Cramlington flying sites
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
CRAMLINGTON: Originally a WW1 RFC aerodrome, later a civil aerodrome & regional airport
(Also known as NEWCASTLE)
Note: This fuzzy picture is adapted from a photograph Mike Charlton took, in mid-2018, at the North East Aircraft Musuem at USWORTH. Taken circa 1926.
Military user: WW1: Home Defence Station RFC (Royal Flying Corps)
36 Sqdn (Royal Aircraft Factory, BE.2c, BE.12 and FE.2b types. Also Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8s, Bristol Scouts, Avro 504Ks, Sopwith Pups and last but not least the Bristol F.2b Fighter)
RFC/RAF Advanced Training Unit
58 Sqdn (Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2bs)
Reserve & Training Squadron Station
120 Sqdn (Airco DH.9s)
Training Depot Station & Training School
THE FIRST FLYING MEETING
Note: Mike Holder unearthed this item of the first flying meeting at CRAMLINGTON, held on the 4th September 1926 and published in Flight magazine on the 16th September.
Note: This map kindly provided by Dr Anne Tarver of the Nottingham County Archive Service.
British airline users: Pre 1940: Northern Airways, North Eastern Airways
Aero club: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Light Aeroplane Club (Aka Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aero Club?)
This picture from a postcard of the Gipsy Moth G-AAJS was kindly sent by Mike Charlton. First registered on the 18th July 1929 the first record I can find is of it being registered to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Aero Club on the 20th November 1931, and it served with them until being impressed to the RAF as X5055 on the 18th March 1940.
The Club moved from CRAMLINGTON to NEWCASTLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT at Woolsington, presumably not long after it opened in 1935.
A KINGS CUP AIR RACE WAYPOINT 1929
Note: Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide' came across this cartoon published in Flight magazine on the 11th July 1929. As Flight was published in the 'soft south' of England, they probably didn't realise that this sort of weather, up north, was normally regarded as being quite pleasant. But, as tee-shirts had yet to be invented, and worn today in sub-zero temperatures, how were the youngsters clothed at the time?
Note: Mike Holder also provided this article with map of the air race circuit, which was held on the 5th October 1929.
Note: Mike Holder has later sent this picture, published in Flight magazine in October 1929. Clearly there is a lot of GA light aircraft activity going on at this aerodrome.
Joy rides: Pleasure Flying Services
Location: Probably on the site of Bassington Industrial Estate, NW and near the junction of the A1068 and A1172?
Period of operation: Military WW1: 1915 to 1919. Civil: 1925 to 1936 only?
Note: This illustration of the programme was kindly sent by Mike Charlton.
Site area: WW1: 155 acres 732 x 549
NOTES: On the 27th November 1916, whilst serving with 36 Squadron and flying a Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c, Second Lieutenant Ian Vernon Pyott shot down the Zeppelin L.34 over Hartlepool and was awarded the DSO. At that time it apears, 36 Sqdn were operating from both CRAMLINGTON and BENTON. It is not is seems, mentioned where Pyott was flying from when he made his famous attack on the Zeppelin airship.
MISS LEATHART
Miss Leathart appears to have owned and operated at least two aircraft. The DH.60 Moth G-EBRX is one, (but no record of it seems to exist of the other?), during the late 1920s and early 1930s from here.
It appears that Pleasure Flying Services operated the Spartan ‘three-seater’ G-AAHV from 1929 until?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The really interesting aspect from Mike Holder looking into this era, is that he found that Sir Alan Cobham visited here, on the 7th June, during his 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign, and apparently came to grief here after suffering engine failure. Although the damage caused was serious, the lower left wing was torn off, he was soon on his way again, visiting some 97 towns and cities between May and October.
FLYING CIRCUS VENUES
Venue (2nd &3rd July 1932) for Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour
Venue (1st & 2nd July 1933) for Alan Cobham’s No.2 Tour of the UK
136th venue (8th September 1934) for Cobham’s 1934 Tour of the UK.
NORTHERN AIRWAYS
Northern Airways was founded here by George Nicholson on the 1st July 1934. According to Neville Doyle in his excellent book The Triple Alliance : “The business was not a limited company but Nicholson operated initially as a sole trader, appointing himself “managing director”. As Nicholson was the son of a chartered accountant he must have known that doing this amounted to fraudulent practise? “He had one employee, a pilot named E F “Ted” Palmer, and one aeroplane, a DH.84 Dragon G-ACFG.
From August 1st, a regular daily service was flown each way over the route Newcastle (Cramlington) – Carlisle (Kingstown) – Isle of Man (Ronaldsway), but this was reduced to thrice weekly on August 23rd, and to twice weekly through September and October when the service ended by November.” It appears that in the same year it had become Northern & Scottish Airways after moving to Renfrew.
The demise of CRAMLINGTON appears to coincide with the opening of NEWCASTLE airport at Woolsington in 1935?
ANOTHER DETAIL
We have Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for pointing out that the Simmonds Spartan, G-AAGV, was registered 30.10.29 to Cramlington Aircraft Ltd and based here until September 1930 when it was damaged. It appears to have taken around four years or more to be rebuilt (?) as it was re-registered as G-ABXO on the 5th January 1935. It was not impressed into military service during WW2 and nothing seems known to what became of it during that period? The registration was cancelled 01.12.46.
Later Graham found a record of the Klemm L27-A111, G-AAWW, registered to Major E F Stevens being based here. Dates unknown but at least up to 1931.
CRAMLINGTON: Airship Station
Note: I have also found this site described as CRAMLINGHAM.
Military user: Probably RAF? Intended to be a Class D Airship Station
Location: Seems to be in the area now occupied by the Nelson Park Industrial Estate, possibly also partly in the South Nelson Industrial Estate, S of the A192 and near Nelson village
Period of operation: Probably never operational but partially built at least when the Armistace came about
Site area: 52 acres 796 x 622
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
