Sherburn in Elmet
SHERBURN-IN-ELMET: Originally a military aerodrome with a mixed history of civil and military use
Notes: All pictures by the author unless specified. The fourth picture is of the Piper PA-28-161 Cadet, G-SACS, operated by the Sherburn Aero Club - on the pumps awaiting to be refuelled.
Military users: WW1: RFC/RAF Night Landing Ground for 76 (Home Defence) Sqdn 1917 to 1919
RAF Aircraft Acceptance Park and Storage Section 1918 to 1919
Apparently also an Experimental Station according to some sources?
Civil users: 1918 to 1920: Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co
Note: This picture of a photograph was taken in the Science Museum, London. The caption says the picture was taken at the 'Yorkshire Air Pageant 1930'.
A bit of delving on the inter-web reveals that the Yorkshire Air Pageant in 1930 was held here on the 12th May, and had a "record gathering".
The Comper CLA7 Swift G-AARX was registered to the Comper Aircraft Company at HOOTON (CHESHIRE) from just the 12th October 1929 until December 1931 - when it was scrapped. I wonder why?
WW2: RAF Flying Training Command 21 Group
Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment 41 Group
7 ATA Ferry Pool
Operated by: 1980s to 2000: Sherburn Aero Club
Civil activities: Post 1945: GA air taxi, private
Air taxi: Post 1945: Bidgood & Catton Taxi Planes
Flying club/school: Pre 1940: North Sea Aerial Navigation?, York County Aviation Club, Yorkshire Aeroplane Club, Yorkshire Light Aeroplane Club
Post 1945: Sherburn Aero Club (Formed in 1964)
Note: In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory, the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club were listed as operating: One de Havilland DH98A Dragon Rapide, one B.A. Swallow, one Auster Aiglet, (possibly a J/1B?), one Miles M.38 Messenger, four Austers, (why the seperate entry? Perhaps the then 'bog standard' J/1 Autocrat ?), two de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moths and a Miles M.65 Gemini. This really was a very substantial fleet which was equalled by very few clubs elsewhere in the UK. The only similar sized fleet I can think of, is the Wolverhampton Aero Club.
The key point being that both operated Dragon Rapides, presumably for commercial operations (?), and I cannot recall any other Clubs in the UK doing likewise? Or am I mistaken?
Helicopter ops: Hields Aviation
Maintenance: Post 1945: Hornet Aviation
2001: Sherburn Engineering
Manufacturing: WW1: The Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co
1919 to 1939: Airspeed Ltd (Test flying only?) The Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co
WW2: Blackburn Aircraft Ltd. The factory was situated N of the airfield, beside the B1222
Location: S of B1222, 2nm E of Sherburn-in-Elmet, 5.5nm W to WNW of Selby, 12nm E of Leeds
Period of operation: 1917 to present day, (uninterrupted?). Military from 1917 to 1945 with mixed civil useage
Note: The circuit diagram shows two circuits to be flown with the corners 'shaved off'. Many airfields have one unorthodox circuit, but it is quite unusual, (am I mistaken?), for a licensed airfield in the UK to have two. Mind you, I once saw a circuit diagram in Germany where you had to fly a 'figure of eight'. Let's hope they never got a busy period!
Runways: WW1: 177 acres 1006 x 640 grass
1933: Max landing run: 823 grass
Note: These first three maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014. The second picture shows part of the WW2 hard runway which is to the north of the present airfield.
WW2: Originally an 'all-over' grass airfield with no marked runways in WW2 - the area being much larger than the present site.
05/23 1829x46 hard (Perhaps added in 1943 or 1944?)
Note: It was very unusual in WW2 for a military airfield to have just one hard runway, and possibly this was unique? Can anybody now explain the reason for this? One opinion is that this runway was added for the WAA who flew Ansons - but Ansons reguarly flew from grass airfields - so this seems an unlikely reason.
1990: 01/19 553x18 grass 11/29 616x18 grass
2000: 01/19 553x18 grass 06/24 792x18 grass
11/29 616x18 grass
(All these grass runways are S of the WW2 hard runway, used in 1990 as a vehicle test track)
Extra note: On landing here in 2015, we landed on a hard tunway, 11/29 situated just south and parallel to the grass runway with a maximum length of 820 metres . This was a more recent addition, (added in around 2002), and was not the WW2 hard runway which was further north. When was this runway built?
NOTES: Although listed as being in existence in 1917 it appears this airfield was still under construction in 1918 and it is claimed by some sources that no record of flying in WW1 exists? This it now seems is surely a total nonsense, see my notes above - or is it? If any single element has astonished me in my quest to provide a simple “Guide” to British flying sites it’s the degree of conflict in so many records by “experts” on the subject
Indeed, how could such a claim be made for a site which was in fact, or so it really does appear, an Aircraft Acceptance Park (AAP) in 1918. Also, The Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co built 162 Sopwith Cuckoos here, presumably being handed over to the AAP. But, t now occurs to me, just because it was an AAP, this might not indicate that aircraft were actually flown here? Possibly just inspected and packed off elsewhere?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Notes: The fifth and sixth articles were from Flight magazine. The Leeds Mercury article was published on the 5th July 1929. The mention that Cobham would fly 250 children is surely a very bad mistake? He normally flew forty in four flights, the cost of which was sponsored by Lord Wakefield of Castrol Oil fame.
THE AIRSPEED FERRY
The first Airspeed Ferry G-ABSI flew from here on the 5th April 1932, the fuselage being towed from the Airspeed factory, (‘Piccadilly Works’ a disused bus garage in York), on it’s own wheels and at night. This was shortly before Airspeed moved to PORTSMOUTH (HAMPSHIRE).
What I found interesting was that two of these aircraft were commissioned by Alan Coham specially for his forthcoming 1932 National Aviation Day UK tour - and this Tour started at HANWORTH (LONDON) on the 12th April although I have no idea if the first Ferry took part in it? If not it was certainly taking it’s place in the Cobham fleet fairly soon into the Tour. This said and as I understand it, if an aircraft flew well enough on it’s first flight the subsequent evaluation period could be very short indeed.
The ‘spec’ was interesting because nothing like it existed at the time. The main requirements were for a fairly large and reliable aircraft carrying ten people with excellent views for passengers, capable of operating in and out of small and usually unprepared landing grounds. Quite a tall order for the fledgling Airspeed Company of which in 1931 Cobham had become a director of incidentally. Now that’s what I would call “putting your money where your mouth is”. It seems incredible today but the Ferry could get airborne, fully freighted in about 200 yards, (or 183 metres).
Venue, (19th June 1932), for Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour.
THE BLACKBURN ERA
In his book British Built Aircraft Vol.5 Ron Smith tells us that during WW2 Blackburn built a ‘shadow’ factory here to manufacture the Fairey Swordfish with 1,700 of the type being turned out. Repair and modification activities also took place here with Blackburn handling 1,215 aircraft. During WW2 the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE) was based here and I suspect quite possibly the least known type they flew was a one-third scale prototype, the Baynes Bat (RA809), a tailless tank-carrying glider known as the Baynes Carrier Wing. This said I suppose the Hafner Rotabuggy/Rotajeep also flown by the AFEE could make an equal claim for being an obscure type?
Ron Smith also gives details of other lesser known civilian types, or at least lesser produced types, which it appears were built and/or first flew in the UK here. For example The Varioplane Co/The Commercial Aircraft Wing Syndicate test flew a DH.6 (G-EAWG) modified by Blackburn and fitted with a Holle/Alula wing, the 1st flight taking place on the 2nd January 1921. The Shackleton-Murray S.M.1 G-ACBP (1st flight in 1933?) was built by Airspeed.
POST WW2 LIGHT AIRCRAFT
Three examples of the Belgian Tipsy Belfair, G-AOXO, G-APIE and G-APOD were built here in 1957. Two examples of the Crosby BA-4B G-BEBS and G-BEBT (1st flight late 1960s?). Also the first homebuilt Practivia Sprite G-BDDB first flew here on the 16th June 1976
Note: This postcard was kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See: www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
Top picture: On the left is a visitor, the Rollason/Druine D.62B Condor G-AVZE owned by Norman Jones, (of Rollasons fame at CROYDON), from the 21st February 1968 to the 26th April 1979, and without doubt was part of The Tiger Club fleet at REDHILL.
On the right is the Cessna 150H G-BBDT (ex N23272) which was registered to the Sherburn Aero Club from the 27th March 1974 until the 30th June 1980.
SHERBURN AERO CLUB
In 2006 the Sherburn Aero Club, founded in 1964, were quite unusual in the UK for offering a CAP 10B for aerobatic instruction, a superb aeroplane.
I have flown in a CAP 10 with the all-time expert on this type from Cannes-Mandelieu in the south of France, Marcel Charolais, in 1994. I had the good sense to quickly hand over control to him, and enjoy a superb display of aerobatic excellence, including a sixteen point hesitation roll - during which the altimeter appeared to be stuck - it didn't move! During our flight Marcel demonstrated all the manouevres in the typical World Aerobatic Championship with breathtaking precision throughout.
Today, the top aerobatic pilots fly types so quick it’s akin to listening to the ‘Flight of the Bumble Bee’ over and over again. To put it bluntly, and in my humble opinion, we also like to see aeroplanes flown with finesse, just as in listening to sympthonies the slow ‘movement’ can be equally as engaging, and entrancing, as the fast stuff. Marcel could do both with absolute perfection.
Also, and, perhaps unique in the UK, (?), the Sherburn Aero Club were offering a Cessna 140 for dual instruction and solo hire.
Martyn
This comment was written on: 2018-05-24 18:41:39Chapter 7 of Nevil Shute's book 'Slide Rule' explains the origin of the Ferry and why it came into being at a cost of £5k to Cobham - in fact 2 were built. It was a biplane with 3 de Havilland Gypsy Moth engines and had a remarkably loaded short take off run, wing span of 55 ft and t/o weight of around 6000lbs. Cruise was circa 85mph, quite an undertaking for Airspeed, the company founded by Nevile Shute Norway (pen name, Nevile Shute). Great guy and book well worth reading....
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