Islington Farm
ISLINGTON FARM: Temporary aerodrome
Operated by: Berkshire Aviation Co
Location: Just S of Wells city centre
Period of operation: 5th to 14th May 1922
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'. to thank for investigating this venue.
The advert was published in the Wells Journal on the 5th May 1922. Note that it gives the dates as being from the 5th to the 10th May. The enterprise proved to be so popular that they stayed on for another four days.
The photo and article, (in two parts), was published in the Wells Journal on the 12th May.
The article was published in The Aeroplane on the 31st May 1922.
NOTES: Following on from the Armistice there were a large number of airmen, pilots and ground crew, (mechanics and fitters etc), who were keen to stay involved with aviation. In those days joy-riding was very popular, and the mainstay of most operations was the Avro 504, especially the 504K and 504N models, which Avro could quickly and relatively cheaply convert to carry two passengers.
The Avro 504K, G-EAKX (ex.H2606), was one such and used here by Berkshire Aviation. Registered on the 20th August 1919, it remained flying on mostly joy-riding and air taxi operations until the mid 1930s. Unlike the later Flying Circus operators in the 1930s, who mostly had a fleet of aircraft, up to a dozen or more, and staying at a venue for normally just one or two days, it was much more common to use just one or two aircraft and remain for a few days.
There was a fair amount of flexibility involved regarding just how long they would stay, mainly dependent on how much custom they judged to be forthcoming. At the most popular seaside resorts especially, some operators stayed for the summer season. In this case it appears that just G-EAKX was used, but as can be seen, the original plan was to stay from the 5th to the 10th May; demand being such they remained here until the 14th.
On a much smaller scale, joy-ride operations still exist, often using helicopters. One aspect that will not be found these days with fixed wing aircraft, (I cannot think of an exception?), is the option of paying extra for basic aerobatics. Mostly because all the 'regular' joy-ride operations I have come across use non-aerobatic aircraft. This said, it is not too difficult to find opportunities to experience aerobatics.
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