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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1763.PDF
FLIGHT, 14 December 1956 West Country Aviation 927 Commentary on a Tour By DAVID F. OGILVY THE flying rates quoted in this article are those prevailing at die timeof the author's recent visits. The extent to which club flying charges in general will be affected by the petrol-price increase is still uncertainas we go to press; a reference to current discussions appears on p. 944. THERE are many of us who deplore the recent closing ofseveral well-known aerodromes in the London area; butalthough Hanworth, Heston, Redhill, Fairlop, Broxboume and possibly some others now accommodate houses or gravel pitsinstead of aeroplanes, there remain even today sufficient ports of call to satisfy die needs of most of us. It is not so in the WestCountry, for Devon offers facilities only at Exeter and Plymouth, with restricted use of Chivenor, while Cornwall boasts only theover-water jump-off point at Land's End, St. Just, and, seemingly in the midst of the Atlantic, St. Mary's Airport on the Scillies.Nevertheless, despite the virtual absence of aerodromes, there is no shortage of activity or enthusiasm, especially when we realizethat neither county can claim over-population. After all, Exeter and Plymouth are the only towns of any real numerical significanceand each has its own airport, so we can hardly expect (nor can demand warrant) anything more. Although the two are verydifferent in size and potential, each offers flying club and charter facilities and accommodation for private owners, each has a con-tract for the maintenance or operation of Service aircraft and the same parent organization is responsible for their mutual manage-ment, with R. J. B. Pearse, O.B.E., A.F.C., as the party primarily responsible for their success. The traveller to the west will meet Exeter first, and he may wellbe surprised to find a comparatively large aerodrome with the familiar Service triangular pattern of three runways; and as thelongest of these, 27/09, is 2,040 yd in length there are very few aircraft that cannot be accommodated with relative ease. Not thatthis abundance of tarmac is wasted or merely comes into occa- sional use when the odd visitor of heavier calibre arrives: despiteExeter's essentially civilian status a first impression of the dis- persals round the hangar can temporarily transport one to anoperational station of a few years ago, with a host of Vampires at one end and Mosquitoes at the other. Yet there is not oneService pilot on the camp! The people whose good fortune it is to fly these machines areemployed by Exeter Airport, Ltd., as the operators of No. 3/4 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Unit. Although securityrestrictions prevent mention of details, it may be said that the flying carried out includes calibration, towing and other dutiesfor all three Services. Until 1951 most of the work was performed by a squadron of Spitfires from Chivenor, but in that year theC.A.A.C.U. was formed and took over the task with Beaufighters, Spitfires and Oxfords. The Beaus gave way to Mossies morethan a couple of years ago; and now even the Oxfords have handed An Autocrat of txeter Aero Club outside the terminal building. Vampires and Mosquitoes are also based at Exeter. in their resignations, to be replaced by Anson 19s. The last fourSpit. 16s were retained for as long as possible and their disappear- ance was as recent as last June. However, they are still makingpublic appearances on the screen, for they are to be seen flying in a number of sequences in Reach For the Sky.It is the frequent fate of famous Service aircraft to be relegated to second-line duties, and although the old regular squadron crestsstill appearing on some of the Vampire F.B.5s must have a slightly heart-rending effect, it cannot be such a sore sight as that of aSywell-converted Mosquito T.T.35 wasting the power of its Merlins in a private thrust/drag war with a large and ungainlygunnery drogue. Nevertheless, it is pleasant to see the machine still very much alive, and once the "sock" has been released the olddear is just the same as ever; however menial her task, nothing can alter that nostalgic over-the-fence crackle.Although military aviation of this type possesses a spark of power and fury that makes itself felt in a peculiarly indescribablemanner to all who have been Service pilots, it is the purely civil side that must present a greater factor of interest for practicalaviators. For the benefit of just such people Exeter Airport was opened in 1937, then boasting but 96 acres of land bought for thepurpose by the city. Now three times larger in overall area, it is still municipally owned, but it has not yet been derequisitioned bythe Air Ministry; however, its operation is in the hands of Exeter Airport, Ltd., who provide control facilities, a terminal building,maintenance personnel, and a flying club. In addition to W/C. Pearse, who as managing director of theoperating company serves also as airport manager, several other people keep things running smoothly. Now about to emigrate toAfrica, John Bennett has been the club's C.F.I, since 1951 and with a small fleet of two Autocrats and a Tiger Moth has main-tained a stable level of hourage and utilization. A total of 1,036 hours was flown in 1954, while last year's figure was 1,040, and1956 has produced improved results. C. E. K. Foster acts as chief engineer of all maintenance work carried out on the airport, butthe nursing of club and private aeroplanes, of which there are but two, Autocar and a Gemini, is in the hands of J. Lindores. Last,but certainly not least, is Miss D. I. Perry, whose official status is that of administrative assistant, though in practice she attends toeverything from wages to C.A.A.C.U. statistics and club secretarial work to staff appointments.Apart from flying, the club offers good sporting facilities and claims an excellent squash court, while a tennis court is now beingprepared. Of the 265 members, for whom the annual subscription is £3 3s regardless of category, about 100 are not active aviators; Plymouth Aero Club aircraft fleet, instruc- tors and some of the members. In front of the Gemini are instruc- tors K. P. H. Cleife, W. H. W. Lucas (chief flying instructor), R. A. Gliddon, L. E. J. Prout.
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