Abridge
ABRIDGE: Civil aerodrome (Aka PIGGOTTS FARM, LOUGHTON AIR PARK)
(And LOUGHTON AERODROME?)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Airline operator: Commercial Airways (Essex) Ltd*
Air taxi & charter: Commercial Airways (Essex) Ltd
Aero clubs: Abridge Flying Club, London Transport Sports Association Flying Club (LTSAFC) see note 2 below.
Note 1): Theydon Bois Aero Club? Many years ago I came across a mention of this club being based here. However, all subsequent attempts to trace this club have failed.
Note 2): The London Transport Sports Association Flying Club (LTSAFC) were based at BROXBOURNE (ESSEX). After WW2 a London Transport Flying Club operation was based at FAIROAKS in SURREY. And indeed it is still going, although membership is not confined to employees of London Transport.
Flying school: East Anglian Aero Club**
Location: Roughly W of STAPLEFORD aerodrome and about 0.5nm NW of Abridge, the site later being partly traversed by the M11 motorway
Period of operation: 1933 to 1937 (1939 according to other sources?)
Runway(s): 1933: Max landing run 686 grass
NOTES: In july 2017 I was very kindly contacted by Alan Simpson who has made an in depth study of ABRIDGE and generously sent me an article he has produced. Although I cannot justify reproducing it in full for a simple 'Guide' such as this, Alan's research has proved immensely valuable in fleshing out my meagre offering.
*As Alan Simpson points out, the initial application to the Air Ministry for a license for this aerodrome was made by Wilfred John Lewington in November 1932. It was for private and public use on Piggotts Farm, trees had to be felled and an adjacent field acquired. After inspection the license was issued that same month and the site was to be known as 'Loughton aerodrome' (Abridge). A single-story wooden clubhouse was built together with a steel hangar and three steel lock-up sheds.
In March 1933, Commercial Airways (Essex) was registered with Wilfred Lewington as the managing director. He had acquired a seven-year lease and the activities of Commercial Airways were planned to be regular air services to several British cities, air taxi and charter work, flying tuition, joy-riding, stunt exhibitions, parachuting and wing-walking. Obviously Mr Lewington had his commercial sights held high - far too high as it turned out - as so often happened in those days. The planned, and announced daily schedule, to Glasgow via Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh failed to materialise.
AN ITEM OF CONFUSION
It is quite common for ABRIDGE (PIGGOTS FARM) to be confused with modern day STAPLEFORD and indeed, when starting the research for this Guide I made the same mistake. The main reason being that many authors insist on referring to STAPLEFORD as ABRIDGE, perhaps because Abridge is slightly closer to the aerodrome than Stapleford Tawney.
As far as I am now aware the present day STAPLEFORD aerodrome (full name STAPLEFORD TAWNEY) was never ‘officially’ known as ABRIDGE? However, a Hillman’s advert in 1935 does state “ESSEX AIRPORT near Abridge” which doesn’t exactly help. The telephone number was Stapleford 291.
A SPELLING MISTAKE?
It is probably a simple spelling error but in a guide to ‘UK Flying Clubs & Landing Grounds 1933-34’ published by Flying – The Light Aeroplane Weekly the location is given as “Laughton Aerodrome, Abridge”.
COMMERCIAL AIRWAYS
It seems that Commercial Airways were intending to attract custom offering one Avro 504K and four Bristol Fighters, (only one of which was civilianised). It appears Commercial Airways were offering a flying school and air taxi service.
**It now appears that the East Anglian Aero Club was a wholly owned subsidiary of Commercial Airways (Essex) Ltd. As Alan Simpson tells us, advertisements for flying training appeared from March 1933, and by late May the club had thirty members. In May 1934 the club became a limited company, which enabled it to receive Air Ministry subsidies.
THE OFFICIAL OPENING
This was on the 17th June 1933, presided over by John Lockwood MP before a crowd of five hundred spectators. The press reported that several de Havilland Moths, a Bristol Fighter, a Fokker high-wing monoplane known as 'The Spider' (see note below) and a Hillman Airways de Havilland DH84 Dragon.
One item of great interest is that; "11-year old John Lipton, Britain's youngest pilot, gave a flying display." Can anybody kindly offer more information?
AN ITEM OF INTEREST
I was very interested to note that Alan Simpson says that 'The Spider', a Fokker F.VIIA (G-EBTS) was owned and operated by Captain Charles Barnard. The main claim to fame for this aircraft is when Mary Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, 'employed' Barnard as her personal flying instructor, and they embarked on two significant flights - a seven-and-a-half day return flight from England to India in 1929, and a twenty-day return flight from South Africa in 1930. The point being that all the accounts I have read imply that the Duchess owned the aeroplane, and it was she that named it 'The Spider'.
A bit more research reveals that Captain Barnard achieved some public acclaim for a flight to Karachi, (then in India), undertaken in 1928, after which it appears the aircraft was indeed purchased by the Duchess in 1928 but retaining the services of Captain Barnard. However, it now appears that Captain Barnard bought the aircraft back into his ownership, and displayed it in his C D Barnard 'flying circus' tours of the UK starting in 1931.
1934 - VERY YOUNG PILOTS ETC
In January 1934 it appears that the fifteen year old Joan Hughes made her first solo flight here. (see note below). Alan Simpson tells us: "On 29 April 1935, Joan Hughes celebrated her 17th birthday by qualifying for her pilot's license at Abridge aerodrome, making her, at the time, the youngest female flyer in Great Britain." This record must still stand, as the minimum age for gaining a PPL is still 17. However, the minimum age for flying solo is 16, and has been for many years, possibly since WW2?
Alan adds that: "Joan Lily Amelia Hughes (1918 to 1993) went on to have a distinguished flying career, including serving as one of the first female members of the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War."
Alan also tells us: "In early April, the press took great interest in the story of Ovid Ottley, a pilot at only 14½ years of age, who flew de Havilland DH60G Gipsy Moth (G-ABEO) at Abridge. However, Ottley's flight was not to everyone's liking and the need for stricter age requirements was raised in Parliament."
A short film of the event can be viewed on the British Pathé website at http://www.britishpathe.com/video/sub-14-year-old-aviator/query/Aero (Click on link to view)
It seems that Mr Lewington was failing to live up to his promises to make the aerodrome suitable for an 'all types' licence, and it was restricted to 'private use', the official name being 'Abridge aerodrome'.
1935 - THE END OF AN ERA
By the end of 1935 flying had ceased (see below) and both Commercial Airways (Essex) and the East Anglian Aero Club were in the process of being wound up.
1936 - A REBIRTH
Alan Simpson tells us: "In April 1936, Lieutenant-Colonel Amos Hudson Ronan .....applied for a private use licence for Abridge aerodrome in connection with the work of Atlas Air Services......the apllication anticipated training pupils, giving pleasure flights and providing private charters. An Air Ministry inspection that month reported that the aerodrome was derelict, with the surface of the landing ground so rough that it was considered unsafe for the instruction of pupils, to such an extent that it warranted withdrawal of the aerodrome's existing licence."
However, although Lewington had surrendered the licence on the 16th June, and the aerodrome declared unfit for use the next day, on the 28th June Atlas Air Services submitted a request to the Air Ministry not to cancel the aerodrome's licence until after the 28th of June as a flying display was planned. And - the Ministry agreed. It must of course be remembered today that the majority of powered aircraft, of all sizes, were designed to be flown in the hands of a competent pilot, into unprepared fields, especially in the event of engine(s) failing - without much chance of any damage occurring.
ALL A BIT CONFUSING
Alan Simpson tells us that: "The demise of Commercial Airways and the East Anglian Aero Club did not lead to the immediate end of Abridge aerodrome, and other operations continued there. The London Transport Sports Association Flying Club held a five-year lease..." On about one third of the site, the portion owned by the Whitbread Company - presumably of brewing fame?
Atlas Air Services, having greatly improved their two thirds of the aerodrome and getting a licence for one year in September, set up training operations but refused a request from the London Transport Sports Association Flying Club to collaborate and put the whole site to overall usage.
But, nevertheless, the whole enterprise foundered, and it seems that by August 1937 the licence was suspended and revoked in September.
AIR DISPLAYS & 'FLYING CIRCUS' VENUES
On the 23rd July 1933 more than 4,000 people attended an air display, arranged it appears by the LGOC (London General Omnibus Company) flying club based at BROXBOURNE.
The British Hospitals Air Pageant arrived on the 1st October 1933.
Thursday 24th May 1934. First Empire Air Day celebrations hosted by many civil and military aerodromes. Here the Sky Devils Air Circus attended the event together with the Armstrong-Whitworth A.W.154 Argosy Mk.1 (ex-Imperial Airways G-EBLF). If you search Wikipedia for this type, you will find an air-to-air picture of G-EBLF when serving with Imperial Airways. I suspect this was the largest aircraft to visit ABRIDGE (?) and could carry up to twenty passengers.
The venue, 28th June 1936, for the British Empire Air Display. Over 5.000 spectators arrived.
April 1937: Coronation Air Displays
ANOTHER SMALL DETAIL
In 2023 Mr Graham Frost, another great friend of this 'Guide', came across information that the DH Moth G-ABWM had been based here, registered to Muriel Montgomery from just 03.08.37 until 02.11.37. I assume her decision to sell it was largely influenced because the aerodrome was finally closing for good. Having just acquired it, I image all the faffing about required for finding a new base for it proved to be too much?
But, what exactly was it? Even respected records vary, (as can so often be the case), but I think the official register is correct. It being a de Havilland DH60M Moth, (aka 'Metal Moth' having a steel tube fuselage). Others say it was a DH60G Gipsy Moth. It was sold to South Arica as ZS-AMX on the 2nd November 1937, and I think a 'metal' fuselage would have had much appeal in those parts. It appears it was later acquired by the South African Air Force with the serial number 1434.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
For a detailed history, published in 2018, please read 'LOUGHTON AIR PARK - ABRIDGE AERODROME by Alan Simpson, published by The Alderton Press.
Mike Bourke
This comment was written on: 2019-04-04 16:53:10This in 1979 was probably where I first learned to drive a London Transport bus, in a Routemaster pre select. Driving up and down the runway zig zagging between bollards and no power steering. Great experience though my bus now has power steering.
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