Rwy 24 at Marham
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Rwy 24 at Marham
Looking at Marham on Google, there appears to be what looks like an old section of runway (complete with peritracks) extending roughly 3/4 mile to the NE of the current rwy 24 threshold.
Did Marham have a 2 1/2 mile runway once upon a time? If so, why? And more to the point, why then chop it?
I'm intrigued...
Did Marham have a 2 1/2 mile runway once upon a time? If so, why? And more to the point, why then chop it?
I'm intrigued...
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
From what I remember my old man saying about FIDO at St Eval, wasnt the system installed along the sides of the runways to not only disperse the fog, but also to show the edges of the runway?
Anyway, these pics might reveal the purpose of the Marham 24 'extension'.
No 'extended' runway during the War.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s41.html
Anyway, these pics might reveal the purpose of the Marham 24 'extension'.
No 'extended' runway during the War.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s41.html
Are you sure its not the tracks left by a certain former flt cdr on the oldest fixed wing sqn in the world landing short one day ....
I know it was actually landing short on 01/19 but why let truth get in the way of banter. How are the daffodils anyway ....
I know it was actually landing short on 01/19 but why let truth get in the way of banter. How are the daffodils anyway ....
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Tell me this is a comedy thread, please! Looks to me like the local farmer is not farming around and between the approach lights.
Wrathmonk, dont tease. The 'former flt cdr landing short' story sounds fascinating (would love to know who is was
)
Wrathmonk, dont tease. The 'former flt cdr landing short' story sounds fascinating (would love to know who is was
)
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FIDO Arcata/Eureka NAAS airfield
"Located 290 miles north of San Francisco, Arcata had one 6,000-ft. and one 4,500-ft. asphalt runway. An additional runway, previously planned, was canceled. In March 1944, station personnel numbered 153 officers and 532 enlisted men with barracks for 180 officers and 732 men. The station had a 128 x 160-ft. Kodiak hangar plus gun emplacements around the airfield. Arcata's station planes consisted of two GH Howard ambulance planes and one GB Staggerwing Beech.
Following the war, the area's bad weather served some useful purpose with the establishment of the Landing Aids Experiment Station. This unit was a joint project of the Army, the Navy, and the CAA that experimented with low visibility landings. United Airlines served as the prime contractor of the project. The most novel method was the "Fog Intensity Dispersal Of' or FIDO that involved the burning of gasoline along the sides of the runway to lift the fog. The British first used FIDO during the war when 157 Lancaster bombers landed at Heathrow during zero/zero weather. The simplest method consisted of burning the fuel in open trench es alongside the runway. The best results were obtained by burning from pressurized nozzles positioned every 50 ft. down the runway edge. Unfortunately, it took 20,000 gals. to sufficiently raise the fog for each landing. Gasoline cost alone was $15,000 per landing -- plus an additional $10,000 per landing for the system's maintenance. Not only was the cost prohibitive, but the system only worked on 150-ft. wide runways. When used on 200-ft. wide runways, the fog merely lifted from the sides and settled onto the center. Finally, the effort concentrated on the electronic-guided ILS. Arcata had the first ILS system in California that was eventually certified down to zero/zero. The government closed the experimental station in 1950 and deeded the property to the County."
I was flying out of Arcata in 1981 [In a B-25 [VB-25N] - Oh Happy days!] and the ditches with the now rusty tubing for dispersing the petrol, set back from the runway, were still in evidence.
The tubing did not pass the runway threshold AFAIR. The airfield was perched very close to a cliff edge. The reciprocal runway threshold piping was in a similar layout so it wasn't the cliff edge that stopped the FIDO being extended. The airfield, having been built [1943] turned out to be the World's 3rd foggiest! No wonder they had FIDO installed.
http://www.militarymuseum.org/NAASArcata.html
Following the war, the area's bad weather served some useful purpose with the establishment of the Landing Aids Experiment Station. This unit was a joint project of the Army, the Navy, and the CAA that experimented with low visibility landings. United Airlines served as the prime contractor of the project. The most novel method was the "Fog Intensity Dispersal Of' or FIDO that involved the burning of gasoline along the sides of the runway to lift the fog. The British first used FIDO during the war when 157 Lancaster bombers landed at Heathrow during zero/zero weather. The simplest method consisted of burning the fuel in open trench es alongside the runway. The best results were obtained by burning from pressurized nozzles positioned every 50 ft. down the runway edge. Unfortunately, it took 20,000 gals. to sufficiently raise the fog for each landing. Gasoline cost alone was $15,000 per landing -- plus an additional $10,000 per landing for the system's maintenance. Not only was the cost prohibitive, but the system only worked on 150-ft. wide runways. When used on 200-ft. wide runways, the fog merely lifted from the sides and settled onto the center. Finally, the effort concentrated on the electronic-guided ILS. Arcata had the first ILS system in California that was eventually certified down to zero/zero. The government closed the experimental station in 1950 and deeded the property to the County."
I was flying out of Arcata in 1981 [In a B-25 [VB-25N] - Oh Happy days!] and the ditches with the now rusty tubing for dispersing the petrol, set back from the runway, were still in evidence.
The tubing did not pass the runway threshold AFAIR. The airfield was perched very close to a cliff edge. The reciprocal runway threshold piping was in a similar layout so it wasn't the cliff edge that stopped the FIDO being extended. The airfield, having been built [1943] turned out to be the World's 3rd foggiest! No wonder they had FIDO installed.
http://www.militarymuseum.org/NAASArcata.html
. Still denies it I think, (the tyre tracks in the undershoot were clearly part of a greater conspiracyJoin Date: Sep 2001
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There is an excellent book on the subject of FIDO - Flying Through Fire by Geoffrey Williams - which also lists those airfields that were FIDO equipped.
Marham was not equipped with FIDO.
As others have observed, it is the approach light system. Centreline and 5 Bar.
Marham was not equipped with FIDO.
As others have observed, it is the approach light system. Centreline and 5 Bar.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Link to the FIDO stations.
Google Maps
Downham Market is just SW of Marham, you can just see the old runways throught the crops.
Google Maps
Downham Market is just SW of Marham, you can just see the old runways throught the crops.
During my time at Marham from the late 60s to the late 80s, the large tanks by Rwy 24 on the 'Burma Road' were always referred to as the FIDO tanks.
Also, in Ken Delve's book about Marham, he refers to consideration being given to reactivating the old wartime FIDO system when referring to Marham being plagued by fog. " A number of systems were tested to overcome this restriction, including renewing and redeveloping the wartime FIDO system..."
Also, in Ken Delve's book about Marham, he refers to consideration being given to reactivating the old wartime FIDO system when referring to Marham being plagued by fog. " A number of systems were tested to overcome this restriction, including renewing and redeveloping the wartime FIDO system..."