Weston-super-Mare

[Airclues]

In 1928 my father worked for Thomas.H.Mawson & Son, Town Planning Consultants. During a recent loft clearing session I discovered a document that he helped produce. It was a feasability study, produced for the council, into the building of an aerodrome at Weston-super-Mare. It is 24 pages so can't copy it all, but I thought that the readers of this forum might be interested in the introduction.
If anyone is interested then I could copy some more extracts.

The whole question has recently become very prominent in two ways. In the first place, aeronautics have now got to the point where the experimental and dangerous state of development is definitely passed and the use of this form of transport by the public for either business or pleasure is eminently feasible as an everyday affair, and, as soon as the prejudice against flying, which past failures and accidents wear off, we shall take flying as much for granted as an ordinary way of getting about rapidly as we take for granted other recent inventions like wireless or the cinematograph. Aeronautics will become as much a part of our lives as either of these other two innovations are.
It is possible that this statement may appear a little exaggerated, or anyway premature, to some people who have not had occasion to look thoroughly into this matter, but the following facts will amply substantiate it and could be added to many times over.

and, towards the end;

Finally, before closing, we ought perhaps to mention one alternative which presents itself, but which we feel would only solve the provision of a flying ground in a very temporary and unsatisfactory manner.
We believe that, in one or two cases, flying clubs have arranged with golf clubs for the occasional use of a portion of the course as a taking off and landing ground.
One obvious objection to this arrangement is that such a large portion of the fairway would have to be kept free from bunkers and other obstructions as to lessen the sporting nature of the course. Another is that, someday, sooner or later, as flying develops one thing or the other would have to give way, either the flying or the golf and the ground be used for one purpose only, and meanwhile the opportunity to zone other suitable land somewhere else might be gone forever.

Dave

[WHBM]

I believe the Weston airport opened a few years later, in 1936, so presumably the council were getting their preparations in order.

By 1939 it was a significant operation in the summertime. Western Airways, based at the airport, had a 30-minute interval service all day to Cardiff Pengam, which might have been possible with just one aircraft looking at the timetable, and three times a day to Bristol Whitchurch, Birmingham, and Manchester (Ringway not Barton). These would be with Dragons and Dragon Rapides. The fare to Cardiff was 6 shillings and 6 pence single, 9 shillings and 6 pence return. There was a free "car" (probably a small bus) into town provided at the Weston end, but you had to get the public bus at Cardiff. You could probably follow the entire flight from a position on either shore of the estuary on a clear day.

[Airclues]

WHBM

Many thanks for the info. Weston to Manchester in a Dragon Rapide must have been fun!

The document that I have found was commissioned by the council to help them decide whether to build an aerodrome, and if so, where it should be located.

Dave

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I believe that the aerodrome also became the home of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's helicopter facility. Such types as the Sycamore and Belvedere spring to mind.

[Fareastdriver]

The Helicopter Museum at Weston Super Mare has a board with the history of Weston Aerodrome. Apparently Bristol's interest in it started when it became a shadow factory for Beauforts and then Beaufighters. Helicopter development came after the war and then it was taken over by Westlands when the helicopter industry was amalgamated.
I flew from there once in the mid seventies when I picked up a Puma that had been rebuilt. It is now an industrial site on one side with the Museum on the other.
As an airfield it had no long term future. The ground was so wet being so close to the sea that all the buildings used to rise and fall four inches with the tide.

[Airclues]

The ground was so wet being so close to the sea that all the buildings used to rise and fall four inches with the tide.

Perhaps the council should have listened to Mr Mawson;

(iii) Ridge and furrow should be avoided as this usually indicates a natural wet soil; levelling is expensive and a system of land drainage is a necessity.

(vi) The neighbourhood selected should be free from natural fog, town fog and smoke, having regard to the local prevailing wind, and the proximity of low-lying and marshy ground, the existence of rivers or lakes, and the neighbourhood of large industrial plants.

Dave

[Dick Whittingham]

IIRC someone from Chivenor landed a Hunter at Weston by thumping it down on a handy piece of concrete and running off into the mud. Had to be shipped out I believe

Dick

[wub]

A Boston of the MoS Torpedo Development Unit crash-landed at WSM after hitting a bus transporting airmen from nearby RAF Locking. 8 Airmen were killed in the incident in November 1946.

[Croqueteer]

When I was an apprentice at Locking, a time-ex Victor was landed at Weston for trade training.