Harty Ferry
Note: This map gives a pretty good idea of the location, but, if anybody can kindly either confirm this, or provide a more exact position, this advice will be most welcome.
HARTY FERRY: Seaplane operating site (More recently model flying)
Note: Both pictures taken by the author in June 2018. The hangar would have been, it seems, fairly close to this location,
Location: Situated near the village of Harty on the banks of the Swale estuary in the south east part of the Isle of Sheppey which itself is known as the Isle of Harty. This location would have been reasonably close to SHELLBEACH which is where most of the fixed wing flying took place before the Aero Club moved to EASTCHURCH - both of which sites are also on the Isle of Sheppey.
NOTES: Used at least once for a famous floatplane departure in 1912 - see RIVER THAMES (LONDON) for more details. The Short S.33, a floatplane variant of the Short S.32 was first flown here in May 1912 and based in a hangar next to the Harty Ferry Inn.
It also appears that the main function of this seaplane was to fly down to Whitstable to collect oysters for the Royal Navy officers Mess. Presumably at EASTCHURCH?
MODEL FLYING
In much more recent years a site has been used for model flying by the Medway Model Flying Club, but so far I have failed to discover exactly where this is. Perhaps somebody can kindly offer advice.
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