Dunstable flying sites
NOTE: The famous gliding site at DUNSTABLE DOWNS is a seperate entry.
Second Note: This map only shows the location of Dunstable town within the UK.
DUNSTABLE see also LEWSEY FARM
DUNSTABLE: Temporary aerodrome
Operated by: Berkshire Aviation Co
Location: ?
Period of operation: June 1921
NOTES: Dunstable was a planned venue for Sir Alan Cobham’s 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign, this being the 93rd venue for this tour. (Probably in late September). It started in May and ended in October with one hundred and seven venues intended to be visited. Mostly in England two venues were in South Wales and eight in Scotland. Due to a couple of crashes and other setbacks this tour needed much rearranging, resulting in Dunstable being scratched.
Even so, he did manage to visit 96 venues, which was of course still a magnificent achievement.
The aircraft Cobham mostly used for this 1929 Tour was the ten-seater de Havilland DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV, named 'Youth of Britain'. The punishing schedule he set himself seems astonishing today - but he really was a 'workaholic' par excellence. Highly recommended reading are his memoirs in 'A Time To Fly'
DUNSTABLE: Civil Landing Ground
Location: 1.5nm W of Dunstable, (NW surely?), just N of A505, E of junction to Houghton Regis
Period of operation: 1930s only?
Runway: Max landing run: 576 grass
NOTES: Info source, ‘AA Landing Grounds’ publication, 1930s. This does beg the question though; was this LEWSEY FARM used by Cobham’s No.2 Tour in 1933? Or perhaps even the same site used by Berkshire Aviation in May 1921?
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