Derby Racecourse
DERBY RACECOURSE: Temporary aerodrome or Landing Ground
Operated by: Avro Circus
Location: Just N of the A52, just NE of Derby city centre
Period of operation: From the 6th to 11th October 1919 certainly. Possibly longer after the 11th?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The advert was published in the Derby Daily Telegraph on the 26th September 1919.
Note: The two part newspaper article was published in the Derby Daily Telegraph on the 9th October 1919. The eighth item was also published in the Derby Daily Telegraph, but this time on the 21st October 1919. Of some interest is that this article states that the Avro Circus stayed for a fortnight, not just for week as the advert above claims.
NOTES: After WW1 the country was awash with war surplus aircraft. Including a substantial number of Avro machines, mainly the Avro 504K and 504N. Being very aware that Avro faced very few prospects of designing and building new aircraft - what to do? Their answer was to convert many of these into three-seaters, ideal for joy-riding duties. The front cockpit of the 504 type could be quickly and cheaply adapted to take two passengers.
Within a fairly short period of time after the war ended on the 11th November 1918, Avro decided to take matters into their own hands and by the spring of 1919 had arranged for displays and passenger carrying events to be held at numerous venues, mostly at seaside resorts. Indeed, many machines were adapted to operate on floats so that passengers could be flown off beaches which were unsuitable for land-plane use.
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