Cark
CARK AIRFIELD: Military aerodrome later private airfield and parachuting centre
(Also known as GRANGE-over-SANDS)
Military user: RAF Flying Training Command 25 Group
Staff Pilots Training Unit
Anti-aircraft co-operation (Avro Ansons and Fairey Battles)
188 Gliding School (Air Training Corps)
Civil operator: 1980s: North West Parachute Centre 1990: Mr D Latham
Early 1990s: Mr J D Prince
2000 onwards: North West Parachute Centre
Note: These pictures were taken by the author on a brief visit in August 2016.
Note: Regarding the two pictures of ZK-KAY, this aircraft was built in Hamilton, New Zealand, and is basically a development of the Fletcher types very popular for crop-dusting. It appears that two of these are operating in the UK.
An interesting aspect regarding ZK-KAY is that it was involved in a mid-air collision in the Midlands in December 2007. This aircraft landed safely at EAST MIDLANDS airport, but the two people in the other aircraft died.
Location: 1.5nm S of Cartmel, S of the B5277, close to Flookburgh, 2 to 3nm SW of Grange-over-Sands, 7nm S of Lake Windermere
Period of operation: Military: 1941 to 1945 Civil from: 1980s to -
Runways: WW2: 17/35 1006x46 hard 07/25 1189x46 hard
13/31 1006x46 hard
1990: 06/24 975x46 hard
In 1990s & in 2000: 06/24 400x15 hard (200m over-run at each end)
2012: 06/24 500x15
(Also, 12m wide compacted earth strips either side of runway suitable for gyroplane operations)
NOTES: In 1985 this site, (or part), was listed as being used for private flying and this appears to have continued to the present day?
THE ORIGINS
On a brief visit to CARK (by car) in August 2016, I learnt that the aviation origins of CARK go back to WW1. It appears that the airship hangar(s) at Barrow-in-Furness had been shelled by German U-boats in the Irish Sea - so a safer site was sought - this being CARK.
I was told that construction had commenced on a hangar that was reputed to be the largest in Europe, but, when roughly half complete, the war ended. It was later demolished.
SOMETHING TO PONDER?
As a general rule in the twentieth century, the outcome of a war is known well in advance of the final surrender. The outcome of war in Europe (1939 to 1945) was pretty much determined once the RAF could mount '1000 bomber' raids for example, or the results of the raids on Hamburg in 1943.
Only the most obsessed and in many cases clinically insane individuals can decide to continue. But this criteria applies across the board; the Allied (British) General in charge of the invasion of Arnhem certainly meets this criteria - quite frankly he was barking mad - but incredibly, remained in charge.
Here we see a massive project being undertaken, and yet caught out ostensibly, by a sudden turn in the war leading to its cessation? After reading up on the subject over many years, I now suspect this was probably the case. The exception to prove the rule?
Idris Francis
This comment was written on: 2018-08-11 10:32:58My uncle 2nd Lt, later Captain, Idris Prosser Evans, was based at Gretna Green but in June 41 was sent with his Regiment to the LAA Practice Camp at Cark. On Friday 13th June 41 he went to the Netherwood Hotel in Grange over Sands for a drink but met 20 year old Winifred Fletcher of Grange at a dance there. They married on February 7th 1942 in Carlisle and were very happy together until he died of a heart attack in 1960. Win invited me to stay for a couple of weeks while I looked for a flat near my 1st job in London NW10 but we got on so well we stayed together for 54 years until she died a year ago at the age of 96. As one of her executors I found about 40 love letters Win had kept, the first being from the LAA practice camp at Cark. So his posting there changed many lives.
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
