Hanwell flying sites
Note: This map gives the position of the WW1 temporary airfield.
HANWELL: Temporary airfield?
NOTES: In early 1910 a Mr G J Mason is recorded as being experimenting with a monoplane. Having lived in this heavily built up area of Hanwell/Ealing for forty years, it is now hard to imagine where he might have been operating from. The obvious location being the site listed below? Then again the present parks would have more than met his needs of course. In those days, and even into the 1930s, holding major public flying events in public parks and/or recreation grounds was a commonplace practise.,
HANWELL: Military temporary Landing Ground
Note: Picture by the author.
NOTES: It is reported that in WW1 two ‘pusher biplanes’ were stationed in a field either adjacent to or near to the Wharncliffe railway viaduct over the river Brent, (presumably attached to NORTHOLT?), as part of the defence system against Zeppelin attacks. They were it seems ‘hangared’ in the arches beneath the viaduct. (I discovered this report in my local ‘main’ library ‘local history section’). I do think it is high time these facilities and the people who work in them are properly praised and due account taken of the immensely valuable, (but often thankless), work done especially with regard to preserving our history.
The housing estate, (to the west of where the picture above was taken), did not exist in WW1 so the airfield would have been much larger than what remains today.
AN ASIDE
Not a flying site as such but well worth recording? Reports state that the MPM Group founded by Roy Mills, (then the PFA Chairman), rented an “old tunnel”; deep in the heart of Hanwell to fully restore vintage aircraft. I strongly suspect “The Tunnel” was a nickname. There are no tunnels in Hanwell, so the best bet is that they rented a railway arch as premises? There are several forming part of the eastern approach to the Wharncliffe viaduct. Possibly one of the most unlikely locations to find a major vintage aircraft restoration concern?
AND, 'AIRFIELD' STILL USED!
Note: This picture was taken on the 22nd March 2022 by my good friend Derek Pratt (Waterways Picture Library). It shows the London Air Ambulance MD900 Explorer G-LNDN (ex A7-NHA) which was registered 18.08.2015.
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