View Full Version : Beverley beach landings Kenya
Am a member of a 'When we' type group covering Kenya on F/Book; recently a thread was started covering Beverley operations in the early '60's
On this thread it has been suggested that a Beverley made a 'beach' landing in the Jadini area N (correction S - no wonder I used to get lost there!!!) of Mombasa
Does anyone have any knowledge of this and if so - photo's or even other photo's of Kenya ops?
Cheers
PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)
Cornish Jack
31st Jul 2014, 17:46
Nothing re. this in the memory bank (not that that means much, nowadays!!:{), however, we did a 6 week detachment to El Adem and operated into Tmimi where the landing strip was loose sand and moved a few yards left or right after each couple of arrivals to avoid the ridges produced. Almost any beach would be a snip by comparison!!
Planemike
31st Jul 2014, 19:38
Jardini is South of Mombasa. The area of beach outside the Jardini Beach Hotel was regularly used by single engined light aircraft: such a/c as Piper ragwings and Cessna 180/182s. Remember seeing it happen when I was on a Scout camp there in 1955/6. Think there may even be a clip on YouTube.
Landing a Beverely on a beach would be a whole different story. My memory of the beaches was of a soft powdery white sand. An a/c the size of a "Bev" would sink in and turning the a/c would be out of the question.
Others may know differently: I could be proved wrong but I would be surprised.
Planemike
Cornish Jack
31st Jul 2014, 20:32
Planemike - your description of the beach closely matches the surface at Tmimi. It was what the Bev was designed for - forward area, unprepared strips. We were almost bulked out inbound and the landing left us enclosed in an enormous dust cloud, needing to sit and wait for the dust to clear before taxying off. Much the same could be said for operating 'up-country' in Aden. The Bev's problems started when it was tasked for long stages - those when the overload oil tank was called into play!