Inglesham
INGLESHAM: Private airstrip
Note: Both of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
Operated by: Mr Mervyn Kinch
Location: About 2nm SSW of Lechlade on Thames, and roughly 3nm ESE of the centre of RAF FAIRFORD. This airstrip is just inside the County boundary of WILTSHIRE.
Period of operation: 1980s to –
Runway: 06/24 580 grass
NOTES: In the early 2000s just two aircraft were based here, a Condor and a Jodel.
What struck me, if I am correct (?), is the very long taxyway to what I assume was the hangar. Some 650 metres long leading SE from roughly the centre of the runway.
A STORY
The story is told that one year at 08.15 on a Sunday morning, (can you believe?), two spotters arrived virtually demanding to see the aircraft. Needless to say entry to the farm was quite rightly refused and they became quite abusive saying they’d driven 100 miles. It is exactly this sort of unwarranted behaviour which turns many strip operators against visits by spotters, most of whom are polite and considerate and often do get shown around. And visit at a more sociable time.
Somebody else it seems, was told by Mervyn’s father, that in the 1920s a biplane landed in the field the strip is now on, apparently running short of fuel which was a common enough situation in those days; as was landing for seeking directions.
martin
This comment was written on: 2019-06-08 19:07:22From memory and, frighteningly its nearly 40years ago now, in the 1980s there were about 4-5 aircraft (PFA types et al) hangered at the Inglesham strip (at various times), including a precursor fixed wing microlight 'experimental' aircraft (the size of a gyrocopter). If I recall correctly, in the 1980s, there were several charitable open days too. My father flew from Inglesham in several types over a period of several years. A working farm, the local herd of cattle were fenced off with electric fences, from the taxiway and strip, but occasionally they'd break through a fence (the grass is always greener on the other side) and we would have to gently move them on, a job my older brother loathed, much to my amusement. On the odd occasion that the cows would wander onto the runway, a low level pass and the well trained herd would obediently gather in a corner of the field well away from the runway. Although it wasn't just dead flies one would have to clean off of aircraft, but occasionally cow muck too! At one end of the runway was a tributary to the River Thames and at the other trees. Proper farm strip flying! The airstrip nestled inbetween, as I recall, the Fairford and Brize Norton CTAs. During the RIAT local flying was forbidden. At other times, during the 'Cold War', levels of weirdness were witnessed, when a large Antonov An-225 was seen and heard (over RT) to taxi on the base. I well remember landing at Inglesham in an Aeronca Chief and at slow speed, as the passenger, being asked to jump out and run along side to hold one wing down as a freak cross wind had built up/mini tornado like. No harm was done to aircraft or crew so all was well and we never experienced anything like that prior or post on the airstrip. The joys of farmstrip flying one could say. In fact I had my first ever flight there, circa 1980 with Mr Kinch in his Jodel (a D11 or similar if I recall correctly). Mr Kinch encouraged my father and his friend to take up/finish flight training/PPL, to fly, what are now termed as Group A types. They both did and then flew from the strip for several years in the 1980s. Fond memories!
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