Great Driffield 1929
GREAT DRIFFIELD see also GREAT DRIFFIELD 1913
GREAT DRIFFIELD see also DRIFFIELD for the RAF aerodrome
GREAT DRIFFIELD 1929: Temporary aerodrome
The article was published in the Driffield Times on the 12th October 1929. The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Berkshire Aviation Company
Location: Unknown exactly? S of the Nafferton Road, since renamed as the Bridlington Road, just E of Great Driffield town centre
Period of operation: 9th to 22nd October
NOTES: We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for finding evidence of this location.
This is another case of getting so near but also so far - at least in terms of finding the exact location for the venue. Mike and I first thought it would most likely be the location used by Blackburn in 1913? But, and isn't there always a 'but', the description in the article doesn't quite match. Mike spent quite a lot of time looking at maps trying to find one which featured Slack Hill, but could not find one. However, there may well be a clue in the Nafferton Slack being on the map featured above. Which we suppose may well have been flowing south from Slack Hill? If so, this would indicate that the venue was in around West Field?
If anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be most welcome.
What we do know is that the Berkshire Aviation Company based one of their Avro 504Ks here for several days, the pilot being Mr A V Heaton. Formed in 1919 this company would often deploy a single aeroplane around the country to seek revenue from offering joy-rides to people living in less populated towns, as opposed to concentrating, for example, on major sea-side resorts. And, they succeeded, offering this service around the entire year, including the winter season.
The Avro 504K and Avro 504N which were produced in huge numbers during WW1, became basically the favourite type used for such operations, as it could be easily converted to carry two passengers in the front cockpit. Most of these conversions being carried out by Avro after WW1, and indeed, Avro themselves deployed a fleet of these to various locations, usually major sea-side resorts, for the summer season. The type first flew before WW1 and continued being operated until WW2. Even during WW2 in at least one case, being used for early radar tracking sorties on the south coast.
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