Burnaston Airfield
I remember Burnaston, about 1963 and the cemetery for Derby Aviation's H.P. Marathons. Looking into that hangar with the dust covered planes still gives me a feeling of sadness.
Yes, remember Derby Airways operating from Burnaston with DC3s and I believe the Argonauts also. Remember the Marathons although before my time in aviation. I knew a couple of pilots who had flown the Marathon.....one of them finished his career on BA 747s and one of the Derby Airways Duty Officers worked with me in ATC.
I would be interested to have confirmation about the Argonauts?
And of course Sunderland Usworth also became a car factory.
I would be interested to have confirmation about the Argonauts?
And of course Sunderland Usworth also became a car factory.
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Chevron, Came to Luton in 61 with Autair so it was all very modern especially after Burnaston !!
Re Burnaston it was a EFTS originally and there were loads of outbuildings full of bits and pieces that the RAF appeared to just have walked away from.
The original group were from Wolverhampton Flying Club who moved there. The "airline" was started with a Rapide !
Then we had Marathons and finally the big league with DC3 !!
We also had most Miles products including an Immaculate Hawk Speed Six that Ron Paine flew every year in the Kings Cup.
The Argonauts came after the DC just before the move to Castle Donnington
Re Burnaston it was a EFTS originally and there were loads of outbuildings full of bits and pieces that the RAF appeared to just have walked away from.
The original group were from Wolverhampton Flying Club who moved there. The "airline" was started with a Rapide !
Then we had Marathons and finally the big league with DC3 !!
We also had most Miles products including an Immaculate Hawk Speed Six that Ron Paine flew every year in the Kings Cup.
The Argonauts came after the DC just before the move to Castle Donnington
Did one of the Argonauts go to Panshanger? I remember reading an article on 'finding' airfields saying 'if Keegan ever sells that DC4, we'll never find Panshanger again'.(RAF Flying Review c1963/4)
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Manchester (Barton) not Barton in the Clay was used by Phillips and Powys to test fly Miles a/c assembled at their Stockport factory.
Edit - Not P&P but F Hills and Sons and not Miles but Percival
Edit - Not P&P but F Hills and Sons and not Miles but Percival
Last edited by CloudHound; 13th Feb 2018 at 09:51. Reason: Got complete wrong end of wrong stick.
Phillips and Powis factory in Stockport ?? New one on me...!!!
I visited Burnaston on 23 June 1964 and noted five Argonauts there:-
G-ALHG, G-ALHS and G-ALHY. These three went on to fly with British Midland.
G-ALHN and VR-AAT (ex G-ALHV). Information in Larry Milberry's excellent book
The Canadair NORTH STAR confirms these were broken up at Burnaston.
I would be interested to hear if any passenger flights using Argonauts were
carried out from Burnaston.
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1067695
I visited Burnaston on 23 June 1964 and noted five Argonauts there:-
G-ALHG, G-ALHS and G-ALHY. These three went on to fly with British Midland.
G-ALHN and VR-AAT (ex G-ALHV). Information in Larry Milberry's excellent book
The Canadair NORTH STAR confirms these were broken up at Burnaston.
I would be interested to hear if any passenger flights using Argonauts were
carried out from Burnaston.
https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1067695
Last edited by Planemike; 12th Feb 2018 at 20:49.
Sad to say that virtually all the land that can be seen past the North Star is now covered in housing.
Yes, remember Derby Airways operating from Burnaston with DC3s and I believe the Argonauts also. Remember the Marathons although before my time in aviation. I knew a couple of pilots who had flown the Marathon.....one of them finished his career on BA 747s and one of the Derby Airways Duty Officers worked with me in ATC.
I would be interested to have confirmation about the Argonauts?
And of course Sunderland Usworth also became a car factory.
I would be interested to have confirmation about the Argonauts?
And of course Sunderland Usworth also became a car factory.
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I used to occasionally fly our Chipmunk from Manchester Barton into Burnaston from the beginning of the 1980s up until it closed to become a car factory. It was long after the Argonauts had gone but I don't think the Argonauts operated services from there, but were based there for maintenance.
I understand that the Argonauts were permanently grounded after G-ALHG crashed at Stockport in 1967.
I understand that the Argonauts were permanently grounded after G-ALHG crashed at Stockport in 1967.
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Barry I dont recognise the place where that CF Marathon was taken or even the CF reg. The second picture was at the side of the main working hangar. That looks like the Proctor fuselage in the background which may have been the one owned by RR, and the DC4.
That side of the hangar was a scrapping area and the last of the Spartan Mosquitos was there for a long time before being broken up. The Marathon had a spar life put on by HP and the Marathon in the picture was scrapped because of this.
That side of the hangar was a scrapping area and the last of the Spartan Mosquitos was there for a long time before being broken up. The Marathon had a spar life put on by HP and the Marathon in the picture was scrapped because of this.
Notwithstanding the Canadian reg, the Marathon in the photo never got to Canada, ending its days at Wymeswold (maybe where the photo was taken?).
Yes, quite possibly Dave. When I looked at it after I posted it, I did wonder, because I don't think there was any spare concrete at Burnaston! I certainly visited Fields(?) at Wymeswold in those days.
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As I mentioned when the RAF left Burnaston there were Many wooden sheds left behind, over a dozen. These had been workshops storage and dorms. Upon leaving the RAF filled these with bits left over.There were Tigers, Magisters and engines all in varoius standards of disrepair and dismantalling. Many of them were just crash wreckage. Lunch time for us apprentices was to explore this wonderland !! After a while and we we got to know what was in each shed we took some of the engineers around and showed them what we thought was the more interesting bits. We duly dragged all the likely bits in to a shed that we cleared and rebuilt a Magister from these bits in our spare time !! The end result was G-ANWO !!
I have photo (.jpg) if someone hints how to attach !!
https://imgur.com/a/vZWqa
I have photo (.jpg) if someone hints how to attach !!
https://imgur.com/a/vZWqa
Last edited by GotTheTshirt; 13th Feb 2018 at 17:10. Reason: typo