Airfields, East of York
 

I have keen interests in the airfields east of York, lesser talked about and now not used. The main two i would say are Holme upon Spalding Moor and Elvington.

Anyone wishing to add memories of these two places would be much appreciated. A shame i dont remember holme as an airfield, it is just a field now.

Elvington interests me due to the huge runway and apron. Was it ever used at all by the USAF and did HoSM ever get used when it too was in American hands?

Cheers

Try Seaton Ross and Pocklington....:E

How about:

Full Sutton,Driffield,Cottam,Catfoss,Lissett,Breighton,Leconfield ,Melbourne,
Croft and York itself?

SF

To add to the list;

East Moors, Hutton Cranswick, Carnaby.

'Action Stations', volume 4 (I think) covers them all.

The BAe Trials Flight at Holme On Spalding Moor closed 15.12.83.,moving to RAF Scampton. The last flight was 6.12 by Buccaneer S.2 XV350 which performed several low flypasts. The fleet was Buccaneers XK525(test rig),XK527,XT288,Hunter T.8M XL603,Phantom FG.1 XT596,FGR.2 XT852,XT853.
At one time they used Hunters XL602 and T.12 XE531.

Elvington was lengthened for B-47 Reflex alert and V-bomber dispersal,but have no record of B-47's using it. Brough may have used it for Buccaneer flight testing.

Thanks for the information, i know that Driffield was used by blackburn while the runway at Holme was being resurfaced, seeing it now its hard to imagine anything like what you mentioned ever used it. Binbrook will be the same in a few years.

Am i right in thinking a lightning from Leconfield, during an emergancy, tried to put down on the former Hutton Cranswick? Incidently what was the last fixed wing operation from Leconfield?

T21 Although XE 531 spent a lot of time at HoSM, it was actually a Farnborough aircraft being the green painted 'fly - by - wire' trials aircraft. It met its demise at Farnborough; a HoSM/ Brough test pilot phoned to ask if it was worth him coming down to fly it as there was a possibility of cb activity; I reassured him our own forecaster had not said this so he came down in the Dove from Brough.
He was due to fly with Farnborough TP Rod Sears; they started and taxiied out just as I was going off duty but I didn't bother to stay and watch the takeoff.
The tower controller later stated that during the takeoff roll, he was amazed to see what he thought was an afterburner, except that Hunters didn't have afterburners. The aircraft got airborne and Rod sensed a loss of power, and tried to re-light no less than three times before giving the order 'eject'. The first I knew of it was seeing a report on our regional TV news programme that evening.
Turning to Leconfield; wasn't that the place where, when it was an MU, an engineer (with no flying qualifications)took a Lightning out onto the runway to test afterburner ignition. He managed to get airborne; no flying clothing and ejector seat pins still in, then flew a circuit and landed it!!

chevvron: I thought the inadvertent Lightning trip took place at St.Athan.

It happened on July 22nd 1966 while XM135 was at 33 MU at Lyneham, and was flown by Wg Cdr Taffy Holden

see here

Oops, wrong again ! :O

Elvington Airfield
 

Pug, I am sure you are familar with this site:- http://www.elvingtonairfield.co.uk/pages/index.htm

Hutton Cranswick.
 

The Lightning incident(ran short of fuel as a result of leaving the airbrake extended!)ended without any injury or loss of aircraft.

Shall look into the archives to refresh my memory as to when it happened.


OOP'S its my turn to be wrong!

The Lightning incident took place at Acklington.

Try to get a cpoy of book White Rose Base, by Brian J Rapier, a York Air Museum publication, found it invaluable trogging round that part of the world looking at old airfields.

Taxiing out for departure from Elvington
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...vingtonTwr.jpg
Turning finals 08
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...s/Finals08.jpg

'Acastar Malbis' can be added to the list.

A few years ago me and a mate got lost on the way to Breighton Airshow, And we stumbled upon the massive airfield.:ugh:

Alot of the runway was still visible, It must have been a few acres.:cool:

It must have took us 15 minutes to get thru the area.

PUG, I'm surprised you haven't heard much about Elvington - 'elvs in the wood' There is quite alot of information about it.

Ask Air Supply man Ken Cotliff - He eats , breaths, & sleeps the place:D:zzz:

He organises the annual airshow there.

True, You don't hear or read much about Holme On Spalding Moor, It makes you think if, There were 'secret' projects carried out there??

When you look at all the old WW2 Airfields in Yorkshire and beyond, It is unbelievable the amount they had.

Acaster, Holme, Linton, Topcliffe, Dalton, Dishforth, Leeming, Croft, Yeadon, Brough, Hemswell, Doncaster, Finningley, New Waltham, Rufforth, Catterick, North Coates, And many more.

Those Airfield series books are excellent, But 'bloody' hard to get hold of too.

Regards.:ok:

Mmm, not really, since Acaster is SW of York.

Excellent indeed, but if anyone wants a full set of 'Action Stations' I've a set doing nothing.:ok:

Not seen any mention of Melbourne, which as a dragstrip, was called 'New York Raceway'.
I think there's still a private strip at Acaster Malbis; it was listed in Pooleys as the place to land if visiting York Racecourse.
Also isn't Pocklington to the east of York?

Melbourne post #3, Pocklington post #2:ok:

Thanks for these replies.

Melbourne is pretty much intact, it would be great if a surviving airfield like that could be completely restored, there arent many left now...

Yes i believe some strange things went on at Holme, of course wasnt the bucc development quite secretive at the time? Ive heard of such things as Beverley transports with rockets being tested. The airfield was quite away from main roads, near the aptly named 'land of nod'. Im surprised there arent so many photos around of the place active. I have a few but none of the general airfield but of some visitors on the apron.

Elvingtons history is quite easier to obtain. Just a shame the americans abandoned it, could have been like fairford is today i suppose!

Anybody any idea how much a set of Action Stations volumes 1-10 is worth these days?