Barrhead
Note: The location of this site has now been amended thanks to the advice of William Imrie - see 'Comments' below.
BARRHEAD: Early flying site
NOTES: It appears that before WW1 The Scottish Aviation Co. were flying their ‘Caledonia’ monoplane from November 1911 and soon after the ‘Dart’ from BARRHEAD. I was quite pleased to discover this but in 2010 came across British Built Aircraft Vol.5 by Ron Smith in which he gives chapter and verse from which I will quote mostly in full:
“Barrhead was used as one of the earliest flying fields in Scotland, and is associated with the operations of the Barrhead Flying School and the Scottish Aviation Co…… In 1911, the School was advertising its facilities as the ‘finest aerodrome in Scotland’, this being a sixty-acre field six miles from Glasgow."
"Tuition was offered on both Blériot and Farman types. In October 1911 there were six pupils and aircraft included Blériot, Farman, ‘a new military passenger biplane’, and two other machines under construction. In March 1912, the Barrhead Flying School was advertising; ‘Tuition on monoplanes and biplanes till Brevet is obtained. £45 including Insurance against Breakages. Magnificent Aerodrome; Competent Instructors. £5 prize to pupils accomplishing 30 minute flight within a week of passing for Certificate’.”
MORE INFO
“The Scottish Aviation Co. Caledonia monoplane was flying in November 1911 at Barrhead. The second Scottish Aviation type was the Dart monoplane, which was closely based on the Blériot monoplane, albeit with a modified undercarriage. In December 1911 the company negotiated the sole rights to build Avro designs in Scotland. In February 1912, the company was advertising the Caledonia-Avro biplane (under license) for £500 including tuition."
"This Scottish Aviation Co. has no connection with the later Scottish Aviation Ltd of Prestwick. British Aircraft Before the Great War reports that a Farman-type biplane was also constructed and that all these aircraft were destroyed by fire at Barrhead on 13 April 1912.”
Hangar fires seem to have occurred a lot in the first few decades of aviation history. These days they are thankfully a rarity and usually attributed to arson. Hmmmm - perhaps time to look again at those early Fire Brigade reports?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We can congratulate Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', for doing a most splendid job in unearthing so much information, and providing the maps and pictures. Without a doubt this now provides this 'Guide' with one of the best accounts of this location available today.
Note: The first article above was published in The Aeroplane on the 8th June 1911.
Note: The second article and the picture were published in Flight magazine on the 21st June 1911. The third article was published in The Aeroplane on the 6th July 1911.
The first picture above shows the Scottish Aviation 'Caledonia', the second is of the Scottish Aviation 'Dart'. Both published in Flight magazine on the 21st June 1911. The fourth article was also published in Flight, but on the 7th October 1911.
The fifth article concerning model flying at Barrhead, was also published in Flight on the 7th October 1911.
The sixth article was published in The Aeroplane on the 9th November 1911, and likewise the seventh, but this time on the 16th November.
Note: The advert above was published in The Aeroplane on the 4th January 1912. The notice of the catastrophic fire was published in Flight magazine on the 20th April 1912. Is it safe to assume that this fire forced the closure of this most enterprising project to establish an aerodrome and flying school near to Glasgow?
Later Mike Holder discovered this article published in The Aeroplane on the 2nd May 1912, which confirms the sad situation.
William Imrie
This comment was written on: 2017-06-23 01:31:27I was born at Dubbs Farm Barrhead and I recall my father describing one of his fields as the first airfield in Scotland. If correct, that field is one that he sold for sportsfield extensions to Cowan Park, Barrhead.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi William, Many thanks indeed for this information. I shall keep your comments posted. Best regards, Dick
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