Aldershot flying sites
Note: This map simply shows the location of the town within the UK.
ALDERSHOT: Balloon demonstration ascents
Operated by: Mr Henry Coxwell
Period of operation: A period in 1862
Location: ?
NOTES: During these ascents Army officers were carried aloft. For whatever reasons these trials must have failed to impress to some extent because it wasn’t until 1882 that a small balloon factory was established in CHATHAM, which then moved to Alderhot in 1890 or so, (see below). What needs to be borne in mind here is that the French Army had a Balloon Corps established in the early years of the 19th century.
ALDERSHOT: Balloon factory and launching site (also known as STANHOPE LINES)
Note: These pictures were scanned from Flying and Ballooning from old photographs by John Fabb, published in 1980. The caption for the first picture reads: "The Balloon Section of the Royal Engineers receiving instruction on Balloon handling, 1893." The caption for the second picture, dated 1898 is: "The Army Balloon Factory at Aldershot run by the Royal Engineers, 1898". The third picture is captioned: "A balloon ready to ascend, its retaining ropes held by Royal Engineers, 1896."
Regarding the third picture there is, I suppose, no reason to think this was taken at ALDERSHOT? The background looks about right, but has nothing to go on on the way of distinctive features. Also, if not mistaken, the two people in the basket appear to be civilians - and one of them a woman! Seems likely a worthwhile story to be told here?
Advice will obviously be most welcome, but I imagine all these pictures were taken on this site?
Operated by: Her Majesty’s Balloon Factory, aka The Army Balloon Factory
Area: 2.5 acres
Period of operation: 1890 (possibly 1892 ) to early 1900s?
NOTES: The ‘School of Ballooning’ was set up here occupying at site of about 2.5 acres. It was proved during the Boer Wars in South Africa, (the first Boer War started in 1880), that the balloon could indeed be a critical and decisive factor in obtaining a military advantage. Indeed, it is now claimed that by having balloons the battles fought at the Siege of Ladysmith, the investment of Paardeberg, the Battles of Fourteen Streams, Zwarts Kop, Magers-fontein and Modder River gave the British the advantage to win these battles. Read Alexander Fraters ‘The Balloon Factory’ to learn much more about this fascinating history.
ALDERSHOT: It seems that probably in 1905 Samuel F Cody was conducting gliding trials from a site in ALDERSHOT, (or could it have been from the hill now forming the south-east part of FARNBOROUGH?), and they ended when it crashed badly injuring his son Vivian.
ALDERSHOT: Military aerodrome (Also known as SOUTH FARNBOROUGH?)
Miltary user: Army (RFC HQ)
Location: This is pure guesswork on my part but was this aerodrome, (if it was just one aerodrome), laid out to the east of the A325 near to and N of where the Army Museum stands today?
Period of operation: 1915 to -
Runways: Presumably ‘all-over’ grass aerodrome?
NOTES: In 1894 a second Army Balloon Factory was established in SOUTH FARNBOROUGH so could it be this later became the aerodrome site?
On 17/6/15 Pilot Certificate No.1360 was awarded to 2nd Lieut. Herbert Charles Coperlestone Thurgood, (the Victorians certainly knew how to name their children inthose days!), flying a Maurice Farman biplane. From what I’ve learnt so far I’m only reasonably confident that ALDERSHOT and SOUTH FARNBOROUGH were alternative names for the same location but once the Army operated Royal Flying Corp got going I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn they were actually using three aerodromes in this area. Does anybody know the answer?
ANOTHER MYTH
I found a note somewhere that in 1977, a GA aircraft was based at ALDERSHOT; here possibly? This was, it stated, the Cessna F.172H G-AXDH belonging to Jim Russell International Racing Drivers Ltd. There’s a story or two to be told here - I’m fairly certain of that. Not least because, as Terry Clark kindly pointed out, (see 'Comments' below), G-AXDH was a Briittan-Norman BN2A Islander! And a double check confirms this.
It has, ever since starting this 'Guide' been a constant problem, trying to sift the 'truth' from so many poorly compiled records. Then again, already knowing this would be the case, I decided to call this project just a 'Guide'.
ALDERSHOT: Military Army helipads/helicopter landing areas
Picture by the author.
Locations: In/near ALDERSHOT: Blackdown Barracks, Browning Barracks, Cambridge Military Hospital, HQ Airborne Brigade, HQ South East District, Lille Barracks, Montgomery Square, Normandy Barracks, Rushmore Arena, Stanhope Lines and Wavell Compound. If any others are known please contact us.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2017-12-25 21:43:58The Army Ballon Factory moved to South Farnborough and occupied the site which until the '90s was RAE Farnborough. GAXDH was NOT a C172 but an Islander operted by the Army 'Red Devils' parachute team. It usually parked t Farnborough but operated from Queens Parade, Aldershot, a large polo ground just across the main Farnborough- Aldershot road from what is now Farnborough Airport but was still called RAE, then DRA Farnborough until the mid '90s when research flying moved to Boscombe Down. I worked there as an Air Taffic Controller from 1974 tom2008
P Miller
This comment was written on: 2020-01-01 22:20:29I can confirm the comment above and have a photo of XDH landing on the Queens Parade during on e of the Army exhibitions held there. The Queens parade was used on many occasions during the 60s and 70s by Skeeters, Alouettes, Beavers and AOP9s.
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