Hendon Flying School pre WW1
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Hendon Flying School pre WW1
Looking for any books/references on the Hendon Flying School.
Aircraft were mostly single cockpit Caudron wing warpers with an Anzani engine.
Delfosse Badgery, an Australian pioneer aviator, learned to fly at Hendon circa 1912.
Working on his memoirs sourced from detailed diaries.
Fascinating recollections.
Aircraft were mostly single cockpit Caudron wing warpers with an Anzani engine.
Delfosse Badgery, an Australian pioneer aviator, learned to fly at Hendon circa 1912.
Working on his memoirs sourced from detailed diaries.
Fascinating recollections.
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Strewth Mate!,
I've got a couple on the shelf at home. I'll get you the details of the second one when I can...I can't remember the name right now.
The one I have in mind at the moment is called 'Memories of Hendon Aerodrome' and is published locally. It's a modest picture book and it's available from a company in Brent St called Memories.
Their number is:
0044 208 202 9080
Memories also hold a large number of photographs of the Aerodrome and are very helpful with this sort of thing.
The Royal Air Force Museum *may* be able to help (http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/hendon/c...hive/index.cfm).
Aerofilms at Borhamwood may be worth a shot, although as far as I’m aware, their archive only starts in 1918
(http://www.simmonsaerofilms.com/aboutus.html)
Hope this helps
I've got a couple on the shelf at home. I'll get you the details of the second one when I can...I can't remember the name right now.
The one I have in mind at the moment is called 'Memories of Hendon Aerodrome' and is published locally. It's a modest picture book and it's available from a company in Brent St called Memories.
Their number is:
0044 208 202 9080
Memories also hold a large number of photographs of the Aerodrome and are very helpful with this sort of thing.
The Royal Air Force Museum *may* be able to help (http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/hendon/c...hive/index.cfm).
Aerofilms at Borhamwood may be worth a shot, although as far as I’m aware, their archive only starts in 1918
(http://www.simmonsaerofilms.com/aboutus.html)
Hope this helps
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Hendon early days
Good on'ya noisy
If you are interested I'll come back wit a couple of fascinating extracts from the book I'm composing from Delfosse Badgery's diaries.
Badgery later joined the Australian Flyinfg Corps during WW1 and flew ops out of Suez and Mesopotamia.
If you are interested I'll come back wit a couple of fascinating extracts from the book I'm composing from Delfosse Badgery's diaries.
Badgery later joined the Australian Flyinfg Corps during WW1 and flew ops out of Suez and Mesopotamia.
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Hello,
I’ve led you astray I’m afraid; The first book that I told you about is called
Flying at Hendon: A pictorial Record and was compiled by CR Smith in 1974
It’s published by Hilary Press In Hendon although I was right in saying that it is available from Memories in Brent St.
It is 31 pages and mainly pictures.
The second book is called Hendon Aerodrome-A History by David Oliver. It was first published in 1994 by Airlife.
This book is of 168 pages and is a good mix of text and pictures.
It seems that no-one has ever written a truly comprehensive history of Hendon A/D. I would love to hear some of this guys memoirs-sounds fascinating. I t would be good to hear some things about the war in the east.
Cheers,
Noisy
I’ve led you astray I’m afraid; The first book that I told you about is called
Flying at Hendon: A pictorial Record and was compiled by CR Smith in 1974
It’s published by Hilary Press In Hendon although I was right in saying that it is available from Memories in Brent St.
It is 31 pages and mainly pictures.
The second book is called Hendon Aerodrome-A History by David Oliver. It was first published in 1994 by Airlife.
This book is of 168 pages and is a good mix of text and pictures.
It seems that no-one has ever written a truly comprehensive history of Hendon A/D. I would love to hear some of this guys memoirs-sounds fascinating. I t would be good to hear some things about the war in the east.
Cheers,
Noisy
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Hendon Flying School
noisy
Not too sure how I contacy you to determine your email address.
If you message me I'll send you chapters of book describing those early days at Hendon.
Not too sure how I contacy you to determine your email address.
If you message me I'll send you chapters of book describing those early days at Hendon.
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Thanks for the offer but I'll not put up my e-mail address on a public forum and I can't be bothered with setting up an e-mail specifically for this. I fyou want to post some of the interesting bits then I'm sure everyone would appreciate it-are there copyright issues?
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Hendon Flying School 1913
Here is a description of the flying schools in England in 1913 when Delfosse Badgery arrived at Hendon from Australia to learn to fly.
The flying-field at Hendon, known then as "the London Aerodrome", was the principal centre of civilian aviation in Britain. Owned by the Grahame-White Aviation Co Ltd, it was primarily a sports ground, at which exhibitions of flying and aerial racing were held regularly on Saturdays, and sometimes on other days of the week, attracting crowds of spectators who paid for admission.
Other civilian airfields in the south of England were at Brooklands, the motor-racing track and at Edgeware, St Alban's, and Elstree. There was a military airfield at Farnborough in
Kent. Apart from these, there were very few aerodromes in the rest of Britain. Regular mail carrying services by aircraft had not commenced anywhere in the world, as yet the aircraft were just not good enough.
The aerodrome at Hendon was a level grass covered field, completely surrounded by a high fence. At one end, near the enclosure to which spectators were admitted, were the hangars.
These barn-like sheds, twenty eight of them side by side, were leased to various individuals and companies for housing and servicing the aircraft used for exhibition flying, for racing. for short passenger flights (joy rides), and for instructing pupils in flying. The pilots in regular attendance at Hendon were of many nationalities, mostly British and French, Germans Swiss and Americans besides some Australians, South Africans and New Zealanders.
Aeroplanes of many different makes, biplanes and mono-planes, were housed in the hangars.
These aircraft were all of primitive early design and construction using wooden frames and wing ribs, fabric covering and wire bracings. The engines were mostly open, ie not enclosed
in a cowl as in later World War 1 developments and the pilots generally sat out completely exposed to the slipstream, it's force on the face of the pilot being the only indication of
airspeed then available. An oil pressure gauge, a tachometer (an engine revolutions per minute indicator) and a compass were sometimes included as the only instruments to be watched. Spoked wheels and their axles attached without springs to the main structure and forward projecting 'horns' were supposed to prevent the aeroplane tipping up on it's nose thereby avoiding damage to the engine and propeller in the event of a bad landing or on
rough ground.
Most of the aircraft were single seaters. The few two seaters were used for taking passengers on joy-rides. The charges for passenger flights were two pounds and two shillings for two
circuits of the aerodrome; ten pounds for a flight to Elstree and back, 16 miles; and twenty six pounds and five shillings for a return flight to Brooklands, 40 miles.
The flying-field at Hendon, known then as "the London Aerodrome", was the principal centre of civilian aviation in Britain. Owned by the Grahame-White Aviation Co Ltd, it was primarily a sports ground, at which exhibitions of flying and aerial racing were held regularly on Saturdays, and sometimes on other days of the week, attracting crowds of spectators who paid for admission.
Other civilian airfields in the south of England were at Brooklands, the motor-racing track and at Edgeware, St Alban's, and Elstree. There was a military airfield at Farnborough in
Kent. Apart from these, there were very few aerodromes in the rest of Britain. Regular mail carrying services by aircraft had not commenced anywhere in the world, as yet the aircraft were just not good enough.
The aerodrome at Hendon was a level grass covered field, completely surrounded by a high fence. At one end, near the enclosure to which spectators were admitted, were the hangars.
These barn-like sheds, twenty eight of them side by side, were leased to various individuals and companies for housing and servicing the aircraft used for exhibition flying, for racing. for short passenger flights (joy rides), and for instructing pupils in flying. The pilots in regular attendance at Hendon were of many nationalities, mostly British and French, Germans Swiss and Americans besides some Australians, South Africans and New Zealanders.
Aeroplanes of many different makes, biplanes and mono-planes, were housed in the hangars.
These aircraft were all of primitive early design and construction using wooden frames and wing ribs, fabric covering and wire bracings. The engines were mostly open, ie not enclosed
in a cowl as in later World War 1 developments and the pilots generally sat out completely exposed to the slipstream, it's force on the face of the pilot being the only indication of
airspeed then available. An oil pressure gauge, a tachometer (an engine revolutions per minute indicator) and a compass were sometimes included as the only instruments to be watched. Spoked wheels and their axles attached without springs to the main structure and forward projecting 'horns' were supposed to prevent the aeroplane tipping up on it's nose thereby avoiding damage to the engine and propeller in the event of a bad landing or on
rough ground.
Most of the aircraft were single seaters. The few two seaters were used for taking passengers on joy-rides. The charges for passenger flights were two pounds and two shillings for two
circuits of the aerodrome; ten pounds for a flight to Elstree and back, 16 miles; and twenty six pounds and five shillings for a return flight to Brooklands, 40 miles.
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Hi Milt,
A bit like any airshow today, people wanted to get out of paying and would be able to see all the goings on from outside the airfield. The best vantage point is from Sunny Hill Park, which was then Church Farm. There is a photograph of a Bristol Fighter taken at the 1920 Pageant and you can see all the freeloaders up on the Hill.
There were also sometimes crushes in Colindale Avenue which was the route from the tube station to the A/D.
http://streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=...=newsearch.srf
You can see the proximity of the Midland railway (the black line on the map).
The original Aerodrome stretched from approx. Aerodrome Road and Booth Road in the south to Blundell Road in the NW and from the railway line in the east to Montrose Avenue in the west.
Grahame-White’s original hangars were in a line roughly where Aerodrome Road is today. Aerodrome Road was built by German PoWs during WW1 and the older structures were replaced by more permanent buildings. The small area to the south of Aerodrome Road was Grahame-White’s country club although there was some flying from there during the 20’s with Avro 504s.
Flights to Elstree? I didn’t know that Elstree became active until the 1930’s. I suppose it’s feasible.
Noisy
PS It’s spelt (spelled?) Edgware and Farnborough is in Hampshire
A bit like any airshow today, people wanted to get out of paying and would be able to see all the goings on from outside the airfield. The best vantage point is from Sunny Hill Park, which was then Church Farm. There is a photograph of a Bristol Fighter taken at the 1920 Pageant and you can see all the freeloaders up on the Hill.
There were also sometimes crushes in Colindale Avenue which was the route from the tube station to the A/D.
http://streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=...=newsearch.srf
You can see the proximity of the Midland railway (the black line on the map).
The original Aerodrome stretched from approx. Aerodrome Road and Booth Road in the south to Blundell Road in the NW and from the railway line in the east to Montrose Avenue in the west.
Grahame-White’s original hangars were in a line roughly where Aerodrome Road is today. Aerodrome Road was built by German PoWs during WW1 and the older structures were replaced by more permanent buildings. The small area to the south of Aerodrome Road was Grahame-White’s country club although there was some flying from there during the 20’s with Avro 504s.
Flights to Elstree? I didn’t know that Elstree became active until the 1930’s. I suppose it’s feasible.
Noisy
PS It’s spelt (spelled?) Edgware and Farnborough is in Hampshire
