RJ Mitchell Airport?
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RJ Mitchell Airport?
The following was in the letters page of this month's "Motoring and Leisure", which is the magazine of the Civil Service Motoring Association - although actually tends to cover quite a bit more than motoring...
The prototype Spitfire, K5054, made it's first flight at Eastleigh Airport on 5 march 1936. This was followed by intensive flight testing in the subsequent months, often with it's design R J Mitchell (my father) in attendance.
Flight testing of production Spitfires then began and continued testing throughou the 1939-1945 war and included the testing of all the new Marks as they were developed by Supermarine. In total over 11,000 Spitfires and Seafires (the naval equivalent) were test flown at Eastleigh Airport. Therefore the association between R J Mitchell and Eastleigh (now Southampton) Airport is collosal. Accordingly I would like to propose re-naming the airport as: R J Mitchell International (Southampton) in recognition of the historic link.
This is particularly important since my father never received any award for his endeavours and high honours, such as a knighthood, have never been awarded postumously.
If you feel you can support this proposal it would be much appreciated if you would write to the owners of Southampton Airport, namely the BAA. Please address your letters to: Mr Marcus Agius, Chairman, BAA plc, 130 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LQ.
I do have the goodwill of many influentual people, but this is going to need all the support I can get. Thank you for your help.
Dr. Gordon Mitchell, Cheltenham, Glos
Flight testing of production Spitfires then began and continued testing throughou the 1939-1945 war and included the testing of all the new Marks as they were developed by Supermarine. In total over 11,000 Spitfires and Seafires (the naval equivalent) were test flown at Eastleigh Airport. Therefore the association between R J Mitchell and Eastleigh (now Southampton) Airport is collosal. Accordingly I would like to propose re-naming the airport as: R J Mitchell International (Southampton) in recognition of the historic link.
This is particularly important since my father never received any award for his endeavours and high honours, such as a knighthood, have never been awarded postumously.
If you feel you can support this proposal it would be much appreciated if you would write to the owners of Southampton Airport, namely the BAA. Please address your letters to: Mr Marcus Agius, Chairman, BAA plc, 130 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LQ.
I do have the goodwill of many influentual people, but this is going to need all the support I can get. Thank you for your help.
Dr. Gordon Mitchell, Cheltenham, Glos
A worthy cause. Gets my vote. I wish you luck.
The despicable naming of Belfast airport after a drunken wife beater shows that there is no sense applied when making these kind of decisions, sadly.
The despicable naming of Belfast airport after a drunken wife beater shows that there is no sense applied when making these kind of decisions, sadly.
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The CAA has recently said that airports should be careful of changing names because of potential confusion. According to article in FI the other week.
I feel that Dr Gordon Mitchell should stop his perennial hobby-horse. Yes RJM played a very important part in providing the means to keep this country and the world free. But so did many others, including Joe Smith who really helped develop the Spitfire into the fighter it became. His son has quite a bee in his bonnet about getting some posthumous honour for RJ. Had he lived longer he would have been knighted, like Royce and Camm. However, considering the way gongs are given away nowadays, it would be an insult to RJ's memory to be given an honour, and naming an airport??? He'd have John
Lennon, George (I could kick a football) Best and Robin Hood. What illustrious company!!
I feel that Dr Gordon Mitchell should stop his perennial hobby-horse. Yes RJM played a very important part in providing the means to keep this country and the world free. But so did many others, including Joe Smith who really helped develop the Spitfire into the fighter it became. His son has quite a bee in his bonnet about getting some posthumous honour for RJ. Had he lived longer he would have been knighted, like Royce and Camm. However, considering the way gongs are given away nowadays, it would be an insult to RJ's memory to be given an honour, and naming an airport??? He'd have John
Lennon, George (I could kick a football) Best and Robin Hood. What illustrious company!!
Cunning Artificer
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Reginald J. Mitchell goes down in the history of this Island Race as the man who designed the Spitfire. What greater honour could he be given?
Certainly not having an insignificant little regional airport named after him.
Certainly not having an insignificant little regional airport named after him.
Not being British I can't vote for this proposal, of course, but if I could I would.
In this country they name airports after
politicians. That's the downside. Upside is, the politician has to be deceased.
In this country they name airports after
politicians. That's the downside. Upside is, the politician has to be deceased.
