History of Fairoaks Airport?

[Saab Dastard]

Can anyone point me to resources that have information on Fairoaks airport from WW2 to the present? I fly from Fairoaks and I would particularly love to see drawings, diagrams or pictures of the WW2 airfield layout.

Thanks

SD

[Martinburney]

Hi

Plans of Fairoaks are at the RAF Hendon Museum Library and at the PRO. The references are as follows

RAF Museum Library = 78/24/457 ( 1944 )

PRO = Air10/4039 part 2 ( 1944 )

They may be identical.

As far as I am aware there has not been a specific book published abaout Fairoaks.

Have you tried the local libraries " local studies " department.


Regards Martin

[Daifly]

The book "Surrey's Wartime Airfields" (available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/glance/-/books/1853064335/202-3648204-0232620) is quite good although it doesn't have pages and pages of information.

From what I can remember (it being a while since I read it) it started as a training school operating out of what is now London Transport Flying Club with Tiger Moths. There are hangars on the north side of the main road (A322?) which figured at some point.

There was a N/S runway crossing the airfield to the east of the Alan Mann hangars which was removed about, I think, 10 years ago. The hard runway was only added about 20 years ago.

There are loads of good ghost stories about the place. Go and speak to Colin or Maureen in the Security Caravan they'll tell you! Especially good is the one about the Spitfire crashing into Gama's former offices during the war years, killing the pilot, and he now resides in the Gents. So it's said...!!

[Saab Dastard]

Martin and Daifly,

Thanks for the info.

Daifly, I must go and find out more about the "haunted bog"!:) That is a wonderful story!

SD

[DrSyn]

That'll be the ghost of old Ginger, then . . . .

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

In the 1960s, Wing Commander C.E.F. (Cyril) Arthur reigned supreme at Fairoaks. This wonderful old gentleman had amassed a staggering number of hours teaching people to fly in Tiger Moths: 'The aeroplane that won the War, me boy!' (He meant all the RAF pilots who learned to fly on it.)

'Wingco' took me up in Tiger Moth G-AOAC on 6/12/66 and we proceeded to do all sorts of silly things over Farnborough, but god, it was cold in that open cockpit. There it is in my logbook, certified correct, stamped Fair Oaks Aero Club and the magic signature C. Arthur and his authority: Royal Aero Club 'O' No. 100.

The hard runway was laid (without planning permission) when the airfield was owned by a character called Doug Arnold. There was a bit of a barney with the local council and it was turfed over until things were sorted out. I think it was around this time that the 'Hump' in the middle of the airfield was graded away. 'Wingco' was rather good at crazy flying and his party trick was to disappear behind it. There is a black and white film of the period showing him doing this stunt.