Cambridge flying sites
Notes: This map only gives the position of Cambridge within the UK.
CAMBRIDGE see also CHERRY HINTON
CAMBRIDGE: Probably FEN DITTON
NOTES: Cambridge was the 19th venue for the Sir Alan Cobhams Municipal Aerodrome Campaign in 1929. It started in May and ended in October with one hundred and seven towns and cities planned to be visited. Mostly in England but with two venues in Wales and eight in Scotland. Without any doubt this campaign encouraged the construction of several aerodromes/regional airports.
In the end after a couple of crashes and other setbacks, he managed to visit about 95 venues - which was still a magnificent achievement.
The aircraft he used was the ten-seater DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV named 'Youth of Britain'. It was a punishing programme and I can highly recommend reading Cobham's memoirs in 'A Time To Fly'. But that was the mark of the man, he had the most extraordinary stamina and energy.
A QUESTION?
Note: This barely legible article from The Bury Free Press was published on the 15th June 1929, and kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder. What is of particular interest is to see that Sir Alan Cobham attended, but not in his DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV. It was with this aircraft that Sir Alan conducted his Municipal Aerodrome Campaign during 1929, intending to visit 107 venues. Cambridge is listed as being one of the venues, but clearly something is amiss here. He could hardly have performed his normal programme in the middle of an Air Pageant, so perhaps G-AAEV was undergoing maintenance/repair, and he decided to participate in the proceedings?
There are records of a site in or near Cambridge used by the C D Barnard Air Tours operation in April 1931.
On the 11th October 1932 Sir Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour performed in or near Cambridge. It’s so very tempting to suppose that they also used the ‘regular’ airport but experience teaches me to be cautious. Surely somebody today still knows the location of the venues? Any advice will be most welcome.
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