Hurn Airport (or Bournemouth if you insist)

[airsmiles]

Does anyone have any photos, plans, stories or interesting information about Hurn Airport? There's never been a comprehensive and properly detailed history book written about 'my local' and I wonder if there's any support out there for such a venture. There's been a couple of very good smaller publications, but nothing of "the full monty" type. All copyright etc. would be preserved/credited or whatever. I know a few people who could contribute but you really need a proper groundswell to make it work.

Anyone interested in contributing to such a venture?

On a point of personal interest, does anyone know when runway 13/31 closed?

Thanks
airsmiles

[paulc]

Have you tried contacting the Air Britain bournemouth branch - a chap (Mike) that goes there has written a book about the airport

[airsmiles]

Mike Phipp wrote a good book and I was hoping to approach him amongst others. I was hoping there might be some 'new' material to use for a new project.


Thanks
airsmiles

[KeMac]

Mike wrote a very good book on the subject and he followed it up with another one called I think Bournemouth's airports as opposed to Bournemouth airport. I felt the first book would have been a better read if it had been expanded to cover the early days of aviation in the Bournemouth area (eg the death of Frederick Royce of Rolls Royce fame in a flying accident in July 1910).
Good luck with your project and especially good luck when it comes to trying to get photographs to use without having to pay through the nose for the privilege. One place to start I reckon would be the local newspaper archives along with the local libraries.

[Sir George Cayley]

I have a photo of the cash point machine before they demolished the old terminal


Sir George Cayley

[merlinxx]

Sir G.

So it was you I thought it was that bloke from Genavco at S'oton

[airsmiles]

"I have a photo of the cash point machine before they demolished the old terminal"

WOW - that's it, I have enough to get started now


Seriously, I was just trying to see if there was any interest out there for such a project. Personally, although I lived 3 miles from the 08 threshold I have very little knowledge of the airport prior to the mid-1970's. When you think of the wartime and Vickers/BAC history amongst other things I would have thought more would have been published.

I'll see where we go with it.

Thanks
airsmiles

[KeMac]

Airsmiles - The thing is that if you are going to say prepare a book on the subject for possible publication, you will be asked what is the book's unique selling point. Considering that the subject has been covered by Mike Phipp, you would need to offer something that is different to his book/books or perhaps a far more detailed study of the Hurn than that covered by his book.
For example I have just had a book published on the History of Glasgow Airport and I was asked the above question as the subject had already been well covered by Dugald Cameron's excellent book published in the early 90s. So I tried to give a more comrehensive coverage of the RNAS side and concentrate on the later history of Abbotsinch.
In any event if you are passionate enough about the subject - go for it.

[ICT_SLB]

Airsmiles,
I can't help thinking your project has been largely published before as "Wings Over Dorset" by Leslie Dawson (Dorset Publishing Company,1985, ISBN 0948699 10 8). I appreciate there might be something to add about the period from 1985 onwards but compared to the loss of the BAe & Flight Refuelling's Fleet Requirements Unit I doubt it - unless you want to cover all the studies that put Hurn as London's Third Airport (at least pre-Stanstead or LCY). Of course I left in 1980 so....

[Krakatoa]

KeMac

Ref. your book History of Glasgow Airport, could you give me details
where to obtain a copy.

[KeMac]

Krakatoa

I am Delighted to, it is

Glasgow's Airports: Renfrew and Abbotsinch which has just been published with 200 photos (32 colour) by the History Press and it can be bought on AMAZON although they have spent my name wrong! (Keith McCloskey). It is going to be reviewed in one of the Aviation History mags next month.
Cheers
Keith

[Groundloop]

Glasgow's Airports: Renfrew and Abbotsinch which has just been published with 200 photos (32 colour) by the History Press and it can be bought on AMAZON although they have spent my name wrong! (Keith McCloskey). It is going to be reviewed in one of the Aviation History mags next month.
Cheers
Keith

Here's a review now! Very good book, well worth the money. Brought back lots of memories.

However, I did notice one little mistake on a picture caption. One caption refers to a Lufthansa 737 tail visible over the terminal - it's a 707.

[Krakatoa]

KeMac
Many thanks for the info re. your book

[Amos Keeto]

A book about Bournemouth Airport is an excellent idea that I could readily contribute photos to. The activities at the airport have been so diverse and interesting with the Vickers factory producing Viscounts, then BAC One-Elevens, the Fleet Air Arm Fleet Requirements Unit with Sea Furies, Sea Hawks, Scimitars and Meteors (I flew in one!), Airwork Services handling many interesting aircraft all on one side, whilst the airport operations have seen British United Bristol Superfreighters through to Channel Express's operations. I have colour slides of all these aircraft there taken from the early '60s to date.

[UZZY]

The book you want is, (well written) by Mike Phipps, Bournemouth;{A History of } ISBN.978-0752439235 available from Amazon @ £15.29 or from W H Smith branches in the Bournemouth area.

Happy reading !

[KeMac]

Sorry for the thread drift Airsmiles

Thanks for your kind words Groundloop and the error was noticed but the publisher didn't correct it. What gives it away is the picture on page 81 - it is the same aircraft (D-ABUJ) landing and the date is the same.

Note to airsmiles - if you go ahead with your Bournemouth book make sure you get at least one person to proof read it!

[airsmiles]

Many thanks for the various comments and advice. I'm familiar with all of the published material but there are still gaps to my mind. Things for me to think about are:-

- changes to the runway/taxy way layouts
- new hangars and who used them over the years
- there's still a lot of Vickers/BAC material that hasn't emerged, especially re; the Varsity and Viscount.
- I've seen precious little on the BOAC development unit
- I've seen nothing on the CAA flying unit that used to fly around for the benefit of the College of ATC
- There must be stories and anecdotes out there with ex-workers, locals etc.

and most critically the photos.

It would be a labour of love, not a profit-making venturem, so yes I do hope to scrounge a few photos from fellow minded enthusiasts!

Amos Keeto: We must meet up sometime and have the first consultative meeting at a suitable pub! What was/is your connection with Hurn?

airsmiles

[Amos Keeto]

No 'connection' with Hurn at all. In the '60s I had a friend that lived nearby and I stayed with him during the summer months. We used to cycle to the airport and during lunch time the 'security gates' on the industrial side were permanently open for workers to come and go, so we often just rode in, logged everything, took photos and cycled out before the gates came down again...happy days!

[Opssys]

From hazy memory, wasn't Hurn equippped with HTP facilities for the SR 53 Trials, or has my brain finally gone?

[CWO Geoff]

Some Hurn info.

Hi there,
I did my Air Traffic Control Assistant's course at Hurn in April 1962. From there I was posted to Heathrow and managed to get a posting back to Hurn in early 1963. I worked in Hurn ATC in '63 and transferred to the ATCEU/School of ATC in late '63. Did quite a few flights as a Safety Pilot in the MoA Doves and took many B&W photos of visiting aircraft at Hurn. Was on duty the day that the BAC-111 (G-ASHG) crashed in Wiltshire.

Applied for and was selected to emigrate to Australia by the Australian Dept. of Civil Aviation in Feb '65 and eventually joined the RAAF as an Air Traffic Control Officer 1966-2002. Have fond memories of Hurn days. Lived in Christchurch and belonged to 606 (BCHS) Sqn ATC and then 171 (Christchurch) Sqn Air Training Corps and finally with 2330 (Homefield School) squadron ATC - did my ATC Gliding and PPL training at Christchurch.

Does anyone remember Laurie Earle whose wife (Carol) ran the original restaurant at the Airport? Anyone around from the Hurn ATC 1963, or the School/ATCEU in '64, or anyone who was in any of those three ATC squadrons in the '50s? Still live in Australia but most willing to correspond with anyone from my days at Christchurch and Hurn (email: gjksau at yahoo.com.au ).