This I'd like to see, too.

Before I take them to e-blag.

I have just ordered "Strong Foundations – Driffield’s Aerodrome from 1917 to 2000" Im hoping it will be an interesting read...

Except for Phillip Rhodes it is another station with an interesting past not too well documented on tinterweb.

Has anyone got 'Post war Yorkshire airfields' by Barry Abraham? Quite a good read.

acaster malbis strip
 

runways being removed now, see google earth and aerial views sites.:(

The Merseyside Aviation Societies excellent book about airfields (forget the name - mislaid it years ago) listed an airfield on the northeast outskirts of York; has this been mentioned?

Presumably Clifton Moor - many hangars still in situ but most of the remainder converted to a shopping centre/housing/offices

Vert little left of Clifton nowadays. Apart from the hangars latterly used as a grain store and up for sale recently, there are a few shelters and bits of hard-standing close to the 'Bumper Castle' pub.

British Isles Airfields Guide by P.H. Butler.

Anyone with Google Earth can grab a KML file from Catalogue of UK Airfields and have fun looking at the many airfields around the UK. Some locations are only approximate but these seem to be mostly the pre WW2 sites.

to PUG, Airfields east of York
 

Hi, as a "techie" helped to operate JP`s from Elvington circa 1966, used to send student pilots on first solo`s during training at R.A.F. Linton On Ouse (1FTS). Presumably because of low traffic and very long runway. The aircraft and support crews were ferried daily.

The Yorkshire air Museum is now located there, various aircraft still operate, I understand that a planning application has been made to open the airfield for aircraft maintenance.

Pocklington, now the home of the Wolds Gliding club.

There is another airfield North and perhaps a little east of York called East Moor, now unlandable but still recognisable. Quite close and north of the villages of Haxby and Wigginton. :ok:

I grew up about a mile from RAF Marston Moor - runway can still be seen across Rudgate Lane (Near Whixley) The only thing I remember was it's where Clark Gable was based during WWII

I think you'll find that Mr Gable spent some time at an airfield called Goxhill in Lincolnshire. Nothing in any literature I've seen suggests he was based at MM.

Famous local historic fact for Yorkshire folk!!!!

http://www.wetherby.co.uk/about/facts.php4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetherby

Sorry for the late call - just seen the bit about the Lightning that effectively dead sticked it on to Acklington's runway. May/June 1967. I was the only eye witness to the event. The airfield had closed, and I was duty student locking up when I looked up to see the Lightning short finals to make a perfect (silent) landing on the numbers of the (relatively) short runway and come to a halt just short of the other end. As everyone else had gone home - including ATC and the fire section - I rang the SDO to tell him there was a Lightning on the runway. After a torrent of abuse for disturbing him in the bar, and being told there was no chance of one ever landing here, he eventually came out to see for himself (and then apologise). We went off to see what was going on and found the ac gently sinking into the tarmac (the runway was stressed for JPs and not the high pressure LCN of a Lightning). It turned out the pilot was an ex 6 FTS student on one of his pre FHT sorties, and as stated, had effectively run out of fuel well short of Leuchars. Luckily he remembered Acklington and knew he was well positioned for a PFL. IIRC correctly he got a good show for saving the jet - and chopped from the course!

The ac was eventually flown out by the UTP a few days later, and even with only just enough fuel to make Leuchars used the whole of the runway

Clark Gable
 

Sorry, JB007, not convinced. Marston Moor's entry in 'Action Stations volume 4' makes no mention of Clark Gable. Volume 2 of the same series makes mention of Mr Gable serving at Goxhill whilst taking part in Hollywoods war-effort.

As for your well, us Yorkshire folk will stop at nowt for a moment of fame. I've no doubt that a number of moustacheo-ed aircrew might have shot a line in Betty's tea-room................;)

Action stations
 

ZH 875,
I have assembled a full set over the last few years at air shows and those nerdy fairs, and have tended to pay £8-11 a copy. Given that Mad Gordon wants to build "eco-towns" on most of them, I reckon their historical value can only go up!

Re Elvington, remember it is the place where the Hamster from Top Gear nearly lost his life. I have flown in there in the past, and also done a sprint there. Rufforth used to be used for motor sport a lot in my youth, but then that is not West rather than east from York.

not sure that Holme on Spalding Moor was that secret, however post war it was pretty much solely used for Blackburn and then BAe's development and flight testing, so they would have not wanted to advertise too braodly what was going on there. There are some great shots of the first Buccs being taken by road to HOSM for their flight testing. Brough itself was of course not much use for anything Whittle-powered.

Skua

Holme-on-Spalding-Moor
 

Here is a shot taken at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor summer 1973. Derek Whitehead doing a fly-by in a Navy Buccaneer, in the foreground is the Cayley man carrier replica made by Southdown Aeroservices at Lasham.

Derek Whitehead was the boss at HoSM and hosted the Anglia TV production of "A magnificent man and his flying machines" a documentary film about Sir George Cayley. The machine was car towed up the runway to give Derek Piggott the chance to handle the machine and Anglia to obtain film footage prior to pinging him off the hillside at nearby Brompton Dale. The Cayley replica is on show today at Elvington.

In 1973 HoSM was a hive of activity stuffed with Phantoms and Buccaneers that were going through modification programmes and being test flown during the Cayley filming. I recall being shown the remains of a crater in front of the Tower which had been made some years before when a Bucc had departed into a tumble during a Toss bombing manoeuvre, sadly killing both crew.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1..._Bucc_1973.jpg

I remember Elvington from the 80's when it was releif landing ground for 7FTS based at RAF Church Fenton. When a course was almost ready for first solo, they would deploy with 2 a/c to Elvington and spend the day in the circuit, leaving CF for the more advanced studes. Everyone who went solo at Elvington, including me, had a cerimonious dunking in the water resevoir by air traffic!

I drove round the edge of HOSM during '73 when I wased based at Lindholme. From this, I would deduce the reason people think 'secret' things happened there was its isolated position and the fact it was difficult to find without an aviation 1/4 mil.