Burnaston

         Note: I belive this location is correct. Could anybody kindly confirm this?

 

DERBY AIRPORT: Civil aerodrome, then military aerodrome, later civil/military aerodrome.

Later still an airport and lastly civil aerodrome once more. (Aka BURNASTON AIRPORT)

Note: This picture from a postcard was kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See,  www.aviationpostcard.co.uk 
 

 

ICAO code: EGBF         (Previously GAMH)



 

Military users: 1938: 30 ESFTS     (DH Tiger Moths, Hawker Audax & Hind)

Note: This operation was run by Air Schools
 

WW2: RAF Flying Training Command          51 Group

16 EFTS  (DH82A Tiger Moths)

30 EFTS  (Miles Magisters)

 

Post war: 16 RFS (Tiger Moths & Avro Ansons)

 

Operated by: Pre WW2: Air Schools – Derby Aero Club

WW2: Air Schools
 

Post 1945: Derby Aviation, Derby Airways, British Midland Airways

1980s: Airspeed Aviation 1987 to 1990: Derby Aero Club

(in 1990 one pilots flight guide still listed Airspeed Aviation as being the operater)
 

 

Civil users: Pre 1940: Air Schools, Derby Aero Club

Post 1945: Derby Aero Club

Note: In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory, Derby Aero Club are listed as operating; two Austers, two Miles Hawk-Trainer 3s and one Percival Proctor. 
 

Airline user: Post 1945: Derby Aviation, later Derby Airways and later to become British Midland Airways in 1964 before moving to EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT in 1965
 

Charter/air taxi: Post 1945: Derby Airways, Derby Aviation

Note: In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory, the Derby Aviation fleet is given as one Douglas Dakota, two Miles Marathons, two DH89A Dragon Rapides and one Miles Gemini. Their flying bases were Derby airport and Elstree aerodrome.

 

Location: N of A38, S of A516, 5nm SW of Derby

Period of operation: 1938 to 1965. Official airport opening ceremony summer 1939

(Military use from 1939 to 1953). Reopened for GA use from 1987 to 1990?

 

Note:  This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.





 

Runways: WW2: E/W   1070   grass          NE/SW   969   grass
                SE/NW   960   grass                   N/S 786 grass

(It was planned that BURNASTON would have runways 1000 yards long plus one ‘blind landing runway’ of 1400 x 500 yards!)

1965:   10/28   1094   grass          NE/SW   777   grass          SE/NW   747   grass

1990:   08/26   750x18   grass

 

NOTES: For years I made the huge mistake of thinking the current DERBY AIRFIELD was once BURNASTON. In fact the current DERBY airfield was established in 1992 roughly 2nm S of the previous DERBY AIRPORT/ BURNASTON site after it closed in 1990. BURNASTON is now buried beneath a big Japanese car factory.

The Japanese appear still intent on winning WW2 by only building their car factories in the UK on disused airfields?

The site is on the N side of the ‘new’ A50 trunk road and DERBY AIRFIELD is south of the A50! My belief in this being the case continued even after learning that Derby Airways Canadair Argonauts used this grass airfield even though the plan in modern flight guides shows little chance of any runway being once long enough to enable use by such large aircraft. In fact BURNASTON was minimal for use by such large aircraft. It was only after visiting DERBY AIRFIELD in 2004 that the full story was unravelled. This is of course not unusual as confusion about closely located airfields has bedevilled my research many times.

A KINDLY ACT
In 2012 the very kind staff in the British Airways Archive (and museum) suggested I sought out British Midland Airways by B G Cramp published in 1979. What a revelation, the complete history in detail. All quotes below are from B G Cramp’s, or should I say - Captain Cramp’s book. He was after all a key player in the development of BMI throughout this period, so he should know!

 

THE SCENE IS SET
Enter Captain N. Roy Harben DFC who had served in the RFC. By the 1930s he was a member of the Royal Air Force Reserve of Officers. “Whilst touring the Continent in 1936-7 with some flying clubs he saw at first hand the embryo Luftwaffe in Germany, together with the quickly-gathering war-clouds. As a direct result of these encounters, Capt. Harben determined upon his return from one such trip to do something about it, and this he did. Approaching the Air Ministry he made his findings known and suggested that with his instructional experiences and expertise, he set up a flying school at which Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve pilots would be trained.”

My note: There is still a widespread myth that the British government, the Air Ministry and the RAF were utterly unaware of what was going on in Germany. Not so, they had a pretty good picture but the resources of the British Empire had been severely depleted during WW1, which had only ended eighteen years before. Plus of course every other nation in Europe had failed to fully appreciate the entirely new concept of ‘Blitzkreig’ warfare which the Germans had developed and kept as secret as possible.

Even so, for the air war, the Hurricane and Spitfire fighters were developed and the Hampden and Whitley bombers easily matched if not bettered the German designs in some respects. The later Vickers Wellington was very much superior to anything the Germans possessed. What is so important, which the Germans had realised, was that it all revolved around sheer numbers and this was the strategy which formed the basis of their attack method. Without much doubt the sheer military strength the Germans had produced, when being a pretty much bankrupt nation, was the BIG surprise. Indeed, I would dearly love to learn how they actually achieved this it what appears to have been semi-secrecy.

EARLY DAYS
To cut a long story short Captain Harben convinced Mr E W Philips, who had been organising the RAF Flying Displays at HENDON, to join the endeavour. The Derby Corporation was amongst the most reluctant of many cities in England to establish an aerodrome/airport facility but relented in 1938. The account by Capt Cramp of Mr Philips and his wife arriving at BURNASTON is a classic tale; the site was such a sorry mess surely most would have turned tail, giving up.

“Apart from the Belman hangar, Derby Corporation were in the process on building another hangar, to be known as the Municipal Hangar, attached to which would be the offices and public bar.” The latter being an essential requirement as it appears few pilots in those days would go flying without a ‘snifter’ to strengthen their resolve and help combat the cold. This was how it started, Air Schools operated both the No.30 Elementary and Service Flying Training School and Derby Aero Club. 30 EFTS initially operated twelve Tiger Moths, two Hawker Audax trainers and one Hawker Hind trainer, the Derby Aero Club had three Taylorcraft Ds. It is from Air Schools that a direct lineage can be traced leading to British Midland Airways.

THE OFFICIAL OPENING
Although being operational since the autumn of 1938 the official opening of BURNASTION AIRPORT occurred on the 17^th June 1939, the ‘knob’ invited for the occasion being His Majesty’s Secretary of State for Air, the Right Honourable Sir Kingsley Wood M.P. This was a common enough practise in those days, namely the ‘Official’ opening taking place, often after some considerable time had elapsed since flying operations had commenced.

THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
With the outbreak of war 30 EFTS had their two Hawker Harts and single Hind withdrawn and the Tiger Moth fleet increased to seventy-two machines. No mention is made of a satellite airfield or two being available and my flabber is ghasted trying to envisage how such intensive flying training can be arranged at a single airfield with so many aircraft? But it does seem, they coped? To what extent I cannot say but accounts from elsewhere indicates that serious crashes whilst in training, sometimes fatal, were viewed as ‘par for the course’ and perfectly acceptable in those days.

The operation at BURNASTON was so successful Air Schools were invited by the Air Ministry in 1941 to set up a similar operation at PENDLESFORD/WOLVERHAMPTON AIRPORT which they accepted. As the war progressed the Tiger Moth was being superseded by the Miles Magister so a degree of overlap occurred. It appears that at one time 108 aircraft were ‘on site’ at both BURNASTON and PENDLEFORD of which seventy-two were always “in full flying trim”. Today these statistics are mind boggling, but don’t forget that some airlines in the 1930s had schedules which were so speedy that they are impossible to match today. Except of course possibly by private charter, but even then, I rather doubt it? For example: Can you imagine a private charter from EAST MIDLAND AIRPORT (NOTTINGHAM/DERBY) landing en route at a London airport (NORTHOLT/BIGGIN HILL etc) then LE TOUQUET, but still arriving in Paris in three hours?

VERY HIGH STANDARDS
As Capt. Cramp points out Roy Harben was both far-sighted and a man determined to achieve the highest possible standards. For example he had two Link Trainers installed, a rather rudimentary but still effective verson of a modern flight simulator used for instrument flight instruction. At BURNASTON Roy Harben had them adapted for visual flight simulation. “To achieve this visual training he had the two Link Trainers at Burnaston modified by engaging an artist, Mr Stan King. He painted a panorama around the complete Link Trainer room, the panorama ranging from half normal country fields and half normal coastline and sea, with a clear horizon and a few white clouds, to a blank grey wall simulating flying into nil visibility, a smoky town with only patches of horizon showing, and finally high mountains. The trainers themselves were modified…..(whereby)….the further effects of the controls could be demonstrated.” These modifications strike me as being very advanced for that time?

“…, maybe his modifications to the Link Trainer were the fore-runners of today’s sophisticated electronic simulator. At a later date during the war Mr. Link visited the U.K. and Burnaston in particular, to see those Link Trainer modifications, by which he was most impressed.” It would be interesting to say the least to discover if anything comparable to this facility had been established in both the UK and USA by that time?

A LONG TRADITION
There had long been a tradition in the British military senior command structure, (in all three services), that all front line personnel were an entirely disposable commodity and that any single human life had no more worth than a postage stamp, probably less. It was largely on this basis that major strategy was formulated - which now appears very odd considering the time, expense and resources required for training. Capt. Cramp gives a good example: “Another “first” for Burnaston was the choice of the unit to train the first of Britain’s flying soldiers, the Glider Pilots.” A lot of them came from the ‘Guards’. “Unfortunately, in the tradition of the Guards they wore highly polished hob-nailed boots, and they caused more damage between them with boots through wings etc, than most of the other pupils put together.” It must also be born in mind that the backbone of British military strength to enforce the British Empire relied on human beings largely bereft of any formal education worth mentioning and basically trained as animals to accept commands without question. This is a tradition we are supposed to regard today with great patriotic pride of course.

I take another position, considering the whole affair to be a matter of disgrace we British should be utterly ashamed of. To quote Capt. Cramp: “Their first action role was in Sicily where some 98% were killed in action.” Assuming Capt. Cramp has got his facts correct, and I strongly suspect he has (?), such suicidal missions certainly equate to the ‘Kamikaze’ regime the Japanese put in place when faced with defeat. I find it quite astonishing to discover that most people involved in the preservation of our military history are mostly in denial of the fact that the British forces; Army, Navy and Air Force very often knowingly devised suicidal missions.

It still makes me rather angry that these people draw a huge distinction between those setting off to deliberately kill themselves, and those setting off knowing they cannot possibly survive the mission. Indeed, I would argue that even our ‘Glorious Dam Busters’ raid was, to all intents and purposes, so close to being suicidal it makes little difference? And, as we now know, apart from being a hugely successful PR exercise, the raid barely hindered the German ‘war machine’ and accomplished very little.

A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT
“Altogether over 14,000 pilots were trained by Air Schools Ltd. during the war, and it was no mean tribute to be signalled at the cessation of hostilities that the organisation had achieved the lowest accident rate plus the best maintenance record in the whole of Flying Training Command.” They were then very suddenly dumped, left with nothing.

Without any doubt whatsoever the British government under Winston Churchill, (one of the most unscrupulous British Prime Ministers some now claim), was, after the war ended, exposed as being probably the biggest bunch of bare faced liars this country has ever seen. On the other hand, they had no option but to take this stance? Without much doubt the Americans saw the Lend-Lease arrangement as a key element towards bankrupting Great Britain and thereby bringing to an end the British Empire which left huge tracts of the world open to them to exploit, especially in the UK and Germany, setting up their main commercial interests such as Ford and General Motors for vehicle manufacturing and Kelloggs, Kraft and Nabisco etc in the food chain.

What seems little appreciated today is the extent of the ‘Marshall Plan’ which is often cited as being devised to rebuild Germany and something the Germans took full advantage of. The Americans also realised the bankrupt British needed the same amount of help and so apparently a similar amount of financial help was granted, under the ‘Marshall Plan’; - And as Michael Caine might say, "Not a lot of people know this." In some peoples opinion, (and I now count myself as one) - This money was
often commandeered and dissipated throughout the widespread low-life and semi-criminal elements who by then, to some extent had installed themselves as a clique in local councils, construction firms etc, giving little or any worthwhile benefit to the community at large. This is how it has been explained to me and, I have to say, the history certainly seems to bear this out? One thing is certain, much of the building work carried out was of a very low standard and said to be ‘Gerry built’, a term presumably referring to the standard of work produced by German prisoners of war? The irony being that the reconstruction of German cities was done to a very high standard and although not attractive to look at by and large, they are still in good condition.

The double irony being that as the general economic conditions worsened in many parts of Britain in the decades following WW2, many construction workers migrated to Germany! The very popular TV series ‘Auf wiedersehen pet’ depicted this trend. Another aspect was that much of the ‘Jerry built’ development has had to be already demolished and replaced by much better buildings, so in effect were paid for twice. If you are interested in this aspect of British history as good an example as any of the corruption taking place, the infamous ‘Poulson affair’ is well worth reading up on.

A LAND FIT FOR HEROES
What is without any doubt is that the promise that everybody in military service would return to a land “Fit for heroes” was a deliberate lie. Nothing had been set in place to achieve this and many were given ‘Pre-Fabs’ (cheap prefabricated temporary dwellings), to live in. My parents ended up living in one, near Brent Cross in London, my father being a Flight Engineer in the RAF and my mother serving in the WRAF. They have both ‘passed on’ many years ago so I cannot ask for their opinions regarding this, except that – even as an infant, I retain the distinct impression they believed they had been deceived and ‘sold down the river’, (a term deriving from the slave trade?) When I was aged seven we moved to a brand new semi-detached house in Bedfont, just south of HEATHROW. And, can clearly remember that nearly every ‘pre-fab’ around us had already been demolished.

SECOND THOUGHTS
To get back to DERBY AIRPORT Capt. Cramp points out; “Now at this point the Air Ministry realised they had acted far too hastily in cancelling the previous contract, as the main pre-occupation of most members of H.M. Forces, and in particular aircrew was to return to civilian life. The situation now was that trained aircrew were very rapidly becoming non-existent in the ranks of the R.A.F., so to counteract this the Air Ministry, in their infinite wisdom, produced a new scheme for training pupil Pilot Officers.”

Looking back at the history it seems almost incredible that, so soon after the "War To End All Wars" had finished, the British government decided to get involved in a whole series of new wars - The Suez Campaign, Korea and Burma to name a few. And for these another generation of 'cannon fodder' had to trained which included 'National Service' which in effect was conscription, a modern version perhaps of the Royal Navy using 'Press Gangs'. But I don't think they entered pubs and dropped a coin into beer glasses to which the unwittingly quickly swallowed their ale to retrieve it - and on pocketing it discovered they had 'Taken the King's Shilling' so were therefore enlisted. Or so the story goes.

 

THE POST WAR ERA
The scheme referred to above was dropped after nine months. “Once again Air Schools Ltd was left high and dry and an alternative method of keeping the company in existence was sought. Fortunately, at this time the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve still had a reasonable training commitment, and both Wolverhampton (My note: PENDEFORD) and Burnaston continued on the aviation scene carrying out part of this training as No.65 Reserve Centre R.A.F.V.R., operating the Tiger Moths and Ansons of No.16 Reserve Flying School. In fact, at Burnaston, Derby Aviation Ltd. was formed within the Air Schools group to keep the aviation activities from stagnating, and this company was charged with entering the aircraft brokerage market as well as the civil aircraft maintenance field. Thus was born the true forerunner of British Midland.”

During 1951/52 the Tiger Moths were replaced by the Percival Prentice a much more suitable type for the RAFVR I would think. “The Anson pilots, apart from flying navigators of the R.A.F.V.R. around the sky, also undertook Army co-operation exercises in their stride, all part of contracts to keep the Company going and themselves in work. Such work consisted of Royal Observer Corps spotting exercises or searchlight exercises with the Army in the Uttoxeter, Stafford and Birmingham areas.” It is difficult to try and imagine what possible worth such exercises could have produced, as the jet age had arrived and the Cold War was ramping up with nuclear weapons being the main offensive weapon. However, it was to be some years after WW2 before the 'Cold War' fully developed, so, who were the perceived enemy against which such methods might be effective?

 

A NEW BEGINNING
In June 1948 a DH Dragon Rapide G-AIUK was acquired, based at PENDEFORD but for some odd reason it appears it wasn’t employed commercially until 1950/51, and only then on ad hoc charter work. In 1950 a second Rapide G-AKOV was acquired, again for ad hoc charter work. Around the same period a Miles Messenger G-AILL and Miles Gemini G-AJZJ were acquired for charter work. It appears the first charter flight undertaken by Derby Aviation was in the Messenger on the 21^st August 1947, flown by Captain Bill Wooden from BURNASTON to the Isle-of-Man.

I DIGRESS - AGAIN!
Another excuse to digress from the task in hand. Without much doubt even today there are a few individuals dotted around the UK flying aircraft from remote strips without any insurance, a valid medical etc. And perhaps good luck to them as the threat of any danger to the public is very remote. This is nothing new of course and the following story seems well worth telling: “….an incident involving the Avro Tutor now in the Shuttleworth Trust Collection at Old Warden airfield, Bedfordshire. The Tutor, registered G-AHSA (manufactured in Manchester 1937 serialed K3215), landed at Burnaston, and, in order to calculate accurately the landing fee involved, the controller requested the Certificate of Airworthiness.” It was out of date and the aircraft was grounded, eventually to be sold for £44 to a local man, Mr Hayward.

Sometime later a connecting rod broke and the Tutor was donated to the Air Training Cadets in Lichfield, Staffs. “Some time later a request was made for the Tutor to be used as an “extra”, (My note: The correct term is a ‘prop’), in the film on Douglas Bader, “Reach for the Sky” starring Kenneth Moore. Derby Aviation engineers transported the aircraft on a Company “Queen Mary” trailer to the film studios and assembled it. At this point the film people decided that they would like the engine running (just idling they said) if possible. Unfortunately the crankshaft broke and the propeller came off .”!

THE BIRTH OF AN AIRLINE

THE FIRST SCHEDULED SERVICE
The first scheduled service by Derby Aviation was it appears a Wolverhampton and Derby to Jersey route, landing via Birmingham (My note: ELMDON) to clear Customs on the 18^th July 1953 with Capt. E.W.A. Lines flying the Dragon Rapide G-AEAL. In 1954 services from both Wolverhampton and Derby commenced, again via Birmingham for Customs clearance, using all four Dragon Rapides to Ostend in Belgium. It is today probably difficult to realise that foreign destinations such as Ostend and Le Touquet in France were viewed by the general public in England as being quite exotic places to visit and indeed, having flown several times into these ‘old’ airports, Ostend especially which has a large and almost deserted large terminal building, the ghosts of these holiday makers do seem to occupy the space. Both towns are still very vibrant and active I am glad to say, but not by holiday-makers flying in by airliners.

THE FIRST MAJOR EXPANSION
It was obvious to the directors of Derby Aviation that they had to expand and the Dakota G-ANTD was purchased. Before going on the Derby-Wolverhampton-Jersey service, (via Birmingham) on the 6^th May 1955, it performed a charter service on the 3^rd from Manchester (My note: RINGWAY) to Amsterdam.

In late 1955 two Miles Marathons were purchased from West African Airways Corporation in Nigeria (VR-NAN & VR-NAR) for “a good price”. These became G-AMGW and G-AMHR and it took a lot of work, and huge expense, to get them upgraded and fit for a British C of A. The attraction of “a good price” was a problem that beset the company for years to come as the directors and senior management, being mostly ex-RAF, had no concept of cost-effectiveness. Indeed it would be hard to imagine two aircraft less suitable for operation in the UK and northern Europe.

As Capt. Cramp describes; “…the crew consisted of one pilot and one hostess. Every flight was handflown as no auto-pilots were fitted, neither were heaters. At the end of a two hour flight, having been plied with hot coffee or tea for most of that time in order to keep some semblance of warmth in the pilot, the poor soul would be bursting to spend a penny and vied with the passengers to see who could get into the terminal buildings first. More than one pilot ended up with a weak bladder as a result. Rain was another hazard, and regular passengers were known to bring umbrellas along, for if they were unfortunate enough to occupy the seats adjacent to the rear starboard emergency hatch in the roof, any rain invariably found its way in there, and the sight of passengers sitting there with raised umbrellas was a sight to behold. Pilots also suffered from the rain, for if left standing overnight it would seep in via the very large plastic canopy and collect inside the overhead electrical panel. When the aircraft started taxying the following morning the water would surge forward, run down the feathering buttons and pour onto the luckless pilots knees. At least one plastic mac was purchased to prevent soaked trousers under these circumstances.”

 

A FAMOUS 'DAK'
In 1956 a second Dakota (G-AOGZ) was purchased, and this one had a famous career background as it had once been the V.I.P. C-47B (KN628) that had been the personal transport of Field Marshall Montgomery, known as ‘Monty’ to his troops. If the significance of this name escapes younger readers, ‘Monty’ was the man in charge of the campaign in North Africa which defeated the German Afrika Korps under the control of the very highly regarded, (on both sides), Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, nicknamed ‘Desert Fox’. A truly professional and principled man and officer, he ignored orders to kill commandos, Jewish soldiers and civilians. Much later in the war he was linked with the failed attempt contrived by several high ranking members of the German military staff to assassinate Hitler and due to his fame Hitler gave him the option to commit suicide so his family might be spared, and this he did.

It is widely regarded that the defeat of the Afrika Korps was the turning point in WW2. This is to simplify the case as is most of the mythology connected to WW2. For example the German campaign had commenced in February 1941 in support of the Italians and quite why both Axis parties wanted control of a huge pile of sand about a thousand miles across and occupied by Arabs who had no interest in the conflict escapes me. The final defeat came in May 1943. For example to make my point the first RAF thousand bomber raid, on Cologne, had taken place almost exactly a year earlier so obviously the tide of the air war had already been turned. In fact the basic principals of the campaign, two armies fighting over control of virtually worthless terrain, hadn’t progressed since – for example, the Battle of Agincourt in 1415! What it did do was halt the expansion of the German ‘Empire’ into Africa, a very important asset to the British Empire of course, and start the tortuous process of driving the Germans back through southern Europe.

As per usual I digress….sorry!

 

FASCINATING STUFF
I really must recommend the history of British Midland Airways by B G Cramp. His detailed account, published in 1979, is surely quite fascinating to anybody interested in British airline history. Consider this, an account of flying the route to Jersey when he was “on loan” from the RAF to fly Derby Aviation Marathons: “…flying from Derby via Birmingham to Jersey and back twice, amounting to ten sectors in the one day. When one considers the navigation equipment on aircraft in those “early” days, i.e. A.D.F. and S.B.A. plus V.H.F. radio, and the sometimes appalling weather in the Channel Islands when aircraft could be “stacked” up to 9000ft at 500ft separation, all the time listening (as opposed to looking) to the Standard Beam Approach, followed by a landing in cloud bases as low as 100ft then one cannot but marvel at the regularity of schedules together with the lack of accidents.”

This really was very demanding flying and indeed, a few years earlier in WW2 very few RAF aircrews could have coped. But that’s not all: “The Burnaston airfield of 1956 was not equipped with any control tower, or beacon, neither were any night-flying facilities available.” I reckon the following story is well worth telling to illustrate the type of situation in which airline flying was often done in those days, including by aircrews of BEA and BOAC for example, especially in Europe and further outposts. Incidentally, Captain (Flying Officer) Cramp had taken his wife along “just for the ride”: “Upon arrival at Ronaldsway in the Isle of Man an urgent request was made for the return flight to be delayed to await the arrival of two unfortunate holiday makers who had been called up as reservists in anticipation of the invasion of the Suez Canal. To delay too long would mean arriving after dark and there were no night flying facilities.” In his book Capt. Cramp adopts the somewhat quaint method of always referring to himself in the ‘third person’. “However, Cramp waited as long as he dare and at the last moment the two luckless men arrived and the Marathon was soon airborne. Following the U.K. airways system back as far as Lichfield, the procedure adopted in those days was to leave the airway by descending over the Lichfield beacon to 1500ft, then steer 045° magnetic and follow the River Trent, together with the railway and canal as far as Burton-on-Trent. At this point, the railway only was followed until the “Hilton Gravel” sign in red neon lights was seen, when the Burton-Derby road (the A.38) was picked up and followed until the airfield was reached. This was the procedure adopted on this night, but on descending over Lichfield Cramp found, to his dismay, 4/8 cloud below him and that it was getting dark. After leaving the Hilton Gravel sign, descent was made to 600ft and he hoped to find the airfield. Fortunately, people on the ground had anticipated the predicament, and Captain S.D. Fenton had driven his car to the hedge bounding the approach end of the field and put his head-lights on to assist. Needless to say, a successful landing was made, and Cramp was grateful (as was his worried wife) to join Wing Commander Roxburgh along with some other pilots and Denis Aldridge at the “Spread Eagle” pub, which adjoined the south west corner of the field.”

 

A PERSONAL NOTE
I can quite understand the feeling of relief. Many years ago I made the decision to fly VFR from Le Havre to Dinard through a long layer of patchy cloud, (sometimes at nigh on ground level), lying over the Cherbourg peninsular. In France a private pilot can fly VFR above cloud. An examination of the Met reports showed there was little reason to expect encountering a solid bank of cloud later on, which often occurs over the peninsular. The plan was to follow the N.175 from Caen to Mont St Michel where much clearer conditions were expected. The flight was exactly as expected, climbing up a bit to fly between layers of patchy cloud then descending to see if we could get underneath. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Apart from my wife I had a fellow pilot beside me and there were no anxious moments, but, I have to admit, it was quite exciting.

I can now divulge we purchased a bottle of Scotch, sat on the balcony in our room overlooking the estuary to St Malo, and toasted our good fortune for having the privilege to lived such an experience.

 

TWO MAJOR EVENTS
“The closing months of 1956 saw two major international events in which Derby Aviation were involved. On the 11^th December Dakota “TD” with Captain Lines in command was engaged in bringing troops back from Malta to Blackbushe after the Suez debacle. The troops told the crew how disgusted they were with the United Nations for making them stop and finally pull out.” This is something to consider? Has the United Nations ever produced a positive result after their intervention? “The other event was the Hungarian crisis in which both Dakotas “TD” and “GZ” were engaged in bringing refugees back from Linz in Austria to Blackbushe.” I suspect it is often forgotten today that after WW2 Hungary was in the Eastern Bloc under Soviet command, and that Vienna was in exactlt the same position as Berlin - divided into Alled and Soviet sectors. The superb and famous film 'The Third Man' directed by Carol Reed and heavily influence by Orson Welles, is a most graphic illustration of that period in the history of Vienna.

Again I digress, but this is my 'Guide' and I like to indulge myself from time to time. I trust you find these digressions interesting?

 

EXPANSION AND DIVERSIFICATION
The first service to RENFREW (Glasgow) was by the Dakota G-ANTD on the 22^nd March 1957 and once again Capt E W A Lines was the Captain. Charter work as well as the scheduled services to Jersey, Isle-of-Man and RENFREW were keeping the fleet busy but nethertheless, with Capt Lines again in command Derby Aviation made its first Inclusive Tour flight on the 18^th May to Palma, Majorca. The company also purchased the London School of Flying at ELSTREE which had the side benefit that the company could ‘cherry-pick’ the most able student pilots for their own expansion programme. The company also purchased Photo Flight Ltd and renamed it Derby Aero Surveys Ltd.

In 1958 the company changed its airline operating name from Derby Aviation to Derby Airways and in the winter of 57/58 a service, (for skiers bound for the Austrian Alps), to Munich via Brussels departed at midnight on a Friday. Presumably from RINGWAY(?) as the hirers were Sigma Tours of Manchester. Another significant development was the establishment of an aircrew training facility at BURNASTON. In fact this was more of a neccessity really as Marathon crews were virtually non-existent and indeed Capt Cramp, who became the Chief Training Captain, set up the training syllabus. I doubt it was realised just how significant a move this was at the time, but as the years went by the steady development of this facility became a significant factor in the airline being able to survive. As Capt Cramp makes very clear, the key principals set down by Roy Harben in 1936; the very best instructional standards, excellent engineering standards, and safety – still underpinned the everyday running of operations.

A MAJOR STEP FORWARD
“One major step forward made available in 1958 was the withdrawal of the requirement for aircraft from Derby to land en-route to the Channel Islands at Birmingham for Customs clearance, although the return flight still had to clear inbound from Jersey and Guernsey at Birmingham.” I will never understand what the perceived threat was from the Channel Islands.

Another feature of the Inclusive Tour business that Derby Airways became involved with was the air-sea cruise and some of the options available seem verging on barmy. For example you could board; “…the Royal Mail Lines “Highland Chieftain” leaving London to Vigo (Spain) and Leixos (Portugal) with five days ashore at Mirimar, returning by Derby Airways Dakota for an inclusive price of 32 guineas. Or how about a cruise of the Union Castle Line “Dunnoltar Castle” to Genoa and return by Derby Airways Dakota?” But why “barmy” I can hear younger readers asking? The answer is quite simple; in those days if even a bit of a storm brewed up in the Bay of Biscay, the passage on those relatively small non-stabilised liners, the consequences were dire. If a big storm arrived, and the Bay of Biscay is notorious for high seas rolling in from the Atlantic, and above average bad weather, you would probably fear for your life unless being a seasoned sailor. (And perhaps they feared for their lives too!).  This said I am probably reading the situation completely incorrectly as in those days people were much tougher and had much, much lower expectations regarding the comfort of travel. It was the adventure that counted and comfort and convenience whilst travelling wasn’t expected - and most of us have gone soft!

As you get older you tend to forget and having made these remarks I now recall that when I was younger I actually relished a stormy sea crossing or a flight in severe turbulence. Indeed, fairly soon after having left college (in about 1969) I deliberately chose to set up a road transport business because driving trucks, (called lorries in those days) around the UK and across Europe was a challenge and fraught with danger. We didn’t think in those terms of course, it was how it was - and an opportunity for adventure.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES
“1958 was also the Lourdes Centenary year, and the company participated in eight-day pilgramages to Lourdes. On board each flight to Tarbes Airport was a spiritual leader who accompanied each party throughout.” The cost was 35 guineas. “On the 9^th May a third Dakota, G-APBC was added to the fleet. Named “Derwent Dale” (the other two Dakotas were G-ANTD “Dove Dale” and G-AOGZ “Darley Dale”) the new aircraft was acquired from Transair Ltd of Gatwick.” On the 20^th May 1958 Dakota G-APBC flew the first service from Northampton (SYWELL) to Jersey. “Another new service introduced in 1958 was an Oxford (KIDLINGTON) -Jersey service, the inaugural of which was flown by G-APBC with Capt.Fenton in command and Capt. Cramp as his co-pilot on the 23^rd May.

The next day Capt. Cramp commanded the first public service on this route in Marathon G-AMHR. Both the Northampton and Oxford services flew direct to Jersey but landed at Southampton (EASTLEIGH) northbound to clear customs.” Another new service in 1958 was Birmingham to Ostend four times weekly operated by both Dakotas and Marathons. Yet another service was commenced on the 10^th September, this time from LUTON to Jersey, again using G-APBC commanded by Captain Milsom with Captain Fenton as his co-pilot. Quite why the decision was made to launch such a service at the end of the holiday season remains to be explained.

HAVING 'FLAIR'
The directors of Derby Airways were certainly ‘go-ahead’ and flexible in their thinking, they certainly often had ‘flair’ but they weren’t very practical regarding the basics of operational procedures. More later. One decision that does stand out was this: “It had been announced that during the year the second protype Dart Herald was to be leased from the manufacturers during 1959, making Derby Airways the first airline operating the type. Unfortunately, whilst en route from the Handley Page field at Woodley to the Farnborough Air Show,  the aircraft suffered a severe in flight engine fire. Squadron Leader Haseldine managed to land the aircraft successfully at Farnborough quite literally on one engine – the other failed engine had fallen out of the aircraft.” It would be another six years before the Herald entered service with Derby Airways.

 

MORE EXPANSION AND INNOVATION
In 1959 two more Dakotas were added to the Derby Airways fleet, G-AMSW and G-AMSX, both acquired from Cambrian Air Services at RHOOSE (Cardiff). The decision was also made to install the Decca Navigator Mk.8 in all the Dakotas and it was thought these would pay for themselves by reducing flying time, especially in poor weather conditions. Capt B G Cramp states; “The let-down chart for Derby using Decca was, it is believed, the first such Decca approach given minima approval in the country.”

Unfortunately, as so often happens, these advances were somewhat countered by ideas the Ministry of Civil Aviation had: “In 1959, the Marathons were still going strong - The Certificate of Airworthiness clearly stated that the minimum crew was one pilot, and thus they had been operated. During the early part of 1959 however, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (or whatever title it reposed under in those days – the name has changed so often with political changes that one forgets just how many titles is has had) decided that aircraft of this calibre were too much for one man to handle and so was born a crew category new to aviation – Captain’s Assistant.” I was staggered to read what follows as it beggers belief. “ These crews members were usually holders of a Commercial Pilot’s License but without an Instrument Rating, or were Private Pilots License holders but with aspirations leaning towards professional licences. (Can we believe today a PPL. holder flying as crew in airliners?).

The intention was that these gentlemen (My note: Since WW2 ended professional flying had once more become a male dominated preserve) would serve coffee and barley sugars (ah the good old days) when required, but would also “navigate” the aircraft, keep the engine instrument reading log, do the R/T and generally “assist” the hapless Captain when requested so to do. Unfortunately, in practice these new apprentices to the trade, for that is what they were, were so so new to the aviation game, that the workload on the poor old Captain was not eased, but considerably increased.” Well then, what a surprise!

PROGRESS
In later years of course the second pilot crew member had to be suitably trained, to a standard where he/she could take command and complete the flight single-handed. One very notable example being when a flight-deck window blew out on a British Airways BAC-111 and the Captain was nearly sucked out, being restrained by a cabin crew member, until it landed at EASTLEIGH (Southampton). However, some restrictions were relaxed so that, for example, types like the three-engine Britten-Norman Trislander could be flown single-crew with passengers and types like the Embraer Bandeirante could be flown single crew on freight/mail operations which often took place at night, and sometimes in appalling weather. As Capt Cramp kindly points out, it wasn’t all bad news: “For the Captain’s Assistants the apprenticeship was an invaluable one, and the majority are still in civil aviation, most as Captains.” Written in 1979 he gives some notable examples in his book ‘British Midland Airways’ regarding positions in that airline.

“Captain Ron Hardy, now Boeing Fleet manager, Captain Dave Moores and Captain Roger Wise, now DC9 Fleet Manager….”

MORE NEW SERVICES
In April 1959, Derby Airways commenced another new service, this time from STAVERTON (GLOUCESTERSHIRE) to the Channel Islands and for a time it was successful. However, for whatever combination of reasons those in authority did not want STAVERTON developed, unlike BRISTOL (LULSGATE) and CARDIFF (RHOOSE) in the same region. Capt Cramp then appears to contradict his earlier account of a service commencing from LUTON in September 1958 by stating the service commenced on the 25^th April 1959. Maybe he forgot to say “recommenced” as it was standard practice, even in the 1950s, to lay aircraft up once the winter season arrived. What does appear to be the case was another new service to the Channel Islands commenced from Cambridge (TEVERSHAM) on the 5^th June.

A CUSTOMS FACILITY
It was also in 1959, in March, that Customs clearance facilities opened at BURNASTON. Probably it is simply “an age thing” but I find myself more and more fascinated by the development of these airlines, especially the destinations served by the I.T. (Inclusive Tour) operators in the 1950s and 60s. When for the younger generation today virtually the entire world is now their ‘lobster’ it might well appear laughable that, for example, even the exotic fleshpots of Ostend and nearby Blankenberge in Belgium once had considerable allure. For many couples on honeymoon it appears that the Channel Islands were still a firm favourite, “I think we’ll play safe luv, they are almost foreign and I hear they speak English,” but other holidaymakers wanted to venture further afield. It might well be simplistic but I reckon that those who had served abroad in the armed forces had developed a taste for foreign travel, and of course these people might well have been inspiring friends, relatives and neighbours to venture much further afield than Bognor, Skegness and Blackpool. Without any doubt the promise of sun and sand and perhaps a touch of hankey-panky thrown in was the main attraction. The problem was, how far afield could they afford to go? The answer is, for those with a bit more dosh in their pockets, the Med – and the Adriatic.

EXOTIC DESTINATIONS
It does seem remarkable but even as small an airline as Derby Airways were, in around 1959 and 1960, flying their Dakotas on hired in I.T. services from Bristol (LULSGATE), Cardiff (RHOOSE), Derby (BURNASTON), Birmingham (ELMDON) and GATWICK to Nice and Perpignan in France (the latter to serve the Costa Bravo in Spain where they were delivered by coaches), Calvi (Corsica), Luxembourg, Palma (Majorca) and Zagreb in Yugoslavia. Another myth prevelant today is that blue-collar workers faced an age of austerity lasting into the 1970s. Not so, the by now heavily unionised workforce usually controlled by people as corrupt (or corrupted?) as anything ever seen in this country, enabled certain factions who held key jobs to often earn fabulous wages, and this could include labourers. I see nothing wrong at all in people getting the maximum payment for their service, but the methods of heavily politiced Trade Unions, by and large, had two agendas working side by side which were of course doomed to fail – or succeed, depending on your point of view.

To put it very simply, one being to demand ever more pay for doing less work, the other to increasingly disrupt and eventually destroy the industry concerned.

In the end the Trade Unions succeeded in accomplishing these aims. Some say the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher destroyed the Trade Unions, but these people are invariably academics who wouldn’t dare go near a ‘place of work’. Trying to establish a small road transport business with my wife from the early 1970s I saw at first hand what was going on, and it was crystal clear that the Trade Unions were hell-bent on destroying ‘British Industry’, and eliminating their members jobs, no ‘ifs’ and no ‘buts’. One reason for having this ‘foresight’ was because I had started driving trucks abroad, into Europe as far afield as Greece, so had something to compare our situation with, such as delivering to Antwerp docks, the Audi or General Motors factories in Germany, etc, etc. The work practices there were a revelation - incredibly effecient.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER?
It isn’t possible I suppose to find the exact figures, but I strongly suspect the majority of passengers on these early I.T. flights were mostly the families of people who had ‘very good jobs’ c/o the Trade Unions? I have to confess that the assumptions made above come from mainly anecdotal sources, but, derived from hundreds of accounts given by people I have met over the last forty years. Capt. Cramp also mentions another interesting flight: “Another possible first for Derby took place on 11^th August, 1959, when a Dakota flew via Helsinki to Warsaw carrying delegates to a conference of the Esparanto Speaking Union. It was believed to have been the first occasion on which an independent carrier penetrated the Iron Curtain into Poland.”

ANOTHER MYTH TO BE DISPELLED
Once again there has been a lot of misunderstanding regarding the ‘Cold War’; it was nowhere near the closed ‘fortress mentality’ so often depicted. Western tourists were quite free to visit the Eastern Bloc countries and even the USSR, and a lot of trade went on too. Trucks from East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Hungary for example were a common sight on British roads and by the 1970s trucks from Bulgaria, Poland and Romania were being seen around western Europe. In the early 1970s I knew an Englishman, a great fan of Russian cars, who used to drive from England across Russia. Indeed, when I applied for permits enabling me to export ex-BBC television studion equipment to Athens I was astonished to find I had been routed via East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia. It was on this trip that I discovered a large proportion of British trucks (and those from other western countries), serving the oil boom in the Middle East were routing through these Communist States.

Regarding the airlines, our European national carrier, BEA (British European Airways) had regulars flights to the Eastern Bloc capital cities, and of course – Moscow itself. Indeed, back in the late 1950s we spotters at LAP (London Airport – now HEATHROW) were intrigued to see the first Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-104 jet airliners arrive with their glass noses for bomb-aimers. Apparently they could be quickly converted to bombers? As seen above even small independent airlines like Derby Airways could send I.T. tours to Zagreb in Yugoslavia and for other carriers Dubrovnik (also in Yuoslavia) was a very popular destination.

Needless to say the propaganda machine, mainly fuelled by the USA of course, had us believe that the threat of Soviet invasion, and/or nuclear war, was a massive threat. I didn’t really believe it then and pretty soon began to regard the USA as being the aggressor. Let’s face it, as I had an uncle regularly flying BEA Comet 4Bs from London to Moscow, it was hard to square this with a threat of imminent all-out war. This said, I was aware, (it’s amazing what aircraft spotters pick up on), that way above him the RAF had Vulcans on photo-recce missions. Then came the Gary Powers affair when his Lockheed U.2 was shot down over Russia in 1960. It was a long time ago now but I cannot recall BEA, or Aeroflot for that matter, terminating their London-Moscow services, or at least – for any appreciable length of time?

YET ANOTHER DIGRESSION - SOREEEE!
To put it in a nutshell, one of the attractions of being in road transport is that you learn about the realities of commerce and trade, and indeed how the majority of people are coping with life in general. Of course, those involved in commercial aviation and shipping can make similar claims – except they don’t get to meet the locals along the way. It was a typical ‘curates egg’ situation – good in parts, very bad in others. One can only summise what the result would be for humanity today if, after WW2 the immense fortunes utterly wasted on the military nuclear ‘race’ had been diverted for the common good?

 

A NEW AIRPORT

At BURNASTON, in 1959 it was becoming very clear the grass airfield was struggling to cope with the increased amount of ‘heavier’ traffic, rather than the lighter aircraft previously operated. As Capt. B G Cramp points out: “From an airport point of view however, the writing was on the wall – Burnaston was out and a new airport had to be found and possibly built as well. Various sites were investigated by Derby Corporation Airport Committee, including Ashbourne and Darley Moor, both deep inside Derbyshire, and Hucknall, then the Rolls Royce development airfield…..Finally, the old R.A.F. Station at Castle Donnington, just over the River Trent in Leicestershire was looked at, particularly as the Air Ministry was putting the site up for sale.” As a youngster I had no idea what went on ‘behind the scenes’ to create an airport – they were just there, as immutable as the pyramids in Giza, and to be quite honest this conception hadn’t much changed in my mind until researching this ‘Guide’.

Today I now realise that with the immense web of conflicting intrigue, self-interest, commercial gain, NIMBY concerns etc, etc - this indicates that it is nigh on miraculous we have any airports at all in the UK! It is self-evident we do and most are flourishing. Regarding the initial development of CASTLE DONNINGTON Capt. Cramp has this to say: “On October 8^th 1959, it was formally announced that Derby Town Council had agreed “as a matter of policy” to develop Castle Donnington.” And….: “When one reflects upon the decision to develop Castle Donnington, and comes to realise that such a mammoth undertaking, financially as well as constructionally, was brought about by the energy and foresight of one private company, it gives real food for thought.”

A BIT OF HISTORY
There are so many aspects to this I now find rather interesting. Before WW2 Leicester City Council were very proactive in supporting their local airport at BRAUNSTONE, whereas Nottingham City Council never really got behind the idea of supporting and developing TOLLERTON. Up the road Doncaster City Council made their airport a major civic feature whereas to the south Northampton City Council showed little interest in their airport at Sywell.

It came as quite a surprise to learn that after WW2 only Derby City Council, in this region considering their pre-war stance, took it upon themselves to develop a major regional airport, and, possibly uniquely (?) situated in another County! CASTLE DONNINGTON was in LEICESTERSHIRE - and still is. Perhaps doubly so because, as mentioned above, the two most significant major employers in the region, Rolls Royce aero engines and the railway industry, were both under siege and facing termination by the Trade Unions with their ever increasing policy of implementing ‘restrictive practices’.

The Rolls Royce aero engine division did indeed ‘go bust’ and as a regular visitor to the site in Derby, (this and others), I was not at all surprised and indeed laughed at the pictures of ‘shocked’ employees on our black and white TV. Likewise dockers in Liverpool etc, etc. What other outcome did these utter fools expect? Without much doubt these companies were very badly managed, but in view of this the least a worker can do is try to protect their job, relying on trade union officials to do their upmost in this regard. Instead political agendas, greed and shambolic restrictive practices became the order of the day.

Fortunately for Rolls-Royce Aero Engines, somebody, (perhaps several people?), realised that the company could not be allowed to go under. It took a while to turn it around but today it is a major commercial success, producing jet engines much favoured around the world. Employing some of the most gifted people in every aspect of jet engine technology.

 

SOMETHING TO BE EXPLAINED
After WW2 the UK airline industry was, not surprisingly, mostly managed and crewed by ex-RAF personnel. This was of course a disaster waiting to happen and, in due course on a regular basis, the predicted disasters occurred. There were two aspects in those days; Nearly every senior officer in the RAF was very proud of his utter ignorance of all things operational, and his supreme arrogance was to never, ever, learn about such about such demeaning aspects. It does seem that their attitudes carried over from WW1, when human lives in the lower ranks were simply a disposable commodity. To these people, now employed in the civil aviation sector as managers, passengers were simply ballast.

As Captain Cramp explains; “In those now seemingly far-off days of 1961, before legislation came into force governing crew duty hours, the crews worked very long long hours and in sometimes appalling weather. One typical day for a Dakota crew was Saturday 27^th May, when duty was commenced at 0615 and finished at 2025 having flown from Derby to Luton-Derby-Dublin-Derby-Luton-Cambridge-Jersey-Luton-Cambridge-Derby, that is 10 sectors in 15 hours 25 minutes. It was of course not only the crews who worked hard, for the engineers were hard at it clearing snags, re-fuelling, doing routine maintenance, continuing even when the last crew had arrived back. Similarly, the traffic staff worked just as long hours. However, the engineers and traffic staff could get away for a few minutes for a hot meal and a small break, but the crews were hard at it all the time and there were only cold salad boxes available for them in those days. Still, everyone was needed to make up the team that had put the Company where it was, and the hard work and long hours were put up with most willingly. If it not been for the spirit of all concerned in those days, British Midland would not be in existence today.”

 

PIONEERING MORE NEW ROUTES
Against the instransigence of politically inspired trade union activity in this region, (make that the UK), intent on closing down all manufacturing, even in 1959 Derby Airways management were intent on developing innovative solutions to expand their services. One rather bizarre arrangement was with KLM, an interconnected service to New York. Passengers could board a Derby Airways flight to RENFREW, then be connected to the KLM DC-7C flight, calling in at PRESTWICK from Amsterdam, via a coach service. Must have looked great in the brochures, but I wonder how many actually used the service?

A SPOTTERS NOTE
Just as an aside for the spotter/enthusiast, in those days (1959/60 at least), Ron Paine the Technical Director at Derby Aviation kept his Miles Hawk Speed-Six G-ADGP at BURNASTON. It is still flying today.

A PERIOD OF CONSOLIDATION
1960 was perhaps a major year for Derby Aviation, a period of consolidation. They were intent on expanding the IT (Inclusive Tour) services, holiday scheduled services and, to some extent, year round scheduled services serving mainly the traveller on business. I believe it is reasonable to say the average business passenger would, (prior to this initiative), probably only have the major operators at major airports in their sights? The general public going on holiday mostly didn’t have a clue regarding airport or aircraft type status, and usually ‘dressed up’ for the occasion.

It is of course so easy, today, to criticise the trust holiday passengers had in their aircrews, whoquite frankly – were mostly flying second-hand aircraft with a limited ‘shelf-life’ from the drawing board. Navigation equipment was very primitive, especially in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions), and horrendous crashes were par for the course, both with the independent and national carriers. Crew duty times were often incredibly long too. However, the lure of “a holiday in the sun” proved irresistible, and still does of course!


OPENING UP
The 1960s saw Derby Airways expanding their services and in 1960 a service from Cardiff and Bristol to Ostende was started and in 1961 a Bristol to Amsterdam service was added. The latter being doubly significant because it enabled tie-ins with KLM and Canadian Pacific. CP were then flying Bristol Britannias from Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver to Amsterdam and Rome. I believe it is well worth remembering, when many are placing emphasis on using provincial airports to tie in with ‘hubs’ in the 21^st century, companies like Derby Aviation were doing this way back in the early 1960s operating about six DC-3 Dakotas and a couple of Miles Marathons.

It now must seem astonishing that in the early 1960s this small fleet, based at BURNASTON was operating services also from, Bristol (LULSGATE), Cambridge (TEVERTON), Cardiff (RHOOSE), GATWICK, Glasgow (RENFREW), LUTON, Gloucester – Cheltenham (STAVERTON), Swansea (FAIRWOOD COMMON) and SYWELL (Northampton). In the early 1960s their services extended to the Channel Islands, Cork and Dublin in Ireland, Amsterdam,Ostende and Luxembourg. Plus, as far as the Costa Brava (landing at Perpignan in France) and Majorca (Palma). In 1961 BEA sub-contracted Derby Airways to undertake a nightly cargo operation from Heathrow to Amsterdam, a good pointer surely of the high regard held for this small airline. On Friday 14^th July 1961 Derby Airways carried their millionth passenger, on the service to Dublin. As Captain Cramp points out, quite an achievement for a small airline whose largest aircraft type was the 36 seater DC-3 Dakota.



A SIMPLISTIC VIEW?
As Captain B G Cramp explains in his history of British Midland Airways a myth arose duringthis period that independent operators were invariably ‘cowboy operations’ and this opinion was far too simplistic, and in some cases simply wrong. Indeed, some independent companies, such as Derby Airways, could claim to have equal, if not slightly better, maintenance and operating procedures than BEA and BOAC! In 1961 the Air Ministry introduced a much stricter licensing regime for the independent airlines and each airline had a Flight Operations Inspector assigned to monitor the situation and Derby Airways welcomed this.



A HUGE BLUNDER?
By 1961 Derby Airways realised they would have to enter the four-engine airliner arena to remain competitive and the very good decision was made to acquire two DC-6Bs, complete with large cargo doors from American Airlines in the USA. A crew was despatched to the USA to undertake training on the type and all the arrangements were in place for the type to enter service in the UK.

A really major problem with British companies, (arguably since the end of the Victorian era and still the case today to some extent), is that so very often the top management are complete amateurs and their arrogance is so supreme, they insist on making the BIG decisions. To such people the concept of cost-effectiveness remains a mystery – and such was the case with Derby Airways. At the 11^th hour the employees of Derby Airways learnt that five ex BOAC Argonauts, operated by Overseas Aviation (C.I) Ltd (who had just gone bust) were ‘going for song’ at Gatwick. You’d think that the very fact Overseas Aviation had gone bust could be a clue that these aircraft might be a liability to operate? But no, the DC-6B idea was scrapped and the Argonauts purchased. As Captain Cramp points out, “something of a disaster struck.” Quite rightly he makes the point that the Argonauts; “for, cheap as they were, they were very expensive to operate and did not have either the range, capacity or the cargo doors of the DC-6B.”


HARD TO BELIEVE?
Can you believe that the top management at Derby Airways, hadn’t even bothered to take this into account – despite ostensibly running an airline. They were, utterly incompetent to manage an airline - and yet it still succeeded due to the determination of the employees. As Captain Cramp explains, “…the T.B.O. (Time Before Overhaul) on the Argonaut’s Rolls Royce Merlin 724/1C engines was 1450 hours provided a cylinder block change had been made at 650 hours, whereas the T.B.O. on the DC.6B’s Pratt and Witney R2800 engines was 3000 hours with no work required at half life. In addition, the overhaul cost of the Merlin was £5,000 compared with £3,000 for the R2800.” But – this wasn’t the end of it; “From the engine handling point of view the Merlin required a great deal of attention with critical operating parameters. The R2800 on the other hand, did not require nearly as much crew attention and was an engine with which one could almost take liberties (but not literally so of course). The range of the Argonaut was very low compared to the DC-6B, and even the DC-4 from which it was developed.”

I effect the management had no idea about operating costs per mile etc, critical for airline operation, and focused instead on the purchasing cost, as many do when buying a second hand car.



TWO ASPECTS
I think two aspects emerge from this, for, as even Captain Cramp states, (he being an incredibly loyal employee), “…the buying of these aircraft, cheap though the unit cost was, was a bad decision, and was to cost the Company dear in the long term.” Having read his book I would say the company survived despite the top management and especially because the ‘espirit de corps’ throughout the company at the operational level was incredibly strong, the very high regard the aircrews had for the maintenance people, and vice-versa, perhaps being a crucial factor. Apart from all the above, even when first purchased by Derby Airways, the Argonaut type was suffering from an acute lack of spares in certain key areas.



AN ARGONAUT ARRIVES AT BURNASTON
Captain Cramp gives a vivid description of the first Argonaut (G-ALHS) arriving at BURNASTON. Nearly everybody employed turned out to watch the event as none of them were convinced such a large airliner could safely land there. The Captain was Van den Elst and the First Officer “Bluey” Wilson, and a perfect ‘short landing’ was made. The type couldn’t operate commercially from BURNASTON of course, but maintenance needed to be carried out here.


IT EVENTUALLY HAPPENED!
It was in 1961 that the decision to develop CASTLE DONNINGTON as a major regional airport was made, despite it being in a neighbouring County! I am trying to think of another example where such an occurrence has taken place….and failed.



THE FIRST CATASTROPHY
It was in early October 1961, whilst the company was hosting a ‘big bash’ for the senior staff in Hamburg that they learnt the airline had suffered its first catastrophe. Their Dakota G-AMSW had crashed into the Pyrenees killing everybody on board whilst trying to land at Perpignan. Airliners carrying tourists, especially those destined to resorts in the Spanish Costa Blanca regularly crashed into the mountains of the Pyrenees situated just west of the airport. Also, many coaches crashed with usually fatal results when negotiating the incredibly dangerous road through the mountains. However, the British working classes thought little of these dangers and swarmed to the Costa Blanca for a summer holiday in the sun.

Then again, thinking back to that period, most of these people, especially the men, were employed in terrible conditions in heavy industry and mining, where severe danger was part and parcel of their daily working life. Therefore the risk was well worth taking? For a few days in what must have been the next best thing to paradise. And, fish and chips available too!



FURTHER EXPANSION IN 1962
It was in this year that Derby Airways identified another location with potential, Carlisle Municipal Airport – and on the 14^th March an inaugural flight to Jersey took place with the Dakota G-AOGZ. Three days later the Argonaut G-ALHS was on its way to Aden via Cairo having been dry-leased to Aden Airways who also operated the type. I may be mistaken but I do believe this arrangement was the first step in a series of developments which eventually led toBritish Midland Airways (which Derby Airways later became) setting up a ‘virtual airline’ which emerging third-world countries could, in effect, hire.

On the 18^th April another scheduled service was inaugurated, this time from Derby to Belfast on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Wednesday service landing at Carlisle. The route was a good one to develop (although Carlisle was fairly quickly dropped) and by the late 1970s an EAST MIDLANDS to Belfast (ALDERGROVE) service was operating twice daily. The concept of developing regional airports in the UK (or nigh on anywhere else in the world for that matter) has always been sound, (if only our successive governments could see the ‘bigger picture’ and offer support when and where needed), and Derby Airways were very keen to support getting CASTLE DONNINGTON (EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT) up and running.

             ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT

Looking back it might seem rather remarkable but on the 7^th May 1962 BURNASTON became designated as a full Customs Airport operating 24/7. Also in May Derby Airways took over the Executive Air Transport routes from Birmingham (ELMDON) to the Isle of Wight and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Therefore a weekly Derby (BURNASTON), via Birmingham (ELMDON) to the Isle of Wight service commenced using EAT’s DH.114 Heron aircraft on virtually a sub-contract basis. (I imagine they used BEMBRIDGE as opposed to SANDOWN?) In effect the start of a system (?) which today is fairly commonplace, and a system a lot passengers have little or no idea about, or indeed any interest in. This being exactly who is actually operating and crewingthe aircraft they are flying in, had started over fifty years ago.

This is not a sleight against Derby Airways. Far from it, if anything this independent airline was going ‘against the grain’ in always trying to improve standards ‘across the board’ when not required by regulations to do so. Indeed, today in the global airline industry there are virtually no pro-active safety regimes in place worth a mention. The entire industry is focused on reactive policies to adhere to regulations, often to minimal compliance standards. However, don't get the wrong idea here - the minimal standards are generally very high indeed, especially when compared to the 1950s!

But, this said, and make no mistake about it, despite the myth of over-regulation in the global airline industry in the 21^st century, the standards of crew training (to take one example) can vary quite considerably. The USA for example have much lower standards compared to the best European operators and the American FAA have (or had?) set in place a regime to deliberately disrupt and severely inconvenience ‘top’ European airlines arriving in the USA at airports fully equipped and highly trained to international standards, but where, in minimal conditions, most US airline crews are unable to operate. The Americans view the superior crew training demanded in Europe as having an undesirable commercial advantage!

Once again, as the British film star Michael Caine is noted for saying, “Not a lot of people know this.”

 

THE FARES AND SERVICES
The single fare on the Birmingham (ELMDON) – Derby (BURNASTON) – Newcastle (WOOLSINGTON) service was £3.15.0d. The average UK wage in 1962 is given as roughly £20. What isn’t clear is what aircraft operated this service – Derby Airways Dakotas or Executive Air Transport Doves or Herons? The Argonaut operations were essentially based at Birmingham (ELMDON) probably mostly operating services to Ostend, Luxembourg, Cork, Jersey, Barcelona, Palma and Perpignan to serve the Costa Brava in Spain? It might seem bizarre today but in the winter services to Ostend connected with coach services to winter sports resorts! A very long journey by road in those days. So, why didn’t they fly them directly to much more convenient airports? One major reason was the lack of suitable airports and the often inclement winter weather conditions in mountain regions. Plus of course the highly sophisticated equipment on both the ground and in airliners, simply didn't exist.

 

THERE IS ANOTHER REASON
Here again much myth and legend exists. From way back airlines working Alpine routes had learnt to cope safely with very minimal condition, they had to, to simply exist. However, they had a lot of experience and local knowledge amassed. To give one example a few years ago around Xmas HEATHROW was fog-bound and my wife and I were going to visit our daughter in Sicily, booked with Alitalia via Milan. Terminal Two was closed just after we arrived, being chock a block with passengers unable to depart due to wholesale flight cancellations. I said, “Don’t worry, we’ll depart on time.” And indeed we did, simply because as I already knew, the airports in northern Italy are regularly covered in thick fog during the winter, so for Alitalia pilots it was ‘situation normal’ and not a problem.

 

ONCE AGAIN AT THE FOREFRONT
Back in 1962 the situation was very different. Due to Derby Airways having a very pro-active attitude towards air safety on the 28^th September, their Dakota G-AKJH took off to test the newly installed VOR navigation equipment. In those days, once equipped with VOR, (plus Decca Mk.8, ILS and ADF), the Derby Airways Dakota fleet was the best equipped Dakota fleet in the UK, “bar none.” A lot of work also took place to re-configure the Argonauts to prevent them being ‘tail-heavy’ in flight and this resulted in them being able to carry 75 passengers, as opposed to 70 as operated by BOAC. No mean feat of course.

 

1963, FURTHER EXPANSION
In this year Derby Airways entered into an agreement with Mercury Airlines Ltd to operate services from Manchester (RINGWAY). The Chairman of Derby Airways announced; “Mercury Airlines have co-operated with us in the past and will continue to co-operate with us in the operation of certain of our scheduled services, in particular Derby-Birmingham - Isle of Wight and Derby – Birmingham - Newcastle.” I might well be wrong, but it does seem that Mercury Airlines, based in Manchester never actually owned an aircraft or crewed or operated them. In effect, possibily, one of the first ‘virtual’ airlines. Making a living on ‘the margin’ allowed from ticket sales?

What really does intrigue me is the list of the most popular ‘further afield’ holiday destinations Mercury Airlines offered in those days via Derby Airways services. Barcelona, Genoa, Majorca, Ostend, Perpignan and Klagenfurt. Despite having driven across Europe for forty plus years and flown across Europe in light aircraft for a quarter of a century, and flying in every western European country, I had never heard of Klagenfurt before reading this book in 2012. (It may well have been seen it listed on arrival/departure boards at airports across Europe and I had taken no interest whatsoever). The airport is the the central southern Alpine area of Austria, so serving winter resorts and in those days, without much doubt, a pretty tricky destination?

Other new services introduced in 1963 were Carlisle – London (GATWICK), London (GATWICK) – Belfast (ALDERGROVE), BURNASTON – Basle (presumably the same Basle-Mulhouse airport situated in France and still used today?), LUTON – Ostend, Manchester (RINGWAY) – Ostend, BURNASTON – Rotterdam and Cardiff (RHOOSE) via Bristol (LUSGATE) to Amsterdam. Needless to say the Carlisle (CROSBY on EDEN) connections quickly failed but for business users the Derby (BURNASTON) – Leeds (YEADON) – Glasgow (RENFREW), and Derby (BURNASTON) – Belfast (ALDERGROVE), Derby (BURNASTON) - Birmingham (ELMDON) – Newcastle (WOOLSINGTON) and Manchester (RINGWAY) to Newcastle (WOOLSINGTON) services proved to be a great success.

 

ANOTHER STORY
There is another story Captain Cramp tells which I reckon is well worth telling: “In the United Kingdom in 1963 the only other Argonaut operaters were Air Links, a Gatwick-based carrier, and Derby Airways; and it was to the Company that the Ministry of Aviation (as it then was) turned for the training of its own Argonaut examiners. Captain Roy Westgate attended the Derby Airways Training School at Burnaston and underwent a two-week technical training course following which he commenced his flying conversion onto the type.

At face value a most bizarre arrangement to say the least?



A 'GOLDEN' PERIOD
One ‘golden’ period, in 1963, was the desire by Welsh holidaymakers to visit Barcelona and Majorca. Passenger volumes doubled from Cardiff (RHOOSE) in that year compared to 1962. In 1964 a new service from LUTON to Belfast (ALDERGROVE?) was inaugurated and the Argonaut was introduced on the LUTON to JERSEY service. Customs facilities were granted at STAVERTON enabling increased services to the Channel Islands and Ostend (Belgium).

However, at around this point very serious engine problems emerged in the small Argonaut fleet (powered by Rolls-Royce Merlins) and the consequent unreliability cost the airline dearly. In effect loosing the business created in South Wales to Cambrian Airways, who I believe, were by then operating the Vickers Viscount 'turboprop' airliner.

 

THE LEOPARD MOTH
I think a mention of the company hack, the DH.85 Leopard Moth G-ACLL is well worthwhile and to once again quote Captain Cramp from his book British Midland Airways, published in 1979; “The Leopard Moth concerned was in fact the oldest of three such aircraft surviving. It had been “modernised”* in a number of respects, being equipped with a self-starter, a Fairey-Reed metal propeller, a Chipmunk tail-wheel in place of the normal tail-skid, and a Standard Radio and Telephones STR12D V.H.F. radio. The wings could be folded back for easier stowing in limited hangar space, but the delight of all who flew it was the lever on the starboard side of the cockpit which, when pushed down, would turn the wheel-strut fairings at 90° to the airflow to act as airbrakes! Very effective they were as well. No navigation aids were fitted, but the aircraft cruised very slowly, and the M1 was being extended northwards so who wanted nav.aids?”

A PROMOTION
In 1964 Captain Cramp had been promoted to Commercial Manager in Derby Airways and he decided to make full use of G-ACLL. (See entry in ELSTREE - HERTFORDSHIRE) His main problem in flying ‘LL’, he says, “…when he first flew the aircraft was to accept 40 mph as a landing speed. After flying Argonauts he found that speed far too low for comfort. He still acknowledged, however, that “LL” was a delight to fly.” Later in 1964, on the 1^st October, the Derby Airways name was dropped and the new name was British Midland Airways. It should be noted that this took place before the move to EAST MIDLANDS and before the introduction of turbo-prop aircraft. However, on the 27^th May Hawker Siddeley sent their 748 demonstrator G-ARAY to BURNASTON and this was almost certainly the first turbo-prop airliner to land there.

A CHANGE OF PLAN
For some unexplained reason, at the Farnborough Air Show in September 1964 the Company Chairman very unexpectedly signed a contract for two second-hand Handley Page Heralds, Series 200, the first to be delivered in six months. Thus all the efforts to evaluate and progress the 748 and/or Viscount went “out of the window.” Being a tad cynical I can only imagine what transpired in the Handley Page hospitality tents. The Viscount was what the airline needed, and indeed they did eventually acquire some under a heavily flawed procurement programme which, just like the Argonaut fiasco, nearly put paid to the airline. It was, (and some maintain still is), a major flaw in British business, whereby people with absolutely no professional qualifications – or any idea at all how to run a business - somehow seem to be awarded top management positions. A very odd system to say the least and quite different to how most companies in Europe operate.

In November 1964 British Midland Airways acquired Mercury Airlines based in Manchester when Mercury went into voluntary liquidation. It obviously says something that despite what might be described as utterly incompetent senior management, BMA were still succeeding despite operating from a site which really was a disgrace as a major airport.

THE FIRST HERALD ARRIVES
I reckon this account, (from British Midland Airways of course), of the first Handley Page Herald G-ASKK to arrive at BURNASTON says a lot. “As the aircraft made its approach into Burnaston, everyone on the airfield held their breath, knowing full well that at the end of the landing run the new livery would be covered in mud from the water-logged airfield, which proved correct. All around gave three cheers to the engineers, who, in those days, stood by with a hose to wash down not only the Herald but all of the Company’s aircraft down.

That was on Monday 1^st February 1965. During the next few days demonstration flights took place at Birmingham (ELMDON), Cardiff (RHOOSE), LUTON, Manchester (RINGWAY) and Gloucester Airport (STAVERTON).

 

THE FLEETS
In his book ‘British Midland Airways’ Capt B G Cramp has very thoughtfully added details of the Air Schools, Derby Aviation, Derby Airways and British Midland Airways fleets from 1951/52 through to 1978. Each a ‘end of year’ list. I have copied these out for two reasons, the first being to provide a reference list to the ‘anoraks’ who I am hoping will include me into their ranks. The second being that even to those with a passing interest in British aviation industry it amply illustrates the essentially fluid or flexible nature of running an independent airline during that period and how they always tried so hard to adapt to ever changing circumstances, seizing opportunities and adjusting to set-backs.

 

FLEET 1947/56 (Derby Aviation)

DH Dragon Rapide   G-AEAL, G-AIUK, G-AIUL & G-AKOV

Miles Messenger   G-AILL

Miles Gemini   G-AJZJ

 

FLEET 1951/52 (Air Schools)

Percival Prentice   VR198, VR283, VR284, VR286, VR288, VS381, VS638, VS645, VS650, VS685, VS698, VS755 and VS758. (The latter being the last Prentice built)

Avro Ansons ?

 

FLEET 1956

Dakotas   G-ANTD, G-AOGZ

Marathons   G-AMGW, G-AMHR

Rapide   G-AIUL

 

FLEET 1957

Dakotas   G-ANTD, G-AOGZ

Marathons   G-AMGW, G-AMHR (G-AMEW under conversion from military variant)

 

FLEET 1958

Dakotas   G-ANTD, G-AOGZ & G-APBC

Marathons   G-AMEW, G-AMGW & G-AMHR

 

FLEET 1959

Dakotas   G-AMSW, G-AMSX, G-ANTD, G-AOGZ & G-APBC

Marathons   G-AMEW, G-AMGW & G-AMHR

Leopard Moth   G-ACLL

 

FLEET 1960

Dakotas   G-AMSW, G-AMSX, G-ANTD, G-AOFZ,G-AOGZ & G-APBC

Leopard Moth   G-ACLL

 

FLEET 1961

Dakotas   G-AGJV, G-AKJH, G-AMSX, G-ANTD, G-AOFZ, G-AOGZ & G-APBC

Note: Dakota G-ANEG dry-leased from Executive Air Transport, ELMDON (Birmingham)

Argonauts   G-ALHG, G-ALHS & G-ALHY

Note: Argonauts G-ALHN & G-ALHP were purchased for spares and scrapping

Leopard Moth G-ACLL



FLEET 1962

Dakotas   G-AGJV, G-AKJH, G-AMSX, G-ANTD, G-AOFZ, G-AOGZ & G-APBC

Argonauts   G-ALHG, G-ALHS & G-ALHY

Leopard Moth G-ACLL

(Note: So in effect no change from 1961)



FLEET 1963

Dakotas   G-AGJH*, G-AGJV, G-AMSX, G-ANTD, G-AOFZ, G-AOGZ & G-APBC

Argonauts G-ALHG, G-ALHS & G-ALHY

Leopard Moth G-ACLL

*Could this be a mistake? Being G-AKJH?

 

FLEET 1964

Same as 1963

 

NOTE: As the airline had decamped to EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT in 1965 the subsequent fleet details can be found there.

 

THE 50th ANNIVERSARY
On Saturday 17^th June 1989 a 50^th Anniversary celebration ‘Fly-In’ took place and I now have a copy of the souvenir programme which provides much insight into the history. In a forward to the programme Mr Martin Jones, Chairman of Airspeed Aviation Ltd says, “Many of you will be wondering about the future in view of the Toyota developments. We welcome our friends from Japan and know that existence alongside is completely practicable. We feel sure that the public do not want to be deprived of it’s aerodrome amenity in favour of a new factory when both can be accommodated with ease”. Within roughly one year the airfield was closed forever and the Toyota factory was perhaps deliberately built directly over it? The re-creation of BURNASTON as a viable aerodrome in 1987 was a huge task undertaken by Martin Jones and his wife Margaret. One can only imagine how they felt when just three years later their plans were totally destroyed by those involved in the Toyota car factory arrangements.

There is an element within this that I simply cannot understand. Why do Japanese car manufacturers seek to establish factories in the UK with the seemingly express purpose of utterly destroying airfields which the British people have hardly heard of and by and large couldn’t care less about? There must be a deliberate reason surely; it can’t be just coincidence. How else can you explain the total destruction of SOUTH MARSTON (Swindon) and USWORTH (Sunderland) beneath the other Japanese car factories?

OTHER NOTES
In the 1950s Derby Aviation conducted geological survey work in the Midlands area using a Avro Anson flying at 1800ft recording variations in the earth’s magnetic field. Also in the 1950s a batch of ten PR.35 Mosquito’s were converted here for aerial survey work in Canada.

A FAVOURITE STORY
A favourite story about BURNASTON came from Albert, a close friend of my brother in law, who lived and still lives in Edlington near Doncaster. Many years ago, (early 1960s probably), he was one of a group who decided to go to Jersey for a day trip. They departed very early in the morning, (you’d think it was on the day before by the route the coach took picking up passengers from nigh on every village en route it seems), and they eventually boarded a DC-3 at Derby. Needless to say only a very few hours were spent on Jersey before they had to return, arriving home in the early hours of the next morning.

I would like to say we’d never tolerate such arduous circumstances today in order to ‘enjoy’ourselves but it still isn’t always the case of course for those on chater holidays. The difference however is this I think - in those days the ‘glamour’ of flying somewhere was well worth the effort. Today this has often turned into sheer misery as thousands clog up airport terminals for endless hours awaiting delayed ‘cheap’ charter flights to a sunny destination. But that’s called progress isn’t it?

 

 

 
 

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Paul Gregg

This comment was written on: 2018-07-04 13:52:15
 
I enjoyed reading your appraisal of Burnaston Aerodrome. Although I agree with most of your personal conclusions I do so (as you cleary do) with the benefit of hindsight in a quite different world to that when the scorned practices were prevalent. recognising that, I do feel that the regular injections by yourself of virtuous observations do little other than be seen to comply with current mores and attitudes. The account does not need this. The brutal, ignorant and bullying end to this lovely airfield, I remember well. Central to its execution was Mr David Bookibinder leader of Derby Council. So abrupt was the affair that there was insufficient time for owners of aircraft to make alternative arrangements and many flew like de-nested birds to nearby Tatenhill who were placed in a very awkward position literally overnight. I had looked forward to taking my 4 tear old son to his first airshow, advertised in the popular aeronautical press.We arrived to find Fires being set and JCB drivers getting busy demolishing everything they could in double quick time. it was gut wrenching to see and I literally had minutes to take photographs of the hangars. My little son didn't have a clue what to make of it all, so learning of the fleeing- flers that very morning to Tatenhill, I resolved to go there to see for myself. A warm morning had changed to an afternoon of bitter windy chill as we inspected the long line of evacuated machines at an airfield without (they said) the infrastructure to allow them to operate from there. Bookbinder was no doubt delighted at a 'job well done' -Also of note: I remember having a good look around Argonauts ALHS and ALHY at Castle Donington as they were being stripped of their seating prior to scrapping.1968

 
 

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ian hastings

This comment was written on: 2018-11-01 22:31:21
 
gret reading. i always remember watching the dakotas regularly at staverton.Iwas a young lad then but really enjoyed watching them .

 
 

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Rich Kirkman

This comment was written on: 2019-05-28 11:26:19
 
Great story I remember flying in Argonaut LHS from Jersey to Ema I sat in front row left on the bulkhead was a brass plaque recording the fact that the aircraft had returned the then princess Elizabeth to England to become Queen I often wonder what became of that plaque when S was broken up???

 
 

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Tom Bancroft

This comment was written on: 2020-03-10 17:11:07
 
I have just spent my afternoon reading you fascinating article. As someone who lives a short bike ride away from Manchester (Ringway), my childhood memories are of the mid-1940s gazing at the the Spifires, Dakotas, Rapides, and other aircraft of the era, which were serviced at the massive Fairey Aviation hangar. A couple of years later came the jet aircraft. Vampires, Meteors and USAF Sabre Jets. I was led to this site by DC3 G-AMSX. Why? Because I have just watched a corny old film from 1962 called "Play It Cool". A rock 'n' roll, low budget film. One scene has Billy Fury and his pals of to France from Gatwick. The aircraft on the apron was G-AMSX. I like tracing registrations to see the history of old aircraft which appear in old movies. As it was used by Derby Airways and then British Midland, I was linked to this site. On another site I find that the aircraft eventually went to Antigua, carrying cargo around the Caribbean, before returning to it's original roots in the USA. Last info shows it was acquired by Patterson's in Florida, after which it seems to have ended it's days. Thank once again for a very enjoyable and informative article.

 
 

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Keith West

This comment was written on: 2020-10-20 09:52:48
 
I remember Derby Aviation/Airways very well. I started work in August 1956 in Burton on Trent as Junior Clerk in Frames’ Tours Ltd. The amount of bookings we did for the airline was considerable - not surprising with Burnaston being so close to Burton. My very first flight was in 1957 in a Marathon to Jersey via Cambridge. Subsequent flights being to Belfast, Glasgow, Ostend and the inaugural Newcastle service. I was also privileged to join a special Argonaut flight from Birmingham which flew over the proposed new airport at Castle Donington. I have such fond memories of Derby Aviation etc!

 
 

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Diana hampton

This comment was written on: 2020-11-11 17:13:46
 
My Father was Captian (Sidney) David Fenton who was the Chief Pilot and Operations Manager at Derby Airways, then he went onto British Midland. I have been reading through your website and I remember Captain Cramp. I have also looked at the YouTube programme about the Stockport air crash in 1967 and was very pleased to see my Dad and also Ian Wallis. I remembered him doing the reconstruction of that fatal crash and I can recall the earlier crash - 1961, in France, and that my Dad had to fly out there. My brother and I were on the first flight into East Midlands airport in 1965 from the Burnaston airport and I have a photo of it. Other names that I recall are Captain Lines and Captain Van der (something). (does anyone know his surname or any of the other pilots and air hostesses? I stayed in Burnaston Hall as a small child - about 4 years old and going to a Christmas party there. The Hall was on the approach to the airport. I just wish that I could remember a bit more of the layout of the airport though. I know that my Dad would 'get his hands dirty' to help the ground staff at times. He helped change a wheel once! - he wouldn't have been allowed to do this today though! We always had a large world map on our dining-room wall and we used to look at the various countries that Dad had flown to - mostly in Europe. Dad moved to Luton in 1970/71 and continued flying, but all over the world. He flew for a private company for many years and took many important people on his flights - members of parliament, dignitaries from other countries and even The Beatles! Everything was kept secret and he didn't even get their autographs for me. Thank you for your brilliant website.

 
 

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Janet Ashworth Cissna

This comment was written on: 2021-05-19 23:13:50
 
I enjoyed the article on Derby Airways very much. I worked as a ground hostess there in 1962 before being hired as a flight attendant for TWA in the US. I have many good memories of my time there.
 

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