Renfrew and shortly afterwards the phone would ring again with the instruction that we were clear to recommence gliding. So, once again you would flash the launch point, receive an acknowledgement and go back to reading the magazines; until the next phone call. You can just imagine it happening today, air traffic separation courtesy of a 16 year old ATC cadet with a torch and phone;)

IIRC we only had to stop when Renfrew were on easterlies, westerly departures didn't seem to affect us.

YS

[Pull what]

I remember being told by an old BMA/DA hand that the Argonauts were not authorised for commercial passenger ops in and out of Derby but they could and did carry staff, sometimes quite a crowd.

My old boss flew the Argiee and confirms that public transport with pax out of Burnaston was a no no.

I understand the over run with the DC 3 that it went into the transport cafe car park on the otherside of the A38

There must have been some very hairy moments at Burnaston!!!!!

[GotTheTshirt]

Pull,
The Argie story is correct.
We just had them into Burnaston for maintainance

Sorry for the delay Capt S ! The "runway ":hmm: ran parallel to the A38.
It went from the Pub end ( was it the Yew Tree on the A38:confused:) parallel to the A38 and ended at the road from the A38 that went up to the main gate entrance.
Needless to say there was an access to the pub through the airport fence!:}
The good old days before security:ok:

The Mann DC3 landed from the pub end and just overan the road from the A38 to the airport entrance.

Oh and one other crash ( fatal I'm afraid) was on an open day and the local flying club ( Originally Wolverhampton Flying club - with Ron Payne -which became Derby Flying club) put on a bit of a show.
One of the events was to release ballons and the lads had to burst them with their prop.
A Maggie pulled up tight chasing the balloon and stalled in. :(

[Midland 331]

Cracking Burnaston image here:-

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2673028757_eef4547eda.jpg