Croydon Airport

[Anthony Appleyard]

P.S. For our non-UK cousins, Croydon Airport was London's main international version during the 1930s, and later. All that exists now is the original combined terminal and control tower building. It's also very much the flavour of Art Deco.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon_Airport

Croydon Airport opened on 29 March 1920, way earlier than Heathrow Airport.

When wheat and fruit on Heathrow grew,
from Croydon men through Europe flew.

[cpullman80]

I've tried to call Redhill & sent a mail, but no answer.

[Bro]

Visited Croydon airport last weekend. Nice little museum if you are ever in the area.

[lawrence hole]

Croydon Airport Society also have this web site with lectures held on the third Tuesday of each month from January to July and September to November. Members receive an illustrated newsletter plus a detailed archive report once a month for their annual subscription


Whats On | The Society | Croydon Airport Society

[Four Turbo]

Summer 55

Happy memories of Croydon, where I did my Flying Schol summer of 1955. Airways Aero Club on Tiger Moths G-ANDE and G-ANEW. Instructor Glyn Ward. Shared course with John Scully, whose son turned up as my co on C130s many years later. Funny how life goes round! Oh, and managing to get a Tiger onto a concrete pan -- and off again without anyone noticing! Anyone else out there? Mike Turner

[lawrence hole]

I have the complete archive collection of the Airways Aero Association where I have improved old photographs with Photoshop in some cases and together with all the documents and other information collected from the Croydon Airport Society and Air Britain, turned these into a PowerPoint presentation which I intend to show next year. This will probably be at the Croydon Airport Society, the "Touchdown Club" at White Waltham and RAeS Heathrow, perhaps you might like to attend one of these.

[expatfrance]

Croydon Airport was where I got my interest in aviation, my mother would take me there for an afternoon. I found some old postcards showing the airport yesterday, so here is one. I hope!

[A30yoyo]

et voila , m'sieur!.....via the Flickr BBcode insert choice
Croydon Aerodrome 1959 by nickfrenchexpat, on Flickr

[expatfrance]

A30 many thanks for that. When I grow up I will attempt to follow your lead.
Again my thanks

[VictorGolf]

Four Turbo, you might be interested to know that G-ANDE is being rebuilt yet again after one of her many "incidents" and should be back in the air next year flying from Duxford with Classic Wings. Perhaps you might want to take a flight in her for old time's sake?

[VictorGolf]

Apologies but I was a bit too quick off the mark. G-ANDE is indeed being rebuilt but the "new" flier with Classic Wings is G-ANPK...I think.

[GQ2]

Last use....?

Just out of interest. I do recall that there was some sort of one-off fly-in at Croydon - perhaps around 1980-'83 with some vintage aircraft. Have any a/c landed at Croydon since then...?

[Props]

Airways Aero Club

Laurence,
I would very much like to attend one of your Talks
Could you let me know the Dates and Place.

Props
Jack Randell

[A30yoyo]

Post-closure fly-ins

AFAIK there were two in 1980 and 1988....later ones (eg for the 50th anniversary of closure) were scuppered by the authorities
see in another learned place:
Croydon Airport 50th Anniversary Flypast

and with the help of our friends Google and Flickr and YouTube

1980
https://www.flickr.com/photos/duke_o...7626610439814/

slideshow version https://www.flickr.com/photos/duke_o...10439814/show/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1P1ouSMFhc

1988

http://vintageaeroplanewriter.******...re-out-of.html

[A30yoyo]

Post-closure fly-ins

AFAIK there were two in 1980 and 1988....later ones (eg for the 50th anniversary of closure) were scuppered by the authorities
see in another learned place:
Croydon Airport 50th Anniversary Flypast

and with the help of our friends Google and Flickr and YouTube

1980
https://www.flickr.com/photos/duke_o...7626610439814/

slideshow version https://www.flickr.com/photos/duke_o...10439814/show/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1P1ouSMFhc

1988

EDIT...the link to James Kightly's blog about the Spitfire at the Croydon 1988 airshow won't link ...Image Googling 'Croydon Airport 1988' brings up the pic [mixed with images of the Croydon goddess Kate Moss :-)]
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cr...ml%3B880%3B566

[lawrence hole]

Props, the Airways Aero Association lecture dates are still to be fixed. The Croydon Airport Society could possibly be the first with the Touchdown Club at White Waltham and RAeS LHR sometime in 2015. I will keep you posted.

[lotus1]

Family who worked at the Philips site near croydon said there was a rumour of a ghost who surposed to ride a bike in raf uniform around the old airport site was there any truth or rumour in this beloved he sadly got killed in a air raid

[GQ2]

Encore...!

@ A30yoyo;- Thanks for those Links. So many historic airfields, airports and bases are lost to us now. Very sad. Great that Croydon still has just about enough grass to get a light-aircraft in. Let's hope the exercise gets repeated at regular intervals....!

[Props]

Airways Aero Club

Lawrence

In your research of the Club did you find mention of the delivery of 2Autocrats and 3 Aiglets from the factory to Kuwait?
January1955 I flew G-ANXY via Croydon with a Night- Stop at the Airport Hotel.

CFI Len Wenman was our Leader.

Hope to attend the White Waltham Talk

Regards

Props

[lawrence hole]

Yes Props,
I have this detail from the Club's archived newsletters. There only remains a bit of a gap at present when the AAA moved to White Waltham from Croydon which is documented. However I am trying to supplement this from the British Airways Heritage Centre, since other details could possibly be added.
Interesting to hear that you piloted one of the Austers on delivery to Kuwait.