Can Anybody ID this Airfield Please ?

[longer ron]

Watched the movie 'Hopscotch' the other night (Walter Matthau) and near the end we ended up at this airfield,I did wonder if it might be somewhere like Panshanger but I don't think the white building/clubhouse looks correct.
Just out of interest Walter Matthau was a W Op/Air Gunner in the same group as James Stewart and finished the war as Staff Sergeant.

[Asturias56]

Hopscotch was filmed in many locations in Europe and the United States, including London, United Kingdom; Marseilles, France; Bermuda; Washington, D.C.; Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Munich, in then-West Germany. locations in Salzburg, Austria, included The Mirabell Platz. The scenes set during Munich’s Oktoberfest were filmed using eight cameras concealed in strategic locations at the Munich Fairgrounds.[6]

[Asturias56]

IMDB says filming at Aldbury, Hertfordshire, England, UK(As Jevington, East Sussex, England, UK) - its been a major location on several movies

Showing all 23 items
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• Filming Locations (22)
• Filming Dates (1)

Filming Locations

EditSavannah, Georgia, USA
Mirabellplatz Garden, 5020 Salzburg, Austria(Where Miles Kendig meets Mikhail Yaskov)Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Atlanta, Georgia, USAMunich, Bavaria, GermanyRamsgate, Kent, England, UK(Hoverlloyd ferry dock - Isobel arrives in England, drives off ferry)Hounslow, Greater London, England, UK
East Sussex, England, UK
Heathrow Airport, The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Greater London, England, UKLondon, Greater London, England, UK Marseille, France(location shooting)Washington D.C., USA(location shooting)Washington Dulles International Airport - 45020 Aviation Drive, Sterling, Virginia, USA(Miles arrives back in the USA at beginning of film)Langley, Virginia, USA(CIA headquarters)Tybee Island, Georgia, USA(small floatplane flies past lighthouse, painted in its previous pattern, depicting flight to Bermuda)Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France(Hoverlloyd ferry dock in France)22 Park Lane, Mayfair, Westminster, Greater London, England, UK(London Hilton)Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, UK(Miles' plane explodes and crashes near the lighthouse here)1 of 1 found this interestingMayfair, Westminster, Greater London, England, UKWestminster, Greater London, England, UK Aldbury, Hertfordshire, England, UK(As Jevington, East Sussex, England, UK)Bermuda(location shooting)

[eckhard]

Panshanger was my first thought too. Checking on google earth I think confirms that it was there.
You can see the outline of the big hangar and to the southeast is the low building, still extant, with the 'half octagon' two-story tower, visible as an outline.

I think the photo was taken from 51°47'59"N 000°09'09"W (hello.player.sound on what3words) looking approx 240T.

I see that 'Hopscotch' was released in October, 1980. I was quite active in and out of Panshanger then in various types, including Chipmunks, but don't remember any filming going on. Maybe the actual filming was done in 1979?

[longer ron]

Thanks Eckhard - I will try to check on Google Earth later - there are quite a few little shots of the buildings during the Airfield scenes - looking very delapidated - shame.
Yes it would have been filmed in 1979
One of the aircraft seen is a Stampe with a canopy - a fairly rare sight in britain !

regards LR

[treadigraph]

I've watched the film many times (superb) and have never worked out which airfield that is. John Crewdson flew the Helicopter Hire Jetranger and I think either Nigel Brendish or more likely David Perrin flew the Stampe (Sportair's G-AZSA from Biggin Hill - DP was an instructor there - originally taught by Camel Pilot amongst others, and in turn taught Brendan O'Brien) and there is a Hendon Air Services Citabria as well, so a strong Southend connection - Essex/Herts seems a safe bet.

Beachy Head scenes were probably flown from Gayles Farm at Friston where Dave Perrin kept the Rothmans solo Pitts - the sequences flown there for Man in the Sky are sublime...

[Pypard]

Originally Posted by Asturias56

IMDB says filming at Aldbury, Hertfordshire, England, UK(As Jevington, East Sussex, England, UK) - its been a major location on several movies

Showing all 23 items
Jump to:

• Filming Locations (22)
• Filming Dates (1)

Filming Locations

EditSavannah, Georgia, USA
Mirabellplatz Garden, 5020 Salzburg, Austria(Where Miles Kendig meets Mikhail Yaskov)Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
Atlanta, Georgia, USAMunich, Bavaria, GermanyRamsgate, Kent, England, UK(Hoverlloyd ferry dock - Isobel arrives in England, drives off ferry)Hounslow, Greater London, England, UK
East Sussex, England, UK
Heathrow Airport, The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Greater London, England, UKLondon, Greater London, England, UK Marseille, France(location shooting)Washington D.C., USA(location shooting)Washington Dulles International Airport - 45020 Aviation Drive, Sterling, Virginia, USA(Miles arrives back in the USA at beginning of film)Langley, Virginia, USA(CIA headquarters)Tybee Island, Georgia, USA(small floatplane flies past lighthouse, painted in its previous pattern, depicting flight to Bermuda)Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France(Hoverlloyd ferry dock in France)22 Park Lane, Mayfair, Westminster, Greater London, England, UK(London Hilton)Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, UK(Miles' plane explodes and crashes near the lighthouse here)1 of 1 found this interestingMayfair, Westminster, Greater London, England, UKWestminster, Greater London, England, UK Aldbury, Hertfordshire, England, UK(As Jevington, East Sussex, England, UK)Bermuda(location shooting)

Yet another lazy Google adds nothing to the conversation. Why bother? We can all use Google, and most of us can see it has nothing in this case.

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by Pypard

adds nothing to the conversation. Why bother?

Rather ironic to post that I think...

[eckhard]

I used google earth….. much quicker than trawling through OS maps. Let’s use all available resources.

[DIBO]

First time I see "Street View" on an airfield, in this case on the (grass) runway & taxiway https://www.google.com/maps/@51.8005...7i13312!8i6656

Re the OP's question, very similar looking hangar, but the side "windows" are positioned higher in the photograph compared to the Street View

[longer ron]

Thanks for the input everybody - I think it is Panshanger - as Eckhard posted,I can see clearly on google where the building used to be and the outline of the semi hex of the 'tower' part of the building.I am guessing that the building was demolished to give more parking area (it was looking very delapidated in the movie anyway).Also in all the pics I have seen of the Bellman ? Hangar - it has a large old white oblong 'patch' on the Gable end of the Hangar,this can still be clearly seen on the Google street view posted by DIBO above.
I am always open to suggestions and we will watch the movie again sometime to see if there are other clues.

Thanks again and regards LR

[Pypard]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Rather ironic to post that I think...

HEAVY on irony. Several shakes of the piss & vinegar dressing too.

[Asturias56]

"Yet another lazy Google adds nothing to the conversation. Why bother? We can all use Google, and most of us can see it has nothing in this case."

thankyou sir for your helpful and kind observation. not all posters on here have your majestic ability with the internet.

[Pypard]

Originally Posted by Asturias56

"Yet another lazy Google adds nothing to the conversation. Why bother? We can all use Google, and most of us can see it has nothing in this case."

thankyou sir for your helpful and kind observation. not all posters on here have your majestic ability with the internet.

I suspect that if they can get on this forum they can Google.

[dixi188]

The car has a Bournemouth plate.
No use to anyone!

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by dixi188

The car has a Bournemouth plate.
No use to anyone!

Indeed dixi
One of our cars has a Lincs plate and is currently parked outside our house in....... Perthshire
Our other car is more local wiv a glasgow plate

[J.A.F.O.]

I had a T reg Ford Escort in precisely that colour. Does that help?

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by J.A.F.O.

I had a T reg Ford Escort in precisely that colour. Does that help?

You have my condolence.

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by J.A.F.O.

I had a T reg Ford Escort in precisely that colour. Does that help?

Mmmmm....... Powder Blue
My first car (in 1971) was a Black 1956 A40 Cambridge (1200cc of pulsating power ) - at least I thought it was black until one day I realised some black paint was peeling off just behind a front wheel - I bent down to have a look and realised that the car was actually Powder Blue and somebody had painted it all over with household paint LOL - so then I thought ''maybe it is a 'ringer' ? '' - so I did the right thing and got some household black paint and painted over the evidence

[longer ron]

Just to confirm that it is definitely Panshanger - at great personal expense - well £6.75 on ebay - I bought the excellent little book about Panshanger by Michael Packham which confirmed the Clubhouse/Control Tower being at Panshanger.The Hybrid (size) T2 Hangar was built in 1959/60 and initially used by Airwork for assembling Cessnas.
Apparently the T2 was new build which was a bit of a surprise given how scruffy it looked by 1979 - maybe they did not use much paint

This pic below taken by John Sexton in 1963