Fairoaks
FAIROAKS: Military RLG in WW1? Later civil aerodrome (Aka FAIR OAKS)
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified.
Military users: WW2: RAF Flying Training Command 50 Group
18 EFTS [Elementary Flying Training School] (DH Tiger Moths)
Operated by: Initially from 1931 a private airstrip. Then General Aircraft Ltd until 1939
Military: (RAF) from 1939 to 1947
1947 to 1967: Universal Flying Services
1968 to 2008: The Alan Mann Group trading as Fairoaks Airport Ltd.
Since 2008 Fairoaks Airport Ltd has been owned by Albermarle Fairoaks Airport Ltd.
Activities: GA business, charter, air taxi, private, training and maintenance. Also once a site of popular public airshows
Charter/air taxi: Post 1945: Air Taxis International, Brymon Aviation, Cabair, Universal Flying Services*
Flying schools: Pre 1939: General Aircraft
Post 1945: Fair Oaks Aero Club, Fairoaks School of Flying, Fairoaks Flight Centre, London Transport Flying Club, Midland Bank Flying Club, Synergy Aviation, Vickers-Armstrongs (Weybridge) Flying Club
In the 1957 The Aeroplane directory, Fair Oaks Aero Club are listed as operating; Eight DH82A Tiger Moths, two Auster J/1 Autocrats and two DHC-1 Chipmunks.
Also listed is the London Transport (C.R.S.) Sports Association Flying Club operating three DH82A Tiger Moths. The Vickers-Armstrongs (Weybridge) Flying Club was affiliated to the Fair Oaks Aero Club.
1959 ‘snapshot’: Fair Oaks Aero Club, London Transport (C.R.S.) Sports Association Flying Club
Helicopter ops: Post 1945: Alan Mann Helicopters
Location: Just S of A319, 2nm N of Woking
Period of operation: Civil private airstrip from 1931 to 1939? Military 1939(?) to 1947. Then civil to present day?
Note: These maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runway(s): 1930s; perhaps an ‘all over’ grass airfield?
WW2: N/S 777 grass NE/SW 869 grass E/W 804 grass NW/SE 869 grass
1965: N/S 700x91 grass NE/SW 878x91 grass E/W 731x91 grass
The hard runway was constructed in 1979
1990: 06/24 800x27 hard
2000: 06/24 813x27 hard
NOTES: It appears General Aircraft Ltd, then based at HANWORTH AIR PARK (LONDON) ran a RAF basic training school here prior to WW2. This would have been No.18 ERFS (Elementary & Reserve Flying School).
During World War Two FAIROAKS became a RLG for 18 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) who were then based at SMITH’S LAWN in 1941, or so it seems.
A REMARKABLE ESCAPE
In his book Tiger Moth Stuart McKay tells this story, illustrated with two photographs. “In 1942, this Tiger Moth was on a low level sortie at 200 feet when the weather closed in unexpectedly and the pilot was forced to climb in cloud in order to cross high ground. Whilst enveloped in the murk the propeller struck and burst a barrage balloon; the hot exhaust caused the balloon’s hydrogen gas to ignite, setting the starboard side of the aircraft on fire. The pilot immediately put the Tiger Moth into a port sideslip, and the flames were extinguished, but not before they had caused extensive damage to the fabric. The aeroplane continued to base (believed to be Fairoaks) and landed safely having suffered no structural damage.”
The first picture depicts the ‘tail-feathers’. There are several tears on the starboard side of the rudder and the fabric is somewhat crumpled. About 50% of the fabric on the starboard tailplane upper surface is missing, and, as for the starboard elevator, nearly all the upper surface fabric is missing. The second picture shows the two starboard wings and on the lower inboard half of the wing roughly a third of the upper surface fabric is missing. On the upper wing about two thirds of the fabric on the inboard half of that wing had been burnt away!
When being taught how aeroplanes fly and learning to fly, I wish I’d had these photographs to hand to show to the instructors. And innocently enquiring of them: “If what we are being told is actually correct, your sirships, then how did this one keep flying?” Today of course I can work it out, especially as only one pilot was on board, but it must have been a close run thing and control marginal to say the least. The presence of mind and skill this pilot exhibited (presumably a pilot under training?) seems quite exceptional.
UNIVERSAL FLYING SERVICES
*In his book Tiger Moth Stuart McKay has a picture of the parachutist Sue Burges demonstrating (on the ground) how she exits from a Tiger Moth, in this case one “operated by Universal Flying Services from Fairoaks.” In preparing just a ‘Guide’ it can often be difficult or even impossible to pigeon-hole many operations and, by virtue of the company name I suppose, Universal Flying Services might well have been such an operation. In fact they operated the airfield, probably from 1947 (?) and also then took over operating No.18 RFS (Reserve Flying School) which had been No.18 ERFS since 1937. I strongly suspect, and they would have been quite correct in doing so, have been open-minded about using their civil aircraft, (only Tiger Moths?), for any worthwhile paying jobs as well as running a flying school. Or, where the terms of the contract such that the No.18 RFS aircraft could be used for other purposes when not required for RFS duties? It appears the Tiger Moths of No.18 Reserve Flying School were replaced with DHC.1 Chipmunks in 1951 but by late July 1953 the school had been disbanded.
TOM HAYHOW
In the early 1950s Mr Tom Hayhow was based here initially with his Auster Aiglet G-AMIH which he used for air racing, coming second in the 1951 Daily Express South Coast Air Race from SHOREHAM (SUSSEX) for example. In the series Tails Of The Fifties compiled by Peter Campbell he says, “ It is said that some colleagues in the Royal Aero Club bet him he couldn’t set up a series of point-to-point speed records, whereupon he took up the challenge forthwith!” To do this he modified another Auster Aiglet G-AMOS.
Because the FAI stipulate that the flight must pass with 30km of the city centres at both the start and finish this explains why he also used DENHAM (BUCKINGHAMSHIRE), ELSTREE (HERTFORDSHIRE) and CROYDON (SURREY). On each flight he tried andoften succeeded to set a one-way, return sector and both-ways records. It appears that several of these records still stand today and to accomplish the both-ways records an extra fuel tank was fitted giving the Aiglet 61 gallons in total. The Aiglet was fitted with a Decca Navigator Mk.VI which he had much praise for and de Havilland provided an engine servicing team.
Route Time (hr:min:sec) Speed (mph)
ELSTREE to TOUSSUS-le-NOBLE (18.04.52)
LONDON-PARIS 1:56:32 110.88
PARIS-LONDON 1:50:36 116.83
LONDON-PARIS-LONDON 3:48:02 113.33
ELSTREE to THE HAGUE (18.04.52)
LONDON-THE HAGUE 1:25:42 141.29
THE HAGUE-LONDON 1:43:22 117.15
LONDON-THE HAGUE-LONDON 3:10:07 127.38
ELSTREE to BRUSSELS (19.04.52) Zaventem airport perhaps?
LONDON-BRUSSELS 1:54.22 109.9
BRUSSELS-LONDON 1:30:37 138.76
LONDON-BRUSSELS-LONDON 3:25.47 122.2
ELSTREE to LUXEMBOURG (19.04.52) Luxembourg-Findel perhaps?
LONDON-LUXEMBOURG 2.35.48 122.73
LUXEMBOURG-LONDON 2:19:10 137.4
LONDON-LUXEMBOURG-LONDON 4:55:16 129.52
CROYDON to COLLINSTOWN (20.04.52)
LONDON-DUBLIN 2:20.15 126.1
DUBLIN-LONDON 2:21:25 125.26
LONDON-DUBLIN-LONDON 4:12:51 125.68
DENHAM to SCHIPOL (21.04.52)
LONDON-AMSTERDAM 1:54:55 123.78
AMSTERDAM-LONDON 1:34.59 145.83
LONDON-AMSTERDAM-LONDON 3:27:37 133.45
It is obvious looking at these figures that being able to forecast favourable wind conditions is very much part and parcel of record breaking flights for speed, especially in a light aircraft. It is also pointed out in 1952 that Hayhow probably also set an unofficial record in gaining more records at one go than has any other pilot. I wonder how this compares today?
FAIROAKS to COPENHAGEN (30.05.52) Copenhagen-Kastrup
LONDON-COPENHAGEN 5:13:24 118.115
COPENHAGEN-LONDON 6:14:49 98.86
LONDON-COPENHAGEN-LONDON 11:56:28 103.33
The return flight was not allowed as a minimum speed of 100mph had to be attained under FAI rules in those days. Therefore only the outbound and round-trip times counted.
FAIROAKS to BERNE (07.06.52)
LONDON-BERNE 3:21 141.11
(Note: He took-off from FAIROAKS but the timekeepers were at BROOKLANDS and he landed at BELP airfield near Berne where he stayed just 28 minutes)
BERNE-LONDON 4:15:28 110.03
LONDON-BERNE-LONDON 8:4:46 117.02
Under FAI rules the time spent on the ground for a round-trip is included as part of the total flight time, so a very quick turnaround time is essential.
DENHAM to CUATRO VIENTOS (08.08.52?)
LONDON-MADRID Void Void
Notes: DENHAM-CUATRO VIENTOS was the planned flight but it appears that for this flight his Decca Navigator was of no use and incredibly he missed Madrid. Having driven and flown in this region, from Cuatro Vientos, I find this rather difficult to understand as the 'gap' in the mountains at Puerto Somasierra, together with the main road from Burgos, is a very distinctive navigational feature. It appears he landing on a cart-track,and, unable to refuel and very low on fuel he took a chance and flew north to make another road landing at Cuidad Real where he obtained seven bucketfuls of some low grade fuel which he filtered through a handkerchief. This enabled him to fly north again to reach CUATRO VIENTOS airfield on the west side of Madrid.
It appears that he was not at all good at navigation, hence the reliance on the Decca Navigator closer to home and relied, it seems, to always try the direct track method. Not a good idea at all for VFR navigation, especially in those days and even now in my opinion. Madrid is actually very easy to find. Having flown over the Pyrenees you aim for the eastern end of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range.
Having completely cocked-up on the outward sector he decided to give the return leg a good bash and, it seems, set a record? Presumably departing the next day?
MADRID-LONDON 6:52:43 115
CROYDON to BROMMA (Date ?)
Typically people do not check dates so confusion reigns. The 9th August is also given for his flight to Stockholm!
LONDON-STOCKHOLM 6:37:45 134.46
On the return flight, faced with a severe headwind, he landed at LEEUWARDEN in The Netherlands to refuel.
STOCKHOLM-LONDON 8:43.18 102.19
LONDON-STOCKHOLM-LONDON 15:45:8 113.17
In early 1953 President Tito visited London and Hayhow wrote to him for permission to fly to Zemun, the airport for Belgrade and this was granted. He took-off from DENHAM at 06.05 on the 10th April 1953 and landed at Munich to refuel. He took off obviously intent on flying a direct track across the Alps and nothing more was heard of him. On the 25th May skiers on the Rabenstein mountain, twenty miles south of Salzburg sighted his aircraft, which had overturned landing in the snow. The exact position was in a hollow at 6,000ft between the Grosser and Kleiner, (large and small), Breitstein peaks.
Shortly afterwards his body was found with only minor injuries and he had obviously died from exposure. Quite why he elected to fly this route does not make any sense, if you don’t factor in his obsession for thinking a direct track route results in the shortest sector times? From Munich the by far better route would be via Linz and south of Vienna, then across Hungary to Belgrade, which is, if I remember correctly when driving that route over thirty years ago, mostly flat? The additional distance is minimal for such a flight and so much safer. He obviously hadn’t learnt from his flight to Madrid that for VFR navigation a somewhat canted route with unmistakable features to establish an exact position is invariably the better option.
TWO FIRST FLIGHTS
It is claimed the prototype Garland Bianchi Linnet G-APNS first flew here on the 1st September 1958, having been built at WHITE WALTHAM (BERKSHIRE). If so, and with such a perfectly serviceable aerodrome literally on the doorstep, why on earth did they take the Linnet to FAIROAKS? There must be a story in this? Also, the Phoenix Duet G-AYTT first flew here on the 22nd June 1973 – a two-seat side-by-side development of the Luton Minor developed by Alf Knowles.
AIR SHOWS
It is claimed the first public appearance of the Tiger Clubs ‘Turbulent Team’ took place here in 1959. I can certainly recall cycling to see airshows at FAIROAKS, which included the ‘Turbulent Team’, but can’t put any dates to them. From memory the Tiger Club contribution to these airshows was substantial. Indeed, possibly the Tiger Club hosted the entire event? Either way these were very entertaining air shows and the very fast and tiny LeVier Cosmic Wind G-ARUL 'Ballerina' was a sensation as the engine quit every time it went inverted! Also, it appeared flying very low and out of sight until the very last minute exactly on time to perform.
A STORY
As said often in this Guide I can very highly recommend reading the series Tails Of The Fifties compiled by Peter Campbell for getting an appreciation of how private flying especially took place in those days. One story by Timothy Foster amuses me, it certainly couldn’t happen today?: “We were doing the preflight walkaround, (on Auster G-AHSO), in front of the hangar, and a Tiger Moth took off towards us. As it got near overhead, the noise of the engine at full take-off power suddenly died to nothing, with the Tiger about 400 feet above us. An engine failure?!! Everybody looked up, their hearts in their mouths, and a faint voice yelled down from the Tiger, “CHANGE THE TEE!” Then the power went back to full and the Tiger continued on its climb out. No radios in Tigers! The T-shape marker on the ground, which shows aircraft which way to land, was pointing out the wrong runway, since the wind had recently changed direction.”
THE ORIGINS OF CABAIR
The now defunct but for a long time very large Home Counties flying training and charter/air taxi organisation, Cabair, with bases at most major aerodromes around London, was formed here in 1968 with one Piper Apache for air taxi work and quickly moved to Heathrow! Cabair folded, for good it seems, in or around February 2012.
ACES HIGH
Aces High Ltd, specialising in film work was formed here in 1979 with one Douglas DC-3 Dakota. The company went on to employ eleven Dakotas plus many other types of course.
FAIROAKS FLIGHT CENTRE
In 2006 Fairoaks Flight Centre were offering a training fleet of five PA-28s (180/181), a TB10 and - a Piper Twin Commanche! Unusual if not unique in the UK at that time for a training school? The Twin Commanche is still a much underated aeroplane and possibly the best ever light twin when it comes to the purchase price x performance x operating costs equation?
This picture of the Beech 200 Super King Air G-BMCA was kindly sent by Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide'. It was taken during Ascot Week in 1977.
PERSONAL MEMORIES
I really do like Fairoaks and regularly cycled there in the early 1960s, sometimes for the air shows. Later on I took a trial lesson here in a PA-28 and many years later years I flew into Fairoaks, went on a couple of aerial photographic and air-to-air sorties with the late Austin J Brown, and, have delivered an aircraft there in my truck. However, I will always insist, that Fairoaks is not, and has never been, or will probably ever be, an “Airport”. Why do people indulge in this nonsense? I really cannot believe that, for example, a major foreign corporate CEO arriving here on perhaps a helicopter charter, will be much impressed, ostensibly arriving at an “airport” in the UK.
One particular memory, dating from 1993, was when we, myself and my good friend and long suffering flying companion Guy Browning, learnt that a low level route through the Heathrow Zone was available, which could for example be used to fly from Wycombe Air Park to Fairoaks. The only problem being that it could only be requested once airborne and the clearance would be, if granted, flying not above 500 ft. We decided to give it a go in the Cessna 172 G-WACZ on the 16th March 1993, and lo and behold, we received our clearance. As a normal rule light single-engine aircraft flying from point to point are not allowed to fly "Within 500ft of a person, vessel or structure" and incredibly we mostly flew over unihabited country, such as Windsor Great Part and across Ascot racecourse and Wentworth golf club if memory serves.
Another fond memory was when I was invited by Aussie Brown to accompany him in a Partenavia for an air-to-air photo shoot of Diana Britten flying her Extra 230. Diana was, and perhaps still is, the only British female display pilot in the unlimited class. I'm not sure when the pictures were taken, but I suspect it wasn't long after she became the British Aerobatic Champion in 1995.
FAIROAKS PICTURES
ANOTHER PERSONAL MEMORY
In November 2009 I was given the job of moving the Tri-R KIS TR.1 G-OKPW from LYDD (KENT) to FAIROAKS. This picture taken on film, during a very dull late afternoon.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2018-01-07 06:02:06After retiring from Air Traffic Control Farnborough in 2008 where I had worked for 34 years, Fairoaks Airport Manager kindly offered me a part time job at Fairoaks as a Flight Information Service Officer. Now 10 years later, a cloud hangs over the futiure of the airfield, the present owners of the landside buildings and the owners (not the operators) of the airport wanting to sell the land for housing. There is immense local opposition in the local villages of Chobham and Ottershaw to these plans and the company operating the airfield have recently improved facilites by installing pilot controlled lighting and improving night time guidance on the taxiways. At time of writing (Jan 2018) planning permission has not yet been applied for but the application is expected soon.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2018-01-07 06:08:52After retiring from Air Traffic Control Farnborough in 2008 where I had worked for 34 years, Fairoaks Airport Manager kindly offered me a part time job at Fairoaks as a Flight Information Service Officer. Now 10 years later, a cloud hangs over the futiure of the airfield, the present owners of the landside buildings and the owners (not the operators) of the airport wanting to sell the land for housing. There is immense local opposition in the local villages of Chobham and Ottershaw to these plans and the company operating the airfield have recently improved facilites by installing pilot controlled lighting and improving night time guidance on the taxiways. At time of writing (Jan 2018) planning permission has not yet been applied for but the application is expected soon. The 'low level' route though the Heathrow Control Zone has always been possible routing via visual reference points such as Ascot Racecourse. It is now 'normal' procedure for pilots to mention they wish to use this route as they taxy out and the Fairoaks FISO should (workload permitting) then phone Heathrow Radar to pass details and possibly in return be issued with a transponder code. Clearances are more forthcoming now that the Heathrow Zone is Class D aoirspace now rather than being Class A as it was in 1993.
Ron. Sandell
This comment was written on: 2018-10-11 11:56:01Certainly of no great interest, but in 1945 as a member of the ATC I was given three or four flying lessons at Fairoaks (Tiger Moths) prior to RAF entry - eventually EFTS at Cranwell in 1946
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