Old airfields near Watford
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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I well remember Spencer Flack, albeit over a rather short period.
I flew a PA31 out of Elstree in the mid of 1973, never quite got the hang of the Elstree VASI! and spent an even shorter time flying the B58 out of Leavesdon. After that the call of the Middle East, (Bahrain and other Gulf stations), got me.
Actually was allowed to drive his brand new white Jag to his house from the pub once, well, they had just returned his Rolls to him and even he couldn't drive them both! Was amazed at his huge display of model aeroplanes that he kept at his house.
Around the end of 1973 we had a fuel crises on the horizon, Spence just drove to his local garage and asked how much they had in the premium tank, when they told him he wrote them a cheque and then put his own padlock on the tank, fuel crisis solved!
Many of you will remember the Three Horseshoes Pub in Letchmore Heath, Eddie Dexter was the landlord then, a really great man. Still soldiering on and now living in Lincolnshire.
I flew a PA31 out of Elstree in the mid of 1973, never quite got the hang of the Elstree VASI! and spent an even shorter time flying the B58 out of Leavesdon. After that the call of the Middle East, (Bahrain and other Gulf stations), got me.
Actually was allowed to drive his brand new white Jag to his house from the pub once, well, they had just returned his Rolls to him and even he couldn't drive them both! Was amazed at his huge display of model aeroplanes that he kept at his house.
Around the end of 1973 we had a fuel crises on the horizon, Spence just drove to his local garage and asked how much they had in the premium tank, when they told him he wrote them a cheque and then put his own padlock on the tank, fuel crisis solved!
Many of you will remember the Three Horseshoes Pub in Letchmore Heath, Eddie Dexter was the landlord then, a really great man. Still soldiering on and now living in Lincolnshire.
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parabellum,
Eddie Dexter, a lovely man indeed. Can still taste the liver-sausage sandwiches! He is still soldiering on in Lincolnshire you say? Would you let me know where, via pm box.
Thanks,
Oscar
Eddie Dexter, a lovely man indeed. Can still taste the liver-sausage sandwiches! He is still soldiering on in Lincolnshire you say? Would you let me know where, via pm box.
Thanks,
Oscar
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airfields near watford
In the 1950,s when I worked at SDCR Leavesden,one or two incidents spring to mind.
A brand new DH Dove dropped into the early morning mist on the approach and then ploughed through the perimeter fence , smashed off wings and end result, one very lucky pilot sitting in what was left.
Another time we arrived at work to see a Dove on its belly on the runway, having diverted, at least he came to the right place .
One aspect of our work was to assemble DH Otters and Beavers from Canada ,arriving crated from Canada,(the crates made good garages and were sold for around a fiver).
Bob Pooley,(I think he went to greater things) flew in to work sometimes, in a tiger moth which confused the bosses.
Short Sealand powerplants were stripped down overhauled at Leavesden, as DH Chipmunks.
Lots of old drawings were stored in the archive section, mostly of aircraft,that were built by companies that DHs took over .
I have vivid memories of working for the aircraft companys around Watford. Pay was rubbish but they gave me alot of experience that I but to good use in my working life in aviation
Merv Tew
A brand new DH Dove dropped into the early morning mist on the approach and then ploughed through the perimeter fence , smashed off wings and end result, one very lucky pilot sitting in what was left.
Another time we arrived at work to see a Dove on its belly on the runway, having diverted, at least he came to the right place .
One aspect of our work was to assemble DH Otters and Beavers from Canada ,arriving crated from Canada,(the crates made good garages and were sold for around a fiver).
Bob Pooley,(I think he went to greater things) flew in to work sometimes, in a tiger moth which confused the bosses.
Short Sealand powerplants were stripped down overhauled at Leavesden, as DH Chipmunks.
Lots of old drawings were stored in the archive section, mostly of aircraft,that were built by companies that DHs took over .
I have vivid memories of working for the aircraft companys around Watford. Pay was rubbish but they gave me alot of experience that I but to good use in my working life in aviation
Merv Tew
The runway looks in remarkably good condition considering how long it was out of use; are those the flight sheds in the background in the third photo?
In the first one you can see the runway stretching up to the M10; would I be right in saying they extended it for Victor production flights? You used to be able to catch a tantalisingly brief glimpe of it from the M10 once, probably not nowadays.
Sad to see that photo of Leavseden; so many airfields have suffered that fate; I flew over West Malling a couple of years ago and unless you knew it had been an airfield you wouldn't recognise it as such.
In the first one you can see the runway stretching up to the M10; would I be right in saying they extended it for Victor production flights? You used to be able to catch a tantalisingly brief glimpe of it from the M10 once, probably not nowadays.
Sad to see that photo of Leavseden; so many airfields have suffered that fate; I flew over West Malling a couple of years ago and unless you knew it had been an airfield you wouldn't recognise it as such.
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Did my flying scholarship at Luton Flying Club back in 1966, Phil Jeffrey was the unlucky instructor most of the time.
Was asked to deliver some charts down to Elstree one day in marginal VFR, called for QDMs, was told I was overhead, looked down saw a runway and made a low pass over Leavsden, much to the consternation of someone who was about to line up,
Was asked to deliver some charts down to Elstree one day in marginal VFR, called for QDMs, was told I was overhead, looked down saw a runway and made a low pass over Leavsden, much to the consternation of someone who was about to line up,
