Heston Aerodrome

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Heston Aerodrome
Central building of the airfield in July 1935
Characteristics
Coordinates

51 ° 29 ′ 15 ″  N , 0 ° 23 ′ 0 ″  W Coordinates: 51 ° 29 ′ 15 ″  N , 0 ° 23 ′ 0 ″  W.
Basic data
opening July 5, 1929
closure 1947



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The Heston Aerodrome was an airfield in west London in the United Kingdom that was in operation from 1929 to 1947. He was adjacent to the hamlets of Heston and Cranford of the place Hounslow in the county of Middlesex . In September 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew three times to Germany from Heston over the course of two weeks to speak to Adolf Hitler and finally to sign the Munich Agreement .

Beginnings

The idea for Heston Air Park came from the two pilots and owners of a joint aircraft, Nigel Norman and Alan Muntz, in 1928. It was built by their joint venture Airwork Ltd. Opened the aerodrome on 5 July 1929 to act as a target for the two-day air race King's Cup Race to serve. At that time the Airwork flight school was already known and many private planes were relocated to Heston. In addition, the Household Brigade Flying Club, also known as the Guards Flying Club, moved from Brooklands to Heston. Regular public events such as air shows , public displays of new types of aircraft, airfield festivals, air races and long-distance record attempts made Heston a major center for air sports . In 1931 the King's Cup Race stopped at Heston again. Since its opening Heston was the first airport in the United Kingdom, a hangar and a run- out concrete disposal. Additional hangars, other facilities and expansion of the airfield were added during the 1930s.

Commercial operation

In September 1931, Heston Air Park was renamed Heston Airport and customs clearance and passenger handling facilities were introduced. In addition, systems for night flights were installed. In 1932, the airfield was classified as a commercial alternate airport, which could be approached when Croydon Airport was in fog . It is claimed that the central building was the first purpose-built control tower on which all modern control towers are based.

In April 1933, Spartan Air Lines established a two-day service from Cowes on the Isle of Wight . During 1934 these flights were operated from Croydon, and in 1935 they were moved back to Heston in cooperation with Railway Air Services. From January 28, 1934 Jersey Airways flew daily to Saint Helier on the island of Jersey . From May 1934 the airlines Portsmouth, Southsea, and Isle of Wight Company (PS & IOW) flew from Heston to the Isle of Wight and British Air Navigation Company (BANCO), which had previously operated charter flights across the English Channel , to Le Touquet , Dieppe , Pourville and Deauville . Other resident airline companies included Air Commerce Ltd, Anglo-American Air Services, Birkett Air Service Ltd and Wrightson Air Hire. In 1934 and 1935 United Airways Limited operated flights from Heston to the Stanley Park Aerodrome in Blackpool .

In 1936, British Airways Ltd, formed through the merger of Spartan Air Lines, United Airways Ltd and Hillman's Airways, chose Heston as its base. British Airways Ltd then moved first to Gatwick Airport and later to Croydon Airport before returning to Heston in May 1938, where it stayed until April 1940.

Aircraft manufacturer

Among other things, the aircraft manufacturer Comper Aircraft Company from 1933-1934, the Chrislea Aircraft from 1936 to 1947, the Heston Aircraft Company from 1934 to 1948 and the Fairey Aviation Company from 1945 to 1947 were based in Heston. Carden-Baynes Aircraft and Navarro Safety Aircraft also used the airfield. The Mignet HM.14 Flying Flea, the Watkinson Dingbat , the Luton Minor , the Helmy Aerogypt , the Fane F.1 / 40 and the gyrocopter Hafner AR.III completed their maiden flights in Heston .

Record attempts

On December 25, 1930, Mildred Mary Petre started in her Blackburn Bluebird IV on a solo flight around the world. On November 24th, after a distance of 10,330 mi (16,625  km ) , she reached  Tokyo in twenty-five days . From there she traveled by ship to Vancouver , where the Bluebird was reassembled. From there she flew via Medford , Tucson , San Diego and Baltimore to New York City , from where she went by ship to Le Havre . On February 19, 1931, she flew to Lympne Airport . On her circumnavigation of the world she covered a total flight distance of about 19,000 mi (30,578 km) and set several world records. The following day she was escorted by an escort plane to Croydon Airport , where the press and well-known personalities were waiting for her. She later flew back to Heston, where she was received by Nigel Norman .

On 10 July 1933, the landed Avro 618 with the name "Faith in Australia" and the license plate VH UXX for a through an emergency landing due to a defective bulb in Persia failed record attempt by Australia to England in Heston. The crew consisted of the pilot Charles Ulm , Gordon Taylor, George "Scotty" Allan and JAW Edwards. After the aircraft had been repaired by Avro , Ulm and his crew prepared for a record attempt for a transatlantic flight over Ireland to Newfoundland . Unfortunately the landing gear broke on the beach at Portmarnock and Ulm gave up the attempt. On October 12, 1933, the "Faith in Australia" set off from the Great Western Aerodrome to Derby in Western Australia and broke the record for the England – Australia route.

On August 9, 1934, the first flight from mainland Canada to the United Kingdom landed at Wasaga Beach after a distance of 3,700  mi (5,955  km ) and a flight time of thirty hours and fifty-five minutes in Heston. The pilots JR Ayling and LG Reid tried on this flight, which was originally planned from Wasaga Beach to Baghdad , with their DH.84 Dragon ("Trail of the Caribou", registration G-ACJM) the then valid long-distance record of 5,657 mi (9,104 km) to break. However, icing up of the engine led to increased fuel consumption . In combination with bad weather, this ultimately led to the experiment being terminated.

Planned expansion

During the late 1930s, the British government assessed the future of aviation and airfields in London. It was then decided that London should get a total of four airports. These included Croydon and Heston, and planned airports at Fairlop , Essex and Lullingstone , Kent . At this point in time, Heston Airport had already started to be expanded and modernized in order to make it the most modern airport in Europe. New drains were laid and trees near the flight paths were removed. Runway lights and radio navigation aids were installed. In addition, areas and buildings around the airfield were purchased. In 1937 the Air Ministry bought the airport and expanded it to a size almost the size of Croydon Airport , making Heston the second London airport of the time. Imperial Airways flew to destinations in the Empire from Heston and British Airways served the European destinations. At that time the apron had reached a size of 3,540  ft (1,079  m ) by 2,700 ft (823 m).

The Air Ministry Heston and Kenley Aerodromes Extension Act of 1939 permitted the forced sale of land and the closure of roads needed for the expansion. Against the expansion plans, however, arose in particular from the Heston Aircraft Company , whose local factory was to be demolished, resistance. In 1939 work began with the demolition of several houses near the Hounslower borough of Cranford, but these were stopped with the outbreak of World War II .

"Peace for our time" 1938

Neville Chamberlain presented the Munich Agreement to a crowd in Heston on his return on September 30, 1938.

On September 15, 1938, the British flew Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with a Lockheed Model 10 British Airways with the registration G-AEPR Heston to Munich to in Berchtesgaden Chancellor Adolf Hitler to hit. On September 22, 1938 he flew in a Lockheed 14 with the registration number G-AFGN to Cologne-Bonn Airport for a meeting in Bad Godesberg . On September 29, 1938, he finally flew to Germany for the last time in the same machine , where he signed the Munich Agreement . After his return on September 30, 1938, he gave his speech " Peace for our time ".

Regular service 1939–1940

The Air Ministry originally wanted to take over the airfield in full from Airwork Ltd in September 1939 for a civil line operation. After the beginning of the Second World War, however, this project was not pursued any further. From September 1, 1939, the planes and administration of British Airways Ltd and Imperial Airways were relocated to Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport and from there jointly managed by the British government organization National Air Communications . The routes to Le Bourget Airport , Stockholm and other destinations continued to operate with patterns such as the De Havilland DH.86 Express , the Lockheed 14 , the De Havilland DH.91 Albatross and the Armstrong Whitworth AW27 . From October 1939, airlines from neutral countries such as Belgium , Denmark and the Netherlands will only be able to fly to civilian airports on the coast such as Shoreham Airport . However, Air France was given permission to continue the Paris – Heston route with Dewoitine D.338 aircraft . On April 1, 1940, British Airways Ltd and Imperial Airways were officially merged to form British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

After the Netherlands surrendered on May 14, 1940, some KLM machines escaped capture and fled to the United Kingdom. From June 4, 1940, the BOAC set up a connection to Lisbon with machines of the type De Havilland DH.91 Albatross in order to connect the United Kingdom to the transatlantic traffic of Pan American World Airways , which was carried out with flying boats of the type Boeing 314 . After the defeat of France on June 22, 1940, the traffic to Lisbon was carried out from June 26, 1940 with aircraft of the type Douglas DC-3 , which were chartered by KLM including the Dutch crew. In August 1940 five DC-3s were registered in the UK by a KLM branch and stationed in Heston. At the end of August 1940, all BOAC machines, including the KLM machines, were relocated to Whitchurch. Therefore, the machines flew to Lisbon first to Heston to pick up passengers, then flew back to Whitchurch and from there to Lisbon. During one such flight, the DC-3 with the registration G-AGBC crashed on September 21, 1940 while approaching Heston. Previously, on September 19, 1940 , a German air mine had damaged a hangar that had been officially occupied by British Airways Ltd since 1939. Thereafter, no more scheduled flights were operated from Heston.

Military operation 1939–1945

On September 22nd, the secret aerial photography unit "Heston Flight" was affiliated to the Royal Air Force and its civilian leader Sidney Cotton was awarded the rank of Squadron Leader. On November 1, 1939, she was named “No. 2 Camouflage Unit ”, on January 17th“ No. 1 Photographic Development Unit "renamed. On June 18, it was again named “No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit “and was placed under the command of Wing Commander GW Tuttle. After several aircraft of the unit were damaged by an air mine on September 19, the unit was transferred to RAF Benson on December 27, 1940 . On May 12, 1941, No. Established in 1422, Flight RAF under the command of Squadron Leader Arthur Edmond Clouston , equipped with a range of aircraft for interception development. These included Douglas A-20 and De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito machines equipped with a Turbinlite . After its dissolution in 1944, this unit became the “Special Projectile Flight” unit of the Royal Aircraft Establishment and remained in Heston. Among the units that were stationed in Heston at different times were the Polish squadrons of RAF 302 , 303 , 306 , 308 , 315 , 316 and 317 , which mainly used machines of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane types . Other units stationed in Heston were Squadrons 515 , 129 and 116 and Operational Training Units 53 and 61. For a short time, various units of the US Air Force were stationed in Heston.

post war period

After the end of World War II, the 1939 plans for the four London airports were not pursued any further. Instead, London Heathrow Airport was selected as London's main airport, which made regular flight operations in Heston impossible due to its proximity to Heston Airport. In the immediate post-war years, the square was still used by the US Air Force .

However, since its official closure in 1947, various flight movements have taken place. On June 9th, a BOAC company sports festival took place in Heston during which, among other things, a Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer , a De Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth , an Auster J / 1B Aiglet , a De Havilland DH.104 Dove and a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon landed in Heston. Parts of the airfield were still owned by the British government in 1962 when construction of the M4 motorway began. Since additional space was required for the “Heston Services” motorway service station, it was built in 1965 on the northern part of the airfield. The terminal buildings were still used by the Civil Aviation Authority until June 1978 and demolished after they moved out. The last documented flight from Heston was a farewell flight by CAA employees on a Bell 206B JetRanger with registration G-BCWN on June 6, 1978.

Woodason Aircraft Models

Heston Airport was also the location of Woodason Aircraft Models during the 1930s and after World War II. The company was founded by Victor Woodason and built detailed aircraft models for the aviation industry , airlines , film production , merchandising , advertising, aircraft owners and collectors, as well as for the Air Ministry and other government agencies. In 1939 Woodason was forced to move his workshop from the airfield to a farm, Grange Farm, which was adjacent to Heston to the east. Around this time the company was taken over by the Straight Corporation , which opened another workshop at the RAF Weston-super-Mare air base of the Royal Air Force to meet the great demand for model aircraft during World War II.

Current condition

Heston Airport hanger from 1929

Part of the former airfield is now built with residential and commercial areas. From east to west, the M4 motorway runs through the area with a large rest area. The area north of the M4 is part of the Airlinks golf course . Many of the streets in the area have aviation-related names such as Bleriot Road , Cobham Road , Johnson Road , Norman Crescent , Sopwith Road , Whittle Road and de Havilland Road . The original tree-lined access road - the Aerodrome Way - still exists today. Only the A. Jackaman & Sons hangar , on which an oversized, illuminated Airwork logo was once mounted, is the only former building of the airport that has been completely preserved. This hangar was the first concrete hangar in the United Kingdom in 1929. In 2009 the building was listed with Grade II on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest .

literature

  • Anon: Gone But Not Forgotten - Heston . In: Airplane Monthly . IPC Business Press, December 1979, ISSN  0143-7240 , p. 664-667 (English).
  • Bowring: Heston Revisited . In: Airplane Monthly . IPC Magazines, April 1995, ISSN  0143-7240 , p. 16-21 (English).
  • Peter W. Moss: British Airways . In: Airplane Monthly . IPC Transport Press, October 1974, ISSN  0143-7240 , p. 934-940 (English).
  • Williams: Hush hush at Heston . In: Airplane Monthly . IPC Transport Press, August 1977, ISSN  0143-7240 , p. 424-429, 436 (English).
  • Robin J. Brooks: Thames Valley Airfields in the Second World War: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex . Countryside Books, 2000, ISBN 1-85306-633-8 (English).
  • Ken Delve: The Military Airfields of Britain: Northern Home Counties . Crowood, 2007, ISBN 0-85130-286-6 (English).
  • Neville Doyle: The Triple Alliance: The Predecessors of the first British Airways . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0-85130-286-6 (English).
  • Bruce B. Halpenny: Action Station Vol.8: Military Airfields of Greater London . Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1992, ISBN 1-85260-431-X (English).
  • John F. Hamlin: Airfield Focus 24: Heston . 1996, ISBN 1-870384-46-6 (English).
  • Alan Lake: Flying Units of the RAF . Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury 1999, ISBN 1-84037-086-6 (English).
  • Peter Lewis: British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft . Putnam, London 1971, ISBN 0-370-00067-6 (English).
  • Leo Marriott: British Airports Then & Now . Ian Allan Publishing, 1993, ISBN 0-7110-2076-0 (English).
  • Keith McCloskey: Airwork: A History . The History Press, Stroud 2012, ISBN 978-0-7524-7972-9 (English).
  • Meaden: Heston in waiting time . In: Air-Britian Archive . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, July 2006, ISSN  0262-4923 (English).
  • Peter W. Moss: Impressments Log (Vol I-IV) . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1962 (English).
  • Philip Sherwood: Heathrow: 2000 years of History . Sutton Publishing Ltd, 1999, ISBN 978-0-7509-2132-9 (English).
  • Tim Sherwood: Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911-1946 . Heritage Publications, Hounslow 1999, ISBN 978-1-899144-30-3 (English).
  • Ron Smith: British Built Aircraft Vol.1 Greater London . Tempus, 2002, ISBN 0-7524-2770-9 (English).
  • Theo Wesselink, Thijs Postma: DC-3 / C-47's Onder Nederlandse Vlag . De Alk, Alkmaar 1985, ISBN 978-90-6013-940-0 (Dutch).
  • John Wilson: Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation 1939-1945 . 2009, ISBN 978-1-905647-03-3 (English).

Web links

Commons : Heston Aerodrome  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Tim Sherwood: Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911-1946 . Heritage Publications, Hounslow 1999, ISBN 1-899144-30-7 (English).
  2. ^ United at Blackpool . In: Flight International . Reed Business Information , May 9, 1935, ISSN  0015-3710 , p. 515 (English, archive.org ).
  3. ^ Neville Doyle: The Triple Alliance: The Predecessors of the first British Airways . Air-Britain, 2002, ISBN 0-85130-286-6 (English).
  4. ^ Ron Smith: British Built Aircraft Vol.1 Greater London . Tempus, 2002, ISBN 0-7524-2770-9 (English).
  5. ^ A b c Peter Lewis: British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft . Putnam, London 1971, ISBN 978-0-370-00067-1 (English).
  6. ↑ Mrs. Victor Bruce's Return . In: Flight International . Reed Business Information , February 27, 1931, ISSN  0015-3710 , p. 182-184 (English, archive.org ).
  7. ↑ Mr. Ulm Ready . In: Flight International . Reed Business Information , September 21, 1933, ISSN  0015-3710 , p. 950 (English, archive.org ).
  8. ^ Peter Lewis: British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft . Putnam, London 1971, ISBN 978-0-370-00067-1 , pp. 256 (English).
  9. ↑ George Urquhart (Scotty) Allan. Pittwater Online News, June 2, 2012, accessed May 29, 2020 .
  10. ^ John Wilson: Report on the Progress of Civil Aviation 1939-1945 . 2009, ISBN 978-1-905647-03-3 (English).
  11. ^ Peter W. Moss: Ensign Class - The History of a Fleet That Went to War . In: Flight International . Reed Business Information , February 22, 1957, ISSN  0015-3710 , p. 247 (English, archive.org ).
  12. ^ Peter W. Moss: Impressments Log (Vol I-IV) . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1962 (English).
  13. ^ Theo Wesselink, Thijs Postma: DC-3 / C-47's Onder Nederlandse Vlag . De Alk, Alkmaar 1985, ISBN 978-90-6013-940-0 (Dutch).
  14. ^ A b Robin J. Brooks: Thames Valley Airfields in the Second World War: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex . Countryside Books, 2000, ISBN 1-85306-633-8 (English).
  15. ^ Alan Lake: Flying Units of the RAF . Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury 1999, ISBN 1-84037-086-6 (English).
  16. ↑ Ken Delve: The Military Airfields of Britain: Northern Home Counties . Crowood, 2007, ISBN 0-85130-286-6 (English).
  17. ↑ Bruce B. Halpenny: Action Station Vol.8: Military Airfields of Greater London . Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1992, ISBN 1-85260-431-X (English).
  18. ↑ Woodason Aircraft Models. Collectair, October 25, 2007, archived from the original ; accessed on May 29, 2020 (English).
  19. ^ Roger Dudley, Ted Johnson: Weston-Super-Mare and the Airplane 1910-2010 . Amberley Publishing, Stroud 2013, ISBN 978-1-4456-3214-8 , pp. 110, 111 (English).
  20. ^ Hangar, Heston Air Parks. Historic England, February 3, 2009, accessed May 29, 2020 .