Oulton Park
OULTON PARK: Private airfield, later two helipads
Note: All four of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
Users: GA on race day business only? Back in the 1960s to 1980s?
Note: Looking at the site in recent years, it seems that the only position for an airstrip would have been in the SSW corner, W of Oulton Lake? Advice will be most welcome.
Location: Situated on Oulton Park motor racing circuit, E of B5152 & A49, roughly 3nm WSW of Winsford
Period of operation: GA fixed wing - 1960s to 1980s only?
Note: Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', has unearthed a record of the Piper PA-23-250 Aztec C, N6094Y, flying in from Dornoch, (near Inverness), on the 14th September 1967.
NOTES: Even though fixed wing visits might (?) have ceased in the 1980s, surely a helicopter landing area has been provided since? Quickly looking at the official web-site makes no mention of such a facility being available. However, the 'Comment', (see below), by Christopher Beale in 2019 led me to look at this entry again, and low and behold I found two helipads. The original helipad, just NW of the grandstand, was obviously unsuitable for use on race days, as the 2010 picture shows.
The second helipad was laid out at some time after 2010.
In more recent years an air show is staged here, I think annually, but I believe it is for an aerial display and fly-pasts.
A COLIN LOURIE GALLERY
In November 2023 Colin very kindly sent me these rare pictures that he had taken during 1968 and 1969.
PICTURE ONE: (1968) This picture was taken near The Avenue and three of the aircraft can be positively identified. The Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, G-AVTI, was owned by Brabham Racing. The de Havilland Canada DHC.1 Chipmunk Mk.22, G-ARGG (ex WD305), was owned by Air Navigation based at SQUIRES GATE, Blackpool. I cannot find out who owned the Piper PA-23-250D Aztec N6094Y. The high wing type is the Piper PA-22-108 Colt, G-ARKS, registered to Page and Moy Ltd of Leicester.
PICTURE TWO: (1968) Jackie Stewart on The Avenue.
PICTURE THREE: (1968) The Brantly 305 G-ATSJ was owned by Alan Mann Racing.
PICTURE FOUR: (1969) This Piper PA-23-250D Aztec, N6645Y, was owned by Graham Hill - or at least by his company. Colin tells us - "I think the part of the circuit in the foreground is Dentons and that the length of circuit below the Daily Express sign would have been Hilltop. It "might" be landing along the SE side of Dentons."
MY COMMENTS
The picture of the Aztec N6645Y rang a lot of bells. It was in this aircraft that Graham Hill crashed on the night of the 29th November 1975. The press at the time tried to make Hill out as being a national hero - which he certainly was for car racing. As a pilot he was a foolish, reckless, incompetent headstrong mess, who should not have being flying that night, let alone with passengers.
His aircraft, although carrying a US registration, was actually unregistered and stateless, therefore uninsured. His night and instrument ratings had also expired. We can bet that this situation had not been explained to his five passengers, all of whom also perished in the crash. I know ELSTREE very well, having been based with a flying group there for several years.
To even contemplate landing there, at night in thick fog, (visibility being given as 50 to 100 metres), was tantamount to being suicidal. No facilities were available and indeed, he had clearly lost the plot completely, being well wide of the approach, crashing on the Arkley golf course some 3.5 miles short. The real tragedy for the family and friends of those passengers, is that Luton airport, just 15 miles to the north of ELSTREE, had been given as a diversion on the flight plan from southern France.
Even in those days, I very strongly suspect, Luton ATC could have given, at the very least, a PRA, (Precision Radar Approach), and with high intensity runway lighting, although not guaranteed of course, a survivable outcome was far more likely.
Christopher Beale
This comment was written on: 2019-09-19 11:24:56Google Earth shows a Helipad with a nice clear yellow "H" in the southern part of the circuit.
john Mawdsley
This comment was written on: 2020-07-13 08:51:29There are two helipads at Oulton Park: The first is in the paddock to the south of the T shaped building and used for air ambulace activities the second to the west of the paddock adjacent to the Moss Fogarty building on the infield - suggest contacting Oulton Park or Owner Motor Sport Vision (MSV) for details
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