Bennett Lane Fields
BENNETT LANE FIELDS: Temporary aerodrome
Note: The first two pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©. The area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Sir Alan Cobham’s 1932 National Aviation Day UK Display Tour
Location: Just N of Leeds Road, NE of Dewsbury town centre
Period of operation: 4th October 1932
NOTES: Despite making his 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign tour, Sir Alan Cobham clearly did not appreciate, (or was not in a position to organise?), the potential of staging major 'flying circus' tours. When others showed the way forward in 1931, he then organised his first tour - and nothing like it had ever been seen before. Starting on the 12th April at HANWORTH in west London, the planned schedule was for 174 venues, culminating at CHINGFORD in Essex, (north-east London), on the 16th October. The BENNETT LANE venue was the 162nd venue, and, it appears - they arrived on time.
The hey-days of the 'Flying Circus' era were actually quite short lived, and Sir Alan Cobham, (who detested the term 'Flying Circus'), arranged tours that surpassed all others. Indeed, nothing even remotely similar to his have been arranged since. Cobham's tours lasted from 1932 to 1935, although a few operaters soldiered on until 1936/37. Bit by bit, those involved in supporting this 'Guide' have been painstakingly attempting to identify, as far as possible, the venues used - and not just by Cobham.
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