Cardiff Airport
CARDIFF AIRPORT: Civil regional airport now major regional airport
(Previously RHOOSE, later GLAMORGAN (RHOOSE) AIRPORT)
(Now known as CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT)
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified.
ICAO code: EGFF IATA code: CWL
Operated by: 1952: Glamorgan Aviation
1965: Ministry of Aviation
1990: Cardiff-Wales Airport Ltd
2000: Cardiff International Airport Ltd
Military user: WW2: RAF Maintenance Command 57 Wing (Storage Unit)
Activities: Airline, charter, and BA heavy aircraft maintenance, GA charter, private, training
British airline users:
Air 2000, Airtours International, Air World (Envoy), Britannia Airways, British Airways (BA), British Westpoint, Brymon Aviation, Cambrian Air Services, Cambrian Airways, Channel Express, Citywing, Dan Air, Derby Airways, Eastern Airways, Flybe, Inter European Airways, Jersey Airlines, Manx Airlines, Manx2, Mayflower Air Services, Thomas Cook, Thomson fly, Western Airways
Foreign airline users: Aer Arran, Aer Lingus, Air Europa, Air Malta, BH Air, Futura, Intersun, Istanbul Airlines, KLM, Norwegian Air, Ryanair, Vueling Airlines
Charter/air taxi: Post 1945: Aer Turas. Airswift (Wales), Britannia Airways, Cabair, Cambrian Air Services, Cambrian Airways, Channel Airways, Derby Aviation*, Derby Airways, Euravia
Flying club/school: Cardiff Academy of Aviation, Cardiff Wales Flying Club, Glamorgan Aviation
1959 ‘snapshot’. Cardiff Ultra-Light Aeroplane Club, Glamorgan Flying Club, Rhoose Flying Club, Valley Flying Group
Maintenance: Cambrian Airways, later BA for 747s from ?
Location: S of A4265, (was A4226?), N of Rhoose, 9 nm SW of Cardiff
Period of operation: Military 1942 to 1951? Civil 1952 to present day
Note: These maps are provided with permission from Pooleys Flight Equipment. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: 12/30 975x46 hard 03/21 1349x46 hard
1959: 12/30 1382x46 hard 03/21 1127x46 hard
1965: 13/31 1128x46 hard 04/22 1382x40 hard 08/26 826 grass
1990: 12/30 2354x46 hard 03/21 1119x30 hard 09/27 440x18 grass
2000: 12/30 2354x46 hard
Evidence of possible grass runways 07/25 1000mtrs and 15/33 800mtrs (?)
A MIKE CHARLTON GALLERY
Note: These pictures from postcards were kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection; See, www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
Second picture: What a great picture. Two Cambrian, (ex BEA), Douglas DC-3s and a Vickers 700 Series Viscount. Cambrian, it appears, only operated their ex BEA Viscounts from 1963 to 1967, when BEA (British European Airways) took over. This was not a happy period with much acrimony resulting regarding where Cambrian aircrew fitted in with the BEA system of aircrew seniority.
For example, my much later very good friend Austin J Brown, then a first officer on Cambrian Viscounts, decided he couldn't stand it any longer, and after flying with a couple of regional airlines; eventually he went off to fly aircraft in the Caribbean and Africa. Before returning to the UK, and, along with flying duties formed his Aviation Picture Library and becoming Chief Photographer for FLYER magazine.
Fourth picture. Aer lingus introduced their radical 'Green top' livery in 1956, and, as Aer Lingus began operating Viscounts in 1954, this picture must have been taken during this period.
Sixth picture: It appears that BA applied this colour scheme from 1973 to 1980. And, in 1980, began to withdraw the Viscount from service.
Seventh picture: I think this picture could well have been taken when an Air France Concorde arrived here in 1979 to take passengers to Paris. Presumably with a quick supersonic scoot along the Bristol Channel curving around into the English Channel or Bay of Biscay.
Eighth picture. I wonder when this picture was taken? Probably in the 1970s?
NOTES: It appears it was decided to develop RHOOSE in 1952 and Aer Lingus launched an experimental Dublin-Cardiff-Bristol(WHITCHURCH) service.
On April 1st 1954, after many alterations to the site, all services were transferred from PENGHAM MOORS. In 1959 the Aer Lingus Dublin-RHOOSE-Bristol (now LULSGATE) service was operating daily and Cambrian Airways operated to Jersey, Manchester (RINGWAY), Paris via Southampton (EASTLEIGH) and Belfast (NUTTS CORNER) via Bristol. Club flying was by Glamorgan Aviation.
*A SHORT INTERLUDE
Derby Aviation based their Dakota G-ANTD at BLACKBUSHE (HAMPSHIRE) from the end of May until the 15th June 1955 to transport newspapers to EXETER (DEVON) and RHOOSE during the rail strike. I mention this to illustrate how the independent airlines of this period seized on lucrative short term contracts such as this example, often in a vain effort to remain in business. A few years later on, when Derby Aviation had become Derby Airways (later to become British Midland Airways), this airline did ever expanding business from the Cardiff area despite being badly managed at a senior level. 1963 was a boom period, with passenger numbers more than doubling to Barcelona and Palma (Majorca) since 1962. Using Canadair Argonauts Derby Airways flew four flights a week to Majorca and five flights a weekto Barcelona for the summer period.
THE THIRD PFA RALLY
The third PFA Rally was held here in 1958 attracting seven French aircraft. It is reported the registration of the Minicab F-PHUC “…...caused considerable consternation among the Welsh guests.” Obviously they needed to get out more! Apparently about thirty UK registered aircraft attended and the ‘airport’ was being run by Glamorgan Aviation the forerunner of the Glamorgan Flying Club.
CAMBRIAN AIRWAYS
Cambrian Air Services moved their operations here from Pengam Moors in 1954 and changed their name to Cambrian Airways in May 1955
According to the 1957 'The Aeroplane' directory the fleet comprised three DH104 Doves, two DH89A Dragon Rapides, three Percival Proctors, one Auster and two Douglas Dakotas. Their other flying bases were HAVERFORDWEST, STAVERTON (Gloucester), EASTLEIGH (Southampton), SPEKE (Liverpool) and WHITCHURCH (Bristol).
In 1959 the Cambrian Airways fleet was:
De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide G-AJCL
De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2 G-AOGU
Douglas DC-3 ‘Dakota’ G-AHCZ, G-AMFV & G-AMJX
A NOTABLE 'DOUBLE-FIRST'
In 1971 British Caledonian Airways achieved a double first by flying the first trans-Atlantic flight from RHOOSE using a Boeing 707, and this was also the first visit of this famous airliner type.
PERSONAL MEMORIES
I can still remember as our family drove along the A4 (as it then was) on a holiday to South Wales, seeing Cambrian Airways 'Daks' parked outside the hangar and quite close to the road. The sight made a lasting impression and it must have been in roughly 1957, give or take a year.
My next visit was on the 10th October 1992 when Aussie Brown and I flew in on out tour of UK airports for a double book commission from the publishers Ian Allan. This was in the Cessna 172 G-WACL. It meant a lot to Austin to revisit this airport as after being sponsored for an ATPL by Cambrian Airways, he started flying their Viscounts from here, and later the BAC-IIIs.
PICTURE GALLERY MAY 2017
I have to say that for making a brief visit to see what is going on, and the services available, Cardiff airport is somewhat user unfriendly - in line with many regional UK airports of course. The key element is imposing very expensive short term parking charges. But, we need to remember that the costs of operating a fully-equipped airport are considerable. Against this, the pressure on the airlines for offering ever cheaper flights, must mean that the airport management have little in the way of options when it comes to raising revenue.
This said, how much would it cost to put a lick of fresh paint underneath the entrance signboard pictured?
Kevin James Scott
This comment was written on: 2020-05-20 08:31:09Cambrian Maintenance from 1950's . Became BA in mid 70's and closed December 81 . BAMC opened up with first B747 aircraft Tuesday 04th May 1993 , a wholly owned Subsiduary of BA .
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