Castle Bromwich Playing Fields
CASTLE BROMWICH PLAYING FIELDS: Temporary Landing Ground (Aka ARDEN HALL PARK)
Operated by: Mr Robert Slack
Location: Just N of the B4118, NE of Castle Bromwich and about 5nm ENE to NE of Birmingham city centre
Period of operation: 29th June to 6th July 1912
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', for finding this venue and providing the following information, maps etc.
The article in two parts was published in the Birmingham Daily Gazette on the 1st July 1912.
This short article was published in the Leicester Evening Mail on the 5th July 1912.
The area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: As it appears, from the newspaper articles of the period, Robert Flack was here for most of five days, plus two more for both arriving on the 29th June and eventually departing on the 6th July, presumably he made several local flights. But, did he carry passengers, as most did in those days during an extended stay?
What I find interesting is that the reporter from the Birmingham Daily Gazette states that Robert Flack appearing was the first aviator to be seen in this area. I suppose it all depends on what is meant by an area? Presumably for him quite a small location?
The previous year, on the 17th April 1911, Claude Grahame-White, then very famous, flew up and across from HENDON to BOURNVILLE, landing at SPARKHILL, just around 5nm to the SW of this location to ask directions. Also noted was Flack referring to problems with his compass. Just how accurate that might have been in those days, being sited quite close to the engine, is highly questionable. It was later learnt that adjusting a compass in an airframe was a complex business. Indeed, most later aerodromes had a remote facility well away from hangars and similar installations liable to affect the compass, so that deviations within the aircraft could be compensated for.
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