Aberkinsey Farm
Note: This map gives just a rough indication of the site used.
ABERKINSEY FARM: Temporary aerodrome later regional airport
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The second picture of the aircraft being recovered was from The Sphere published on the 6th July 1929.
Operated by: The 24th venue for Sir Alan Cobham’s 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign. This Tour started in May and ended on October with one hundred and seven towns and cities scheduled to be visited. They were mostly in England but with two venues in Wales and eight in Scotland.
In 1937/38, by Utility Airways
Location: Dyserth Road, just ESE of Rhyl
Period of operation: 27th June 1929 then 1937 and 1938
NOTES: Alan Cobham arrived with G-AAEV, a DH61 'Giant Moth', (which could take ten passengers) named "Youth of Britain". The first flights were ‘free’ to various local worthies and officials then Lord Wakefield provided a grant which treated forty school children to flights. When the wind changed direction Cobham took off in a different direction and hit a fallen tree branch hidden in the grass! The aircraft had to be transported back to STAG LANE for repairs.
MIKE HOLDERS NOTES
"In 1929 Rhyl held a Carnival which turned out to be one of the biggest events ever to be held in the town. Tens of thousands of people flocked into Rhyl by road and rail for the three day Carnival which began on Thursday, June 27th. The sun shone on the Carnival's opening day, the highlight of which was the arrival of the famous aviator Sir Alan Cobham, in his de Havilland DH61 Giant Moth."
"The Rhyl Journal reported that he was expected to arrive at Aberkinsey Farm (between Rhyl and Dyserth) at 11a.m. and a big crowd had gathered to welcome him. Unfortunately he experienced mechanical problems as he left Crewe which meant it was after 12 noon that he was first sighted over the farm. He made a "beautiful" landing amidst great cheering and was immediately "mobbed" by the crowd. Sir Alan then proceeded to take members and officials of Rhyl council for a flight over the town. Then a second party boarded the plane but as it took off the propeller caught a tree and sustained damage which caused abandonment of the flight. Fortunately no-one suffered any injuries."
MY NOTE
Without little doubt the propeller did not strike a tree. And indeed, in his autobiography, Cobham states his undercarriage hit the tree trunk lying in the grass in the field which he had failed to spot before commencing his second take-off run.
We have to thank Mike Holder for providing this chart. As he points out, it would certainly appear that, looking at the crash site pictures, he was quite probably attempting to take off with a tail-wind. Without a windsock, and staying on board with the engine running, he would not have been aware that the wind direction had changed considerably since his arrival. A tail-wind will of course result in a much longer take-off run.
Mike Holder tells us that: "The Rhyl Journal stated that the flights for the school children would be postponed until the following day because of the accident." Such optomism!
And: "In the Rhyl Journal the following week, under the headline 'Aerodrome for Rhyl' Sir Alan assured those gathered at a reception that there would have been no such trouble if there had been a proper aerodrome. Sir Alan said; 'They had to make use of improvised fields as they proceeded from town to town and the field selected at Aberkinsey Farm was the only one suitable for the purpose of such a demonstration from Anglesey to Rhyl. There was a great opportunity before Rhyl, so far as aviation in North Wales was concerned, and he hoped they were that day seeing the beginning of the laying of the foundations of a local aerodrome'."
It certainly appears this did happen to some extent at least, as Utility Airways used this site in 1937 and 1938.
A GENERAL NOTE
Usually, after the children had been flown at each venue, Cobham encouraged people to take a quick flight with him, at a fee for a five minute flight of 10/- , (ten shillings which was half a pound sterling), which might sound cheap. If the RPI index is compared this becomes around £20.50. Still pretty expensive for five minutes flying though, don’t you think? This said, I wonder what sum you or I would now be prepared to pay for a local circuit in a Giant Moth with Cobham at the controls?
And of course, in those days, this would have been the first opportunity they had to fly! Cobham makes no bones about it, these quick joy-rides paid for the campaign. He had no subsidies for the campaign, it was all based on his belief that the campaign had to be achieved.
Incidentally, it appears that Cobham demanded a three minute turnaround time! Crowd control was nigh on impossible but they stuck to the flying programme even though the engine was kept running. On the other hand the passengers wouldn’t have been wearing a safety belt - in fact I’m almost certain none were fitted. And, Cobham often flew for many hours non-stop without a break.
As we now understand today, which Sir Alan Cobham, (and most everybody else in those days, to be fair), did not appreciate, is that the onset of fatigue can make itself affect judgements, long before the effects are clearly recognisable.
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