Sunderland flying club

[Roy.C.]

Having just retired from flying (age 80) I wondered if any of the old Sunderland (now Nissan cars) Flying Club are still around ?

[David Thompson]

Yes one or two up in the north-east , even some of the clubs Airtourer fleet still fly in the same patch of sky !
The aircraft museum adjacent to the former Usworth Airfield/Sunderland Airport , the North East Land Sea and Air Museum , have several items of memorabilia relating to both the airport and flying club and is well worth a visit .

[Roy.C.]

Thank you David I will visit when next in the North-East. I well remember those days learning in G-ATCI/L which led on to the purchase of Piper Cub, G-ATKI, for £750 and which we flew at the great cost of 30 shillings (£ 1.50) an hour. I see it is still flying but costs are slightly higher now !!! When we sold it I did the delivery flight from Sunderland to Chichester non radio with compass, altimeter and turn and slip + eye balls for navigation - another impossibility nowadays ?

[Kemble Pitts]

Originally Posted by Roy.C.

Thank you David I will visit when next in the North-East. I well remember those days learning in G-ATCI/L which led on to the purchase of Piper Cub, G-ATKI, for £750 and which we flew at the great cost of 30 shillings (£ 1.50) an hour. I see it is still flying but costs are slightly higher now !!! When we sold it I did the delivery flight from Sunderland to Chichester non radio with compass, altimeter and turn and slip + eye balls for navigation - another impossibility nowadays ?

Apart from the now-lack-of-Usworth-aerodrome, that flight profile should be perfectly doable today. I'd take a couple of half-mil charts though.

[VT10]

Hi Roy, it would be interesting to hear some of the names that were familiar to you. I’m still in touch with a number of people from the Sunderland days.

[Roy.C.]

Sorry for delay in replying. Memories fade over time but the Club was owned by George Bamford (haulage) and run by his son Lee + girlfriend Margaret. Other names are Ray Selkirk (RAF Boulmer), Derek Lodge (dentist), Arthur Smith (car dealer),Fred Sutton (retired), Neville ?(builder), Dennis Ord ( deep sea diver), a Polish daredevil pilot who persuaded me to try a Tipsy Nipper with some sweaty moments, and Sid (?) Booth (car sprayer who resprayed all our old bangers). Instructors were Ray Polson and Steve Marples and cost with instructor £ 7 per hour. ATC was Bob Henderson (green to land, red to go around).
I was known as the 'Flying Optician' for flying the Cub down to the sub-practice in Guisborough.
The 'crazy gang' made the press for their efforts to fly from Sunderland to Germany using the radio, ----- to port and ..... to starboard, wartime navigation system.

I would be interested to hear of your contacts VT10.

[VT10]

Many of those names are familiar to me though one or two before my time. I started my flying career in 1979.
Sadly of the names familiar to me, they now have their permanent wings!
I’m still in contact with Steve Marples and we still fly together, though these days from Peterlee airfield

[Paul de Tourtoulon]

I was flying there in the early 70's learning to flyin CI and CL,and I remember flying down to Old Walden with 'Macbeth' known as macdeath, he had a Jodel ( ?)
a real nut job when flying, a low pass over a field then a barrel roll on the way down to Old Walden,and then landed in a cow field after seeing one of his old planes in it, a cup of tea there and off we went,,,

Ps sorry about my English but living in France for the last 46 years,,,( not really sorry it's sunny again )

[Delph]

I was a member of the parachute club at SFC in the eighties, just before Nissan took over. There were some great air shows. I was also there when they flew the Vulcan in.

[Josh G]

Request

Hi Roy and everyone,
I am writing in response to your post as I am undertaking some research into the Flying Club and this thread was prominent in my initial Google search. I ought to say that my connection to this is a personal one, as you mentioned the Club was run by Lee and Margaret. I am their great nephew on Margaret's side. I regret to say she died quite recently, and it is this which has prompted me to investigate stories and people from the flying club. Lee died some 20 years ago when I was quite young so I have limited recollection of him but would welcome information, stories or old photographs of them both and the Flying Club.
Anything you can offer in relation to this would be most appreciated.
Yours,
Josh

[Roy.C.]

Sunderland F.C

Hi Josh,
At the age of 83 my memories of Sunderland have faded and my original post is pretty well all that I can recollect.
However if you have any specific points you want to know about then I will certainly do my best to answer them.
Lee and Margaret (a very attractive lady !) were very good to me by letting me spread payment for my flying lessons over 2 years when I was straight out of university and earning a pittance. It was a great time for flying with few restrictions and the main flight instruments were a good pair of eyeballs to see, hearing so you knew when the engine had stopped and an altimeter so you knew when you were about to collide with the ground ! In spite of this I finished up as a C.F.I./C.P.L.
Best wishes Roy (roy4eyes at yahoo dot co dot uk)

[VT10]

Hi Josh,
I’m also a product of Sunderland Flying Club and whilst Lee and Margaret were slightly before my time, I’m still in touch with several former members and employees.
I know for certain some will have photos and memories that will be of interest to you.

If this sounds useful, please get in touch and I’ll see what I can do to put you in touch.

[Roy.C.]

I too would be interested in any photos as all I have are memories. Please use my e-mail from my last post. Roy

[2hotwot]

Flew in to Sunderland in 1980 from Lands End in a Condor - non radio. We were made most welcome by the club and quite an evening I seem to recall. Spent the night in the haunted hangar / clubhouse - I wonder what happened to the ghost when Nissan came?

[ericferret]

Originally Posted by Roy.C.

I too would be interested in any photos as all I have are memories. Please use my e-mail from my last post. Roy

Cessna F150H G-AVUH which was a Sunderland Flying Club aircraft in the 80's is still flying, from Strubby these days.
It's been on it's holidays since then, enjoying the sun in Rabat, Morocco.

[Josh G]

Dear Roy,
Thank you for your reply, and for sharing some of your recollection from that time. I have also been in contact with the museum up there. Apparently, they have a collection of documents and information which may also be of use to others reading this thread.

Thank you again.

Yours,

Josh

[Josh G]

Hi VT10,

Thank you for your response to my message. I would welcome any information or contacts you have to hand.

Yours,
Josh

[TTFAN78]

Sfc george bambrough (not bamford)

My uncle George BAMBROUGH was owner of the SFC and Lee was my cousin---

I was passenger to Jimmy McBeth many times and we took my son to the Auchterarder Air Fairs

I booked bands for the social evenings

George bought a Valetta to be a Gate Guardian but some itinerants set it on fire and it burnt out


I will dig out somr relevant photos

[Josh G]

Dear TTFAN78,
I thank you for writing in the forum.
I would be very keen to see any photographs you find and hear other tales and anecdotes from your recollections of Lee, Margaret, and the SFC.
Yours,
Josh

[nightmare]

Hello, just saw the post and brings back memories. I. Learned to fly there,then got a share in a biplane GBEBO, with Eric Newsham and Gordon Johnson. A lot of the names are familiar.
Dave McMullon