Bickmarsh
BICKMARSH: Gliding site
Operated by: 1970s & 1980s to -: Worcestershire Gliding Club
2015: Bidford Flying & Gliding Club
Location: E & S of B4085, 2nm S of Bidford-on-Avon, roughly 4nm NE of Evesham
Period of operation: 1970s to -
NOTES: Within this 'Guide' you will find several entries relating to 1977 and where various GA types were based. I have included many examples because this was such an interesting era in British general aviation which had largely changed over to American ‘Spam-can’ types, or so we’re often told. I think this might well be the case for many flying schools but I found looking through a register of where aircraft were based in 1977 published by P.B. Enterprises that a rather different picture emerges and I was delighted by the sheer variety of aircraft at many aerodromes.
BICKMARSH probably doesn’t feature prominently today in most peoples memories and I’ve found it normally listed as being a gliding site. Even so seven GA types were based there in 1977 and these were; Champion 7FC Tri-Traveller G-APYT, Cessna 172B Skyhawk G-ARIU, Jodel DR.1050 G-AVTH, the PZL-104 Srs.6 Wilga G-AZYJ of Worcester Gliding Ltd, Luton L.A.5 Major G-BCKP, Jodel D.11A G-BDBV and lastly the Cessna 182B G-BECR.
I’d say this was, broadly speaking, fairly representative of many UK airfields of that era. I had hoped to find an Auster or Tiger Moth based here to really prove my point of course, but this mix only partly reflects the dominant influence of American ‘Spam-can’ types. In case this might sound as if I’m a tad negative towards ‘Spam-cans’ I’m not all - in fact quite the opposite and often find I’m the only pilot prepared to champion the cause of these often very heavily worked but still mainly safe aircraft.
In fact, without the arrival of the Cessna 150/152 in particular, for training GA pilots, would we now have the greatly expanded GA ‘community’ in the UK? These truly classic aircraft seem capable of absorbing endless circuit bashing like no other and have been, and still are, employed for such duties around the world. And, still great fun to fly when you get to really know them.
Note: See comment below from Barrie Turner - many thanks Barrie.
Alf Jenks
This comment was written on: 2015-11-11 12:30:45Bickmarsh in in Worcestershire.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Alf, Many thanks indeed. I shall now amend this. There is usually nothing better than local knowledge. Regards, Dick
Barrie Turner
This comment was written on: 2016-03-06 17:24:56Spent a few hours at Bickmarsh around 1970 towing gliders with a Tiger Moth. It was owned by a Dane from Aarhus called Jan, I think? He leased it to the Gliding Club. Can't remember Reg.
Jacky Croft
This comment was written on: 2017-06-13 16:42:12My Dad Ken Dorrance, was one of the founder members of Bickmarsh Gliding Club in the late 1960's. He was an Instructor & one of the founder makers of the motorised glider, of which, he built two of his own. Names I can remember from Bickmarsh were, Jeremy Quinn (of Quinns Daries) he put up a lot of money to modernise the club, Bob Baker, he was one of the "in charge" blokes & a chap called Barney. As a kid, that's all I can recall !!!
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Jacky, Many thanks. I shall keep your comments posted. Best regards, Dick
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
