Buried treasure at Kenley Airfield?
kenley happy days
ok treadders how about this for a start.
it is a bank hol mon in the early sixties.all winching has stopped due to a massed flypast of aircraft from the tiger club at redhill on thier way to an airshow at north weald (a regular happening).the reason for the lack of winching is due to the staff cadets ignoring all light signals,and standing on the winch cabs watching them go past.just as normal service was about to commence i notice a turbulent aircraft coming back very low,and making for the grass.i told the winch driver not to launch,and took off in the 4x4 austin truck to investigate.the visitor had managed to land alongside the peri track near the pill box, and was examining the vw engine.I'm sorry about this he said but the engines lost power so i had to come in.i helped move the machine on to the peri track,and being keen on vw engines started to remove the cowling.
the scene was then spoilt by the arrival of several cars from the launch point complete with assorted instructors and vrt officers.
our visitor was then subjected to a lecture on his unauthorised arrival,and then asked by one of the vrt types for his name and details.
his explanation regarding his forced landing was ignored and as in all good (carry on type farces) a paper and pen was produced to take particulars of this event.
name !! (are you sure all this is required our friend protested)
name !! 'you tiger club types are always flying too close to the airfield'
name !! our vrt type is now behaving like a traffic warden.
oh very well,i am wing commander xxxxxxxx,a hunter pilot from xxxxx currently at mod.
the silence was followed by a combined coming to attention of all the officers, hotly pursued by a most impressive display of saluting!!
needless to say i had no trouble in getting the use of a landrover to tow the turb back to our hangar,and then depositing our friend at the main gate to await transport back to redhill.
yet another victory in the never ending staff cadets v authority battle.
i think i stopped laughing about a week later.
it is a bank hol mon in the early sixties.all winching has stopped due to a massed flypast of aircraft from the tiger club at redhill on thier way to an airshow at north weald (a regular happening).the reason for the lack of winching is due to the staff cadets ignoring all light signals,and standing on the winch cabs watching them go past.just as normal service was about to commence i notice a turbulent aircraft coming back very low,and making for the grass.i told the winch driver not to launch,and took off in the 4x4 austin truck to investigate.the visitor had managed to land alongside the peri track near the pill box, and was examining the vw engine.I'm sorry about this he said but the engines lost power so i had to come in.i helped move the machine on to the peri track,and being keen on vw engines started to remove the cowling.
the scene was then spoilt by the arrival of several cars from the launch point complete with assorted instructors and vrt officers.
our visitor was then subjected to a lecture on his unauthorised arrival,and then asked by one of the vrt types for his name and details.
his explanation regarding his forced landing was ignored and as in all good (carry on type farces) a paper and pen was produced to take particulars of this event.
name !! (are you sure all this is required our friend protested)
name !! 'you tiger club types are always flying too close to the airfield'
name !! our vrt type is now behaving like a traffic warden.
oh very well,i am wing commander xxxxxxxx,a hunter pilot from xxxxx currently at mod.
the silence was followed by a combined coming to attention of all the officers, hotly pursued by a most impressive display of saluting!!
needless to say i had no trouble in getting the use of a landrover to tow the turb back to our hangar,and then depositing our friend at the main gate to await transport back to redhill.
yet another victory in the never ending staff cadets v authority battle.
i think i stopped laughing about a week later.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Thanks Pobjoy! It's good to start the day with a giggle!
Cheers
Treadders
Cheers
Treadders
Another Kenley Tale!
Then there was the another time at 615 Gliding School (no pretentious Squadrons in those days) when we were happily launching our high performance training gliders into the air (Kirby Cadet Mk IIIs) when a lonely Tri Pacer appeared in the circuit. Despite lots of red lights at him from the ground he carried out his perfect approach onto our long runway. After touchdown he was approached from many directions by the yellow Landrovers and their irate drivers wanting to know why he had landed without permission at an active gliding site which had clear (in those days) crosses on the end of each runway. The cockpit door opened and a voice came from the French registered aircraft “Eez zees Biggin ‘ill?” 
After much taking down of registration numbers/pilot’s details and telephone calls to Customs it was decided to send him on his way. "Biggin 'ill is just two 'ill 'ops in that direction" our CO offered in 'is perfect London French! The pilot then declared zat, “ze batterie eez plat!” So the CO, an engineer, decided that he would swing the propeller to get him going. After several swings the engine had not started. At that point a voice from the wingtip (our CFI) said, “George, I think you are swinging it the wrong way!”
George had been used to swinging the older (non American) engines! Long may he rest.
After much taking down of registration numbers/pilot’s details and telephone calls to Customs it was decided to send him on his way. "Biggin 'ill is just two 'ill 'ops in that direction" our CO offered in 'is perfect London French! The pilot then declared zat, “ze batterie eez plat!” So the CO, an engineer, decided that he would swing the propeller to get him going. After several swings the engine had not started. At that point a voice from the wingtip (our CFI) said, “George, I think you are swinging it the wrong way!” George had been used to swinging the older (non American) engines! Long may he rest.
kenley tales
i think we should all have a get together at our former home from home.
you are right about george the best co 615 ever had.on poor weather days we would pester him "tell us a story george".the tales were always very funny,and frequently featured the woolwich arsenal where he worked as a tech civil servant.he would get us constructing all sorts of equipment using scrap material from work.everything had to be bolted together,so we spent hours using a monsterous drill on the dural strips and made up our own glider retrieve trailers long before any one else had them.george was a convert to the volkswagen beetles,and soon there were 5 or 6 of them being used by the staff.one of our favourite tales related to his being involved in the removal of a tree stump for the home guard.a quantity of explosive was borrowed from work and packed under and around the said stump.this was then doubled up to make sure,and everyone retired to a safe distance.the resulting eruption very nearly put the first tree stump in to lunar orbit,but then that was george, if your going to do a job make sure it works!! where would we meet, boydon end cafe,gone. roundabout cafe,gone.naffi,gone!!! perhaps 450 would lend us thier hq.
you are right about george the best co 615 ever had.on poor weather days we would pester him "tell us a story george".the tales were always very funny,and frequently featured the woolwich arsenal where he worked as a tech civil servant.he would get us constructing all sorts of equipment using scrap material from work.everything had to be bolted together,so we spent hours using a monsterous drill on the dural strips and made up our own glider retrieve trailers long before any one else had them.george was a convert to the volkswagen beetles,and soon there were 5 or 6 of them being used by the staff.one of our favourite tales related to his being involved in the removal of a tree stump for the home guard.a quantity of explosive was borrowed from work and packed under and around the said stump.this was then doubled up to make sure,and everyone retired to a safe distance.the resulting eruption very nearly put the first tree stump in to lunar orbit,but then that was george, if your going to do a job make sure it works!! where would we meet, boydon end cafe,gone. roundabout cafe,gone.naffi,gone!!! perhaps 450 would lend us thier hq.
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I was talking to an old friend last night about this "buried aircraft" nonsense and he told me that as a kid he used to play on a Lanc that had crashed at Kenley. He believes that it was buried along with a spit.
If anyone wants to contact him PM me.
If anyone wants to contact him PM me.
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Originally Posted by Lou Scannon
I was talking to an old friend last night about this "buried aircraft" nonsense and he told me that as a kid he used to play on a Lanc that had crashed at Kenley. He believes that it was buried along with a spit.
If anyone wants to contact him PM me.
If anyone wants to contact him PM me.
Here are the two Spitfires taken at the same time as the Lincoln (well nearly a Lancaster).
Although giving the appearance of having crashed, all these aircraft were on firefighting demonstration and, I suspect, crash rescue duties.
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Chased off for good reason though. It amazes me how people are so naive to the fact that it is an operational gliding site and feel that they are quite safe wandering across the airfield.
If the cable doesn't slice you in half the 16 year old dealing with a launch failure will always point at pedestrians!!!
If the cable doesn't slice you in half the 16 year old dealing with a launch failure will always point at pedestrians!!!
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Powered flight (again) at Kenley?
After 9/11 there was a rumour doing the rounds that Kenley was briefly considered for Harriers. Don't know how serious this was or indeed if it was just wishful thinking.
Anyone know?
C23
Anyone know?
C23
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Burried Mosquito at Abbotsinch. Canadian Lanc at Glasgow
20 years ago, I attended an NDT course at the Welding Institute, Cambridge, and a fellow student who was ex-RAF, assured me that he had been ordered to bury a Mosquito (and other aircraft that I do not remember), various Willis Jeeps, and other junk at Abbotsinch, during his National Service. Now that excavations are being carried out in preparation for possible runway extensions, I wonder what may re-appear.
30 years ago, a Canadian Lancaster that had been a crop sprayer, flew into Glasgow and then flew on to Strathallan. The private Strathallan collection was sold off in the early 1980s. Does anyone know what became of the Lanc?
30 years ago, a Canadian Lancaster that had been a crop sprayer, flew into Glasgow and then flew on to Strathallan. The private Strathallan collection was sold off in the early 1980s. Does anyone know what became of the Lanc?
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Originally Posted by Dai Rear
30 years ago, a Canadian Lancaster that had been a crop sprayer, flew into Glasgow and then flew on to Strathallan. The private Strathallan collection was sold off in the early 1980s. Does anyone know what became of the Lanc?
Apparently now with Kermit Weeks, Polk City, Florida for rebuild, badly damaged when a hangar collapsed on it at Woodford and being rebuilt allegedly with parts from KB994 and Lincoln RF342
Ex
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Aeronut
Just one Lanc at a time. Didn't they use (small) formations of B17s in the US for crop spraying? Three or four in echelon, methinks.
Would rather watch a Lanc any day though.
Just one Lanc at a time. Didn't they use (small) formations of B17s in the US for crop spraying? Three or four in echelon, methinks.
Would rather watch a Lanc any day though.
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Canadian Lanc
Many thanks Exasperated for prompt reply; a much better reply than from Aeronut! I had always wondered what had happened to it. When it flew in, it was stated at the time that it was the only other flying Lancaster after City of Lincoln.
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Originally Posted by Dai Rear
Many thanks Exasperated for prompt reply; a much better reply than from Aeronut! I had always wondered what had happened to it. When it flew in, it was stated at the time that it was the only other flying Lancaster after City of Lincoln.
Sadly my lasting memory of the collection was watching their Moth Minor tragically crashing during a display at the RAF Turnhouse families day in May 1975.
I will try and dig up some pics of the collection I have somewhere in the loft.
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Strathallan Collection
When it was sold off, the Strathallan collection was widely reputed to be the finest private collection in the UK. At the time, the counrty was in the middle of the first Thatcher recession. Money was tight and many of the aircraft sold short of the expected price. As usual, rich Americans bought many of them. 
recession. Money was tight and many of the aircraft sold short of the expected price. As usual, rich Americans bought many of them.
kenley dump
the kenley dump was well outside the perimiter track,and right alongside the fence that marked the start of kenley common.
i suspect that this area is now part of the common,and is certainly well outside the operational (mainly weekends) part of the old airfield.whilst i would not condone indiscriminate digging, making a detector survey would certainly get the headphones ringing,but remember flattened car roofs would be a big target,so you had better be able to discriminate between steel, and alluminium.
kenley only had a very small fire section, so there was no big requirement for a training area after the fifties.the spits were a legacy from (reach for the sky),and one ended up on a plinth near the small naaffi shop.it was a mk9 with packard merlin,and was is good condition,with engine covered in a storage wax compound.it was given a general clean up and repaint in the mt section during my time,and looked the part.this was in the hangar that survived the aug 18th raid.i remember going in there one sunday to get the mt out and it was sitting on its u/c looking a gem.(was eventually presented to the french a/f and went to tours) (i think)
i can assure you that nothing of reasonable interest would have escaped our attentions,and therefore the 1930's level would be many feet under the surface.
on one early sat morn vist the whole area was covered in thousands of 303 links,i had some belted up with our used cases from the range.a detector visit to the site of the aircraft butts (near golf lane) would no doubt give up some 303,and 20mm cases!!
good pinging.
i suspect that this area is now part of the common,and is certainly well outside the operational (mainly weekends) part of the old airfield.whilst i would not condone indiscriminate digging, making a detector survey would certainly get the headphones ringing,but remember flattened car roofs would be a big target,so you had better be able to discriminate between steel, and alluminium.
kenley only had a very small fire section, so there was no big requirement for a training area after the fifties.the spits were a legacy from (reach for the sky),and one ended up on a plinth near the small naaffi shop.it was a mk9 with packard merlin,and was is good condition,with engine covered in a storage wax compound.it was given a general clean up and repaint in the mt section during my time,and looked the part.this was in the hangar that survived the aug 18th raid.i remember going in there one sunday to get the mt out and it was sitting on its u/c looking a gem.(was eventually presented to the french a/f and went to tours) (i think)
i can assure you that nothing of reasonable interest would have escaped our attentions,and therefore the 1930's level would be many feet under the surface.
on one early sat morn vist the whole area was covered in thousands of 303 links,i had some belted up with our used cases from the range.a detector visit to the site of the aircraft butts (near golf lane) would no doubt give up some 303,and 20mm cases!!
good pinging.
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Originally Posted by POBJOY
so sorry the spit was mk 16 (same as mk 9 but with packard 66)
It is now painted as 'TB597' and resides at the Musee de l' Air.
PeterA
kenley dump
thanks for that mk22.
of course what i would realy like to know is what happened to the portuguese hurricanes that came over for the earlier (angels one five) film.
they are recorded as entering the uk via tangmere,and all returned.
i think pz865,and Lf363 joined them,but certainly they all dispersed back to thier various homes.
i have never seen much in the way of info as to thier fate,so were they all scrapped after service.this of course was well before the warbird scene got under way,and i can find no reference to them as being under consideration for the much later BOB film(although 865,and 363)were of course back in action.
in the sixties we had a seafire at kenley for a while as part of the RAF display for one of the royal tournanments.i think this was a griffon model,and was used in a BOB tribute it being able to be rolled into the arena (wings folded through the doors) (lights off) (prop turning) (electric),and towed across the arena (wings down) by a hidden cable,with suitable engine sound effects.
i saw them practice this for weeks near our ATC hq,and then saw the actual event at earls court.
i would like to think that there are some artifacts still lying under the old dump,but its getting past all the old cars that will be a problem!!
will post my finding tom gleaves hurricane (1964) if interested.
of course what i would realy like to know is what happened to the portuguese hurricanes that came over for the earlier (angels one five) film.
they are recorded as entering the uk via tangmere,and all returned.
i think pz865,and Lf363 joined them,but certainly they all dispersed back to thier various homes.
i have never seen much in the way of info as to thier fate,so were they all scrapped after service.this of course was well before the warbird scene got under way,and i can find no reference to them as being under consideration for the much later BOB film(although 865,and 363)were of course back in action.
in the sixties we had a seafire at kenley for a while as part of the RAF display for one of the royal tournanments.i think this was a griffon model,and was used in a BOB tribute it being able to be rolled into the arena (wings folded through the doors) (lights off) (prop turning) (electric),and towed across the arena (wings down) by a hidden cable,with suitable engine sound effects.
i saw them practice this for weeks near our ATC hq,and then saw the actual event at earls court.
i would like to think that there are some artifacts still lying under the old dump,but its getting past all the old cars that will be a problem!!
will post my finding tom gleaves hurricane (1964) if interested.