Just to put the record straight, this incident didn't lead to the doom of Channel Airways, although it did, I believe, result in the abandonment of all services to Portsmouth. Channel continued for another 5 years and their eventual failure was caused, like most 'disasters', by a sequence of events.

Portsmouth Austers
 

From my logbook in the 60's
J1-N's:
G-APKD
G-AJIS
G-APAR
G-AJUW
G-AIGF

J5-G
G-ARUG

Andy

G-AJIS appeared at Blackbushe Aero Club in the late 60's.Bought by AVM Bennett for the Club.
Did my PPL on it in '68.
Bugger to taxy on tarmac in a crosswind!

Portsmouth Airfield
 

Rainboe et al,

I hope this is of interest, certainly confirms all the above comments re. this airfield.

I knew the ( now sadly gone ) daughter of Robin Milne, a wartime Test Pilot for Airspeed at Portsmouth.

One day he and Ron Clear had to collect a couple of Mosquitos and take them there, for some reason.

As Robin's merlins started to overheat, he abbreviated his checks and set off.

On takeoff the overhead escape hatch blew off, unsecured. He thought he'd better do some handling checks; nothing untoward, but he noticed right at the stall the suction tugged at his helmet strap.

On arrival at Portsmouth he had to go around a couple of times, eventually bringing it in right on the edge of stall using the helmet tugging as a guide.

Ron Clear had a hard time getting in, managed after quite a few tries, ending up much further along.

When Ron asked Robin ( ' Bob ' ) " how the hell did you do that ?! " the reply was " Oh, just sorts the men from the boys "...he kept quiet about the real reason for some time.

I have photo's somewhere of one of the Mosquito's there, Robin's late daughter Jenny gave me a lot of her Dad's stuff, as she always felt he never got the recognition he deserved ( the above is a fraction of a career ranging from Camel to Comet ( jet ), production testing over 2,000 Oxfords, and climbing the Eiger when he had a moment spare !

The Tartan Terror was extremely kind, and when I explained Jenny was ill he rushed a mention of Robin onto his Test Pilot tribute site; she was able to see it before she passed away.

My Grandad and my mum both worked at Airspeed and were both there that day...Mum recalls the first one just missing the roof of the factory at Airpseed...It took them 4 hours to get from there to Portchester that night..

I wish Bob Milne's daughter Jenny was here to see your reply...

There's no doubt it was a hairy airfield to operate from, but it did more than it''s' usual bit;

Bob noticed a clear pathway at 500' below the barrage balloons straight to Portsmouth docks, reported it and took up the local council person responsible to show; it was immediately closed, but Bob always wondered if that clear path had been down to ' 5th columnists '.

He also kept a count of the Luftwaffe bomb craters every day he flew - Langstone, just East of Portsmouth, had quite a lot of sophisicated decoys - which worked well.

I now sail from Langstone Sailing Club ( on the Eastern Chichester side ) where we dig our own moorings - one day a new chap, very fond of his hard hat & elf'n'safety', turned up with a ' risk assesment ' form.

I asked him about standing & digging moorings on tons of unexploded Luftwaffe ordnance, and he hasn't bothered me since.

G-ARUG
 

I had a joy ride in G-ARUG from Portsmouth in 1962 or 3. Many years later I owned J/5L G-ANWX and re-built Terrier G-ASDK.

Latecomer
 

Hi all. Just found this thread. I was lucky enough to get my PPL at Portsmouth in August 1963 courtesy of an RAF Flying Scholarship.
My log book shows the following Auster J1N Alphas that I flew then:
G-APKD
G-AIGF
G-AJIS
and
G-ARUG (which I have down as a J5G Autocar)
The instructors names were Mason, Audas and McCarthy.
It was a fantastic month. There were two accidents.
The first was when an engine on one of the Austers stopped after landing. The student pilot got out and swung the prop, relying on the brakes to hold. They didn't of course, and despite valiant efforts to dive aboard, and then just to grab the tailplane, the aircraft careered off in ever widening circles until it was stopped by becoming entangled in the perimeter fence.
he second was another student managed to fly into a tree on a cross-country exercise. We were told he and the aircraft actually ended up in the tree! He got away with a broken arm.
I also saw the passenger door swing open as a Channel Airways Dakota was taking off one day. The take-off was continued nad if my memory is correct,, he never returned, so presumably continued his flight to the destination!
Sorry to be so late to this thread. Only eight years...