Aviation History and Nostalgia Whether working in aviation, retired, wannabee or just plain fascinated this forum welcomes all with a love of flight.

RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

Old 8th Mar 2021, 18:28
  #361 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts

Avro York G-AMVZ ex MW302 at Bovingdon 1954. Obtained by Hunting Air Transport 1953, never entered service, scrapped following year.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 11th Mar 2021, 07:52
  #362 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: In the sticks
Posts: 9,773
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A Bovingdon departure that crashed at Ashridge near Tring killing 16 on board


Last edited by LTNman; 11th Mar 2021 at 13:56.
LTNman is offline  
Old 11th Mar 2021, 08:52
  #363 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Originally Posted by chevvron
Why for me?
Obviously parked on the Whelpley Hill side although I thought this area had been closed down by the '60s.
It was for you chevvron prompted by your memory of the time your family was nearly wiped out by a DC4 or DC6 when you were taken by them to watch the aeroplanes at London Airport...........
Incidentally I used to take the 353 London Transport Green Double Decker from my home near Chesham and change at Slough for London Airport.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 11th Mar 2021, 14:35
  #364 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,792
Received 89 Likes on 62 Posts
Originally Posted by OUAQUKGF Ops
It was for you chevvron prompted by your memory of the time your family was nearly wiped out by a DC4 or DC6 when you were taken by them to watch the aeroplanes at London Airport...........
Incidentally I used to take the 353 London Transport Green Double Decker from my home near Chesham and change at Slough for London Airport.
Ah didn't make the connection 'cos it was a different thread.
We went to LAP on buses via Uxbridge but on one occasion we returned via your route (we used the 353 regularly every couple of weeks but going the other way to see my grandmother in Berkhampstead; useful route Winsdor to Berkhampstead); I remember because on the Bath Road, we went past an area with radar heads turning and nodding up and down which was the RAF air defence radar unit which actually had nothing to do with airport ops and closed in about 1955 to be replaced by the one at Chenies, a few miles south east of Chesham and just south of Bovingdon.
In 1969 when I started training as an Air Traffic Assistant at West Drayton the associated building was in use for the radar element of London Air Traffic Control Centre which I had visited as a member of Air Britain a few years earlier and was to work in from Jan 1970 to Feb 1971 when radar also moved to West Drayton. Our initial assistant training also took place there but in one of the associated outbuildings.

Last edited by chevvron; 12th Mar 2021 at 09:00.
chevvron is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2021, 15:27
  #365 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Chippenham, Wilts
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

I was very intrigued by the photo of the DH Hornet at Bovingdon, on page 14 of the Thread. In Sep 49 a Hornet (PX305) made the record books by breaking the Bovingdon to Gibraltar route and return. The Hornet in the pic might just be the one. As an old Gib hand I'd like to write up the successful attempt. Could you possible supply me with a high res version of the image?
tiny fireburn is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2021, 17:15
  #366 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
I 'borrowed' the image of the Hornet from this web-site:https://bovingdon-airfield.co.uk/

I suggest you have a look there. I seem to remember there is another image of a Hornet on there. I think I checked the serial number at the time but couldn't tie it in with the Gibraltar record-breaker. Be delighted to host your write-up on this thread if you are so inclined. All the best.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2021, 08:36
  #367 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,792
Received 89 Likes on 62 Posts
Originally Posted by OUAQUKGF Ops
I 'borrowed' the image of the Hornet from this web-site:https://bovingdon-airfield.co.uk/
Not very good.
In films they've missed out 'The Lady Takes a Flyer '(early '50s'), 'Mosquito Squadron' (c1968) and Hanover Street (c1972).
chevvron is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2021, 08:43
  #368 (permalink)  
Gnome de PPRuNe
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,502
Received 212 Likes on 129 Posts
Hanover Street was '78 - during Farnborough week, I remember the B-25s lined up at Blackbushe...
treadigraph is online now  
Old 24th Mar 2021, 09:58
  #369 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,792
Received 89 Likes on 62 Posts
Originally Posted by treadigraph
Hanover Street was '78 - during Farnborough week, I remember the B-25s lined up at Blackbushe...
They flew them to Blackbushe after filming at Bovingdon finished and they stayed for a couple of years. Yes probably was later than '72 'cos they weren't there in '77 when I 'controlled' at the Blackbushe Air Festival.
chevvron is offline  
Old 27th Mar 2021, 09:55
  #370 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Chippenham, Wilts
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the steer to the RAF Bovingdon pics. As you say, there's another (better) pic, which unfortunately proves the Hornet to be PX286. All worth a shot tho'!
tiny fireburn is offline  
Old 27th Mar 2021, 18:05
  #371 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts

Currently offered on a well known online auction site.....
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 28th Jun 2021, 09:47
  #372 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
A Few Gleanings




Eastleigh not Bovingdon. January 1948. Lettice Curtis takes delivery of Spitfire PR.X1 (PL983) N74138 on behalf of The Civil Air Attache, American Embassy, London. The Attache, Livingston 'Tony' Satterthwaite, looks on. This Spitfire was based at Hendon but due to the reluctance of Satterthwaite to fly the aircraft out of that relatively small airfield surrounded by housing Lettice Curtis volunteered her services to position the Spitfire to and from Bovingdon for the Attache's use. It could be seen there on several occasions in the Spring of 1948. Incidentally Lettice Curtis made her Halifax Conversion First Solo Flight at Bovingdon in late October 1942.



Meteor FR9 24 April 1956. Photo by Arthur Pearcy.










The War Lover 1961



One of the last - Bovingdon 1968.


Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 28th Jun 2021 at 18:17.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 16th Jul 2021, 09:09
  #373 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts



Momento from a leisured period (early 1950s) of Air Travel - currently offered for sale on a well known auction site.........

Much later: I was looking at some photographs of Hunting's African Safari Service to Nairobi and noticed that they were taken by John Stroud. I'm assuming here that they relate to Hunting's inaugural service which departed Bovingdon as HT101 on June 14th 1952 arriving at Nairobi June 16th - the return service HT102 departing Nairobi on June 18th (as per tag above). Initially it was a once weekly service flown in partnership with Airwork on alternate weeks. However both operators participated in the Inaugural Service. It was upgraded to a twice weekly service in February 1953.







Photo credit as per image.



Pax disembarking for Nightstop. Photo credit as per image.

Thought to be disembarking at Nairobi from Viking G-AHPJ . Photo credit John Stroud.



Assuming this is the inaugural service - the crew were Capt G. Clift. F/O C. Kirkland. F/E O. Mitchell, R/O D.Parsey. Stewardess Miss J. Jeffries. (ref Merton Jones).
Photo credit as per image.

Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 5th Nov 2021 at 18:46. Reason: Additional images added.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2021, 17:12
  #374 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
A Few More Gleanings

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1760469

An interesting snap above courtesy of Mick West/Les Vowles Air Britain


















Open Day 17 May 1958










Norwegian Air Force 6th October 1956. Photo credit Arthur Pearcy.



A rather poor image of another Crescent Air Transport aeroplane - C47 AP-AED at Bovingdon prior 1954.

Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 29th Jul 2021 at 19:14.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 31st Aug 2021, 06:58
  #375 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 264
Received 148 Likes on 69 Posts
Originally Posted by OUAQUKGF Ops

OD-ADB looking very smart at Beirut 1957. Photo The Peter Keating Collection (c) A Flying History ltd.

OD-ACD at its new home, Beirut, 1955. This aeroplane was destroyed in a take-off accident at Tehran May 27th 1960. Three crew were injured. Photo credit The Peter Keating Collection (c) A Flying History ltd.
When my family first went to Iran in about 1955, we flew (I think) Rome - Athens - Beirut - Tehran on Persian Air Services (PAS) EP-ADE "Dog Easy".
PAS were not great operators. They managed to write off Dog Easy in 1959 landing during a sandstorm in Kuwait. In total they wrote off three Avro Yorks. Fortunately not while we were in them...





artee is online now  
Old 8th Sep 2021, 11:58
  #376 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Over Will's mother's, and climbing
Age: 67
Posts: 379
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
The Masters of the Air film crew have been shooting street scenes in old Hemel, so I'm wondering if they've now set up a unit at nearby Bovingdon?

Applications have apparently been submitted to the local council for the relevant permissions at the airfield.

UPDATE: Turns out they're shooting PoW scenes within the dedicated film and TV section of the former airfield.

Last edited by XV490; 8th Sep 2021 at 14:56.
XV490 is offline  
Old 10th Sep 2021, 09:07
  #377 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
I believe plans have been submitted for TV/Film Studio expansion on the airfield. These apparently include converting what remains of the Control Tower into 'Offices' which is good news.

One wonders if the limited prior permission operations that are flown over the 'Dancing On Ice' studio on to the old 27 Runway will be affected ?


Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 12th Sep 2021 at 11:19.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 12th Sep 2021, 09:20
  #378 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NORFOLK UK
Age: 76
Posts: 2,844
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts

A view of the aerodrome in 2019. In the distance the Chiltern escarpment drops down to The Vale of Aylesbury. Photo credit Benjamin Ballande Album.
OUAQUKGF Ops is offline  
Old 12th Sep 2021, 10:01
  #379 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,792
Received 89 Likes on 62 Posts
Present runway is at the far end of the runway 10/28 whilst the Dancing on Ice studio is the large black building on the same runway but closer.
Back in '65 when we flew our first gliding sorties from Bovingdon (on detachment from 613 at Halton) we were allocated the slightly 'bent' bit of taxiway at top right next to the row of trees and I had the priviledge of flying the first launch, the gliders having been aerotowed in from Halton by another pilot.
chevvron is offline  
Old 12th Sep 2021, 11:00
  #380 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Under the clouds now
Age: 86
Posts: 2,496
Received 12 Likes on 10 Posts
In 1961/2, when not flying, I used to wander from Coastal Command Com Flt offices on the Southwest corner to the northern edge of the airfield and pick mushroom when in season. There were a lot of them and we used to have them for breakfast in the Officers Mess!
brakedwell is online now  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.