Stony Stratford
Note: This map only gives a rough location within the UK, Stony Stratford being today largely consumed within the urban expanse of Milton Keynes. However, if somebody could be kind enough to provide an exact location, this advice will be much appreciated.
STONY STRATFORD: Temporary Landing Ground - not used
NOTES: The main problem I initially had with this planned 100th venue in 1929 is that it is so close to WOLVERTON, which was the 79th venue.
The original tour for Sir Alan Cobham's 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign was to visit 107 venues. Mostly in England but with two in South Wales and eight in Scotland. Due to a couple of crashes and other setbacks the tour needed to be rescheduled as it progressed, and Stony Stratford was scratched.
The aircraft Cobham mostly used for this Tour was the ten-seater de Havilland DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV, named 'Youth of Britain'. The overall scheme resulted in a punishing schedule for Cobham. Highly recommended reading are his memoirs in 'A Time To Fly'.
For anybody interested in the fascinating 'Flying Circus' period, which followed in Cobham's case two years later in 1932, after two other concerns - the North British Aviaton Co Ltd, and C D Barnard Air Tours had pioneered the concept in 1931, I can highly recommend reading Those Fabulous Flying Years by Colin Cruddas.
A LICENSED AERODROME
It is not generally known that the sites used, even if for only one day by these 'Flying Circus' operators, were officially licensed aerodromes. In the early days a couple of men from the 'Ministry' would turn up in advance, drive their car across the field to determine its suitabilty, and quite often would issue performance limitations for some of the aircraft.
Later on, at least for some of the operators, presumably the most trusted and respected of course, were allowed to be self-certifying.
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