Hibaldstow
HIBALDSTOW: Military aerodrome much later civil parachuting centre
Note: All eight of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
The third picture shows, I think, a Dornier G92.
Although the Google Earth pictures are of poor quality, the third picture shows two Dornier G92s and the fourth possibly a Cessna C208 Supervan?
Military users: RAF Fighter Command 12 Group
255 Sqdn (Boulton Paul Defiants, later Bristol Beaufighters)
1459 Flight (Douglas Havoc 'Turbinlite' night interceptors)
53 OTU (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
Civil users: Parachuting centre
Note: Operated in recent years by Skydive Hibaldstow. The company, (in 2019), were operating six Dornier G92 types and two Cessna C208 Supervans, but mostly not based here.
Location: SSE of Hibaldstow village, E of A15, 3nm SW of Brigg
Period of operation: Military 1941 to 1945. Civil ? to present day?
Runways: WW2 08/26 1463x45 hard 15/15/33 1348x45 hard
02/20 1188x45 hard
2000: 08/26 hard
2019: 14/32 600 grass
NOTES: HIBALDSTOW has a most unusual claim to fame, it being here on the 14th February 1945 that a WAAF could claim to be the first to fly ‘on’ a Spitfire! It appears that LACW Margaret Horton, a wartime air-frame mechanic, (or ground-crew fitter), was detailed to sit on the tail of the Spitfire AB910, to hold it down during the engine run-up. It appears her presence was unknown to the pilot, who then took-off and completed a ten-minute flight over the airfield with Margaret clinging on for dear life wrapped around the fin.
Having sat on the tailplane of a fairly powerful aerobatic aircraft to perform a similar duty during a ground-run for the engine, I can only marvel at how she managed to cling on, the effect of wind-chill must have been phenomenal behind a Merlin! No record appears to exist of what the pilot had to say about the handling of this Spitfire during this flight, (?), which seems a great shame. The C of G (centre of gravity) must surely have been so far aft that one must, I suppose, admire his skill in landing the Spitfire safely.
But, don't forget that experts predicted that adding the weight of cameras immediately behind the cockpit to photo-recaissance Spitfires woud have a serious effect on handling. Needless to say they were completely wrong - as experts invariably are of course. If this wasn’t enough it is claimed she tried to alert the pilot to her predicament by grabbing hold of and waggling the elevators!
In another account which I read much later, it was stated that the pilot Flt Lt Neil Cox DFC, "....realised there was a problem...."
A GHOST STORY
As said elsewhere no ‘Guide’ about our flying sites would be complete without a few mentions of the ‘para-normal’. This story is from Military Ghosts by Alan C. Wood: “In 1953, a group of former fighter pilots returned to the now disused airfield, rotting away, with long grass covering where the runways had been, on a nostalgic visit. They lingered for an hour, exchanging wartime stories, and then began to walk back to their cars. As they reached their cars, they turned to take one last look at their old base; as they stared at where the main runway had been, they heard the sound of a Merlin aircraft engine being throttled back for landing. In amazement, they saw a Mark IV Spitfire coming in over the main runway, undershoot, and float down for a perfect landing. As the Spitfire reached the airfield perimeter, it abruptly vanished before their eyes.”
As pointed out elsewhere, this author does claim to have been in the RAF, which I have no reason to doubt, but he does let himself down trying to embellish flying accounts, of which he has no knowledge. IF this ‘Spitfire’ had undershot, it would of course have landed short of the runway! Plus, as can be clearly seen in the Google Earth pictures above, the runways still aren't overgrown.
As said elsewhere, although normally highly sceptical about the ‘para-normal’, nevertheless one very intense, and quite frightening experience in the course of my life, has led me to keep an open mind. In this case, it is entirely possible that somebody flying a Spitfire in the area, decided to have a bit of fun with a low pass.
Just for example, a couple of years ago my wife and I were on the A30 driving down to visit our daughter in Cornwall, and passing just south of EXETER airport. To my delight a Spitfire came roaring into view, heading west and climbing away, banking, after 'beating up' the airfield. This was no 'ghost'. In fact I can guarantee that ATC at EXETER, (or any other regional airport), if they had nothing to conflict, would be delighted to allow a 'low pass' by a Spitfire. It could make their day!
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