Wisley...ah Vickers (real aeroplanes & all that)!
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Wisley...ah Vickers (real aeroplanes & all that)!
This seems a good place to post my question, hope so anyway. It's currently on the Aircrew Notices forum so excuse the duplication.
Looking for any good `gen' on Wisley, you know the old flight test airfield hidden behind the trees off the A3. Must be some old test pilots (excuse the old, no offence meant) and alike that remember it.
While I'm here anybody remember the old Flight Safety Manager at Weybridge Peter Marsh (if my memory serves me right)? Worked with Alan Simmons, now with the AAIB I believe. Was previously a line training captain on Viscount & 1-11.
Anyway, good to hear of any tales of Wisley.
Thanks in advance
PFR
Looking for any good `gen' on Wisley, you know the old flight test airfield hidden behind the trees off the A3. Must be some old test pilots (excuse the old, no offence meant) and alike that remember it.
While I'm here anybody remember the old Flight Safety Manager at Weybridge Peter Marsh (if my memory serves me right)? Worked with Alan Simmons, now with the AAIB I believe. Was previously a line training captain on Viscount & 1-11.
Anyway, good to hear of any tales of Wisley.
Thanks in advance
PFR
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Didn't Wisley have something to do with the Valiants? The last I heard about the airfield was that someone wanted to build a giant waste incinerator on there. Shouldn't there be a law against that kind of blasphemy?
Just edited this as I forgot something. Sorry I cant give you any decent information but for interest's sake, check out www.multimap.com and have a look at the aerial photos section. They now have the whole of England mapped out for free and you can zoom in pretty close. Wisley's runway doesn't look too bad by the way...few cracks though!
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: No comment ]
Just edited this as I forgot something. Sorry I cant give you any decent information but for interest's sake, check out www.multimap.com and have a look at the aerial photos section. They now have the whole of England mapped out for free and you can zoom in pretty close. Wisley's runway doesn't look too bad by the way...few cracks though!
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: No comment ]
The OCKHAM VOR is situated on the airfield, and the field/runways are visible. I reminded my intructor it was Wisley in the past.The best source of info maybe the Brooklands Air Musuem nearby
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Wisley is rather sad on the ground..........all that concrete, crossed by fences as the land has been sub-divided and all the taxiways, even the compass base, intact. There is not a single sign that this was once an active airfield, just a few sawn off hangar uprights just poking out of the concrete.
'Planes built at Brooklands were flown here from Brooklands for fitting out. The Museum probably as good a source as any, ask if you can see Julian Temple's (Aircraft Curator)photo album of Wisley. The control tower is a wonderful mock Tudor 1930's style! Certainly at home in 'Stockbroker' belt.
Access is off the A3 southbound between the A3/M25 junction and the Ripley turn off.
DOC.400
PS Opened 1943, grass runway. Hard runway 1953. Used for Viking, Valiant, Viscount, vanguard, VC10, BAC111 and VC10. Close 1973. Source: Surrey AIrfields in the Second World War -Len Pilkington. ISBN 1 85306 433 5.
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: DOC.400 ]
'Planes built at Brooklands were flown here from Brooklands for fitting out. The Museum probably as good a source as any, ask if you can see Julian Temple's (Aircraft Curator)photo album of Wisley. The control tower is a wonderful mock Tudor 1930's style! Certainly at home in 'Stockbroker' belt.
Access is off the A3 southbound between the A3/M25 junction and the Ripley turn off.
DOC.400
PS Opened 1943, grass runway. Hard runway 1953. Used for Viking, Valiant, Viscount, vanguard, VC10, BAC111 and VC10. Close 1973. Source: Surrey AIrfields in the Second World War -Len Pilkington. ISBN 1 85306 433 5.
[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: DOC.400 ]
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Thanks for the replies folks. The Brooklands Museum is probably a good source of info. I'd really like to collect as much info/history, stories etc about the place and operations from it to write a book. Considering it's invaluable connection to when we had an aircaft industry to be proud of the place and all those connected to it deserve it.
Anymore for anymore....
Thanks anyway for the contributions to date <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Seasons Greetings to all PFR.
Anymore for anymore....
Thanks anyway for the contributions to date <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Seasons Greetings to all PFR.
