Sanday
SANDAY: Civil aerodrome/airport (Aka HAMMERBRAKE)
Note: This first picture (2006) was obtained from Google Earth ©. The area map was kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder and shows the other two flying sites so far known about on Sanday Island.
Operated by:
1980s to 2000: Orkney Islands Council
British airline users:
Post 1945: Loganair
Location: S & E of the B9068, roughly centre of Sanday Island, 20nm NNE of KIRKWALL
Period of operation: 1967 to -
Note: These maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: 1990: 03/21 527x30 grass 11/29 397x30 grass
17/35 390x30 grass
2000: 03/21 467x18 semi-hard 11/29 426x30 grass
17/35 386x30 grass
2001: 03/21 467x30 semi-hard 11/29 426x30 grass
17/35 386x30 grass
Later it appears the 17/35 runway became disused.
HAMMERBRAKE
Reseach by Mike Holder reveals that an airfield, pretty much if not exactly on this site, was established in 1939, it being named after a farm just to the east. Presumably this was used, possibly by Highland Airways and perhaps others (?), for the duration of WW2.
A STORY
Iain Hutchinson relates this story in his book Air Ambulance. “In his memoirs Fresson, (who formed Highland Airways – my note), makes little reference to his direct involvement with air ambulance flying. But he took it seriously and gave air ambulance calls the highest of priorities. These included call-outs at night for which the island airfields around Orkney were not equipped.
Night landings were made possible with the aid of headlights from two motor vehicles positioned so that the beams formed a letter L across the grass. Fresson gave his pilots training at his Inverness base so that they could tackle landings on the islands with this rudimentary lighting.”
As noted elsewhere when the Alan Cobham tours continued to operate at night they often used their petrol tanker lorries as these had much more powerful headlights. Health and Safety people - please take note!
“The most famous of these was performed by John Hankins on the 28th February 1939 when he landed on Sanday on an exceptionally dark night during a gale. He was at the controls of one of the Highland Airways’ Dragons and it was considered a miracle that he found his way to the island at all. That he located and effected a landing on a 300 yard strip, helped only by the illumination from the lights of a strategically parked car, was an extraordinary feat of expertise and daring.”
Fresson recorded, “This flight I consider was the highlight of all our urgent ambulance flights and I have always admired the skill and courage of Captain Hankins in undertaking that call.”
See the listing for BEA NESS
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
