Scarborough racecourse
SCARBOROUGH RACECOURSE: Temporary Landing Ground (Aka RIGGS HEAD)
Location: Just N of the present day GCHQ Station, about 2nm SW of Scarborough town centre
Period of operation: 22nd July 1929 (Plus, see note below)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The newspaper picture of Sir Alan Cobham greeting his probably oldest passenger, (82 years of age), during this Tour was published in the Leeds Mercury on the 23rd July 1929. As was the picture of G-AAEV.
Note: The newspaper article was published in The Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 23rd July 1929. The article in Flight magazine was published on the 8th August 1929. I have added the Google Earth © pictures.
NOTES: Scarborough was the planned 38th venue for the 1929 Sir Alan Cobham's Municipal Aerodrome Campaign. It was actually, it now appears, his 41st venue.
Starting in May and ending in October this Tour was intended to visite venues in one hundred and seven towns and cities. In the end it appears Cobham managed to visit 97 venues that year. A quite remarkable achievement.
Mostly in England but with two in Wales and eight in Scotland. It certainly seemed to create an effect with several aerodromes / regional airports being constructed soon after. But not in Scarborough.
The aircraft Cobham used for this 'Tour' was the DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV, named 'Youth of Britain'. The schedule he set himself is quite astonishing - see my article about the 1929 Tour for more information.
ANOTHER VISIT
Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', has found a mention of the Percival P.10 Vega Gull G-AEKD making a diversion and a forced landing here on the 11th January 1937. Owned and flown by Lt. Patrick Randolph it appears it remained here until at least the following afternoon. Sadly Lt. Randolph died when he crashed landing at Sanganer Aerodrome, Jaipur in India on the 12th October 1937.
Bob
This comment was written on: 2020-01-27 08:16:43I was a passenger in a DH Rapide - back seat by door. Elmdon [BHX] to Scarborough in the late forties. The grass airfield was to the south of Scarborough. It was windy and raining when we landed - I remember the wet grass. Return trip a few days later. Surely the locals will know precisely the location of the field?
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