Holder House Farm
HOLDER HOUSE FARM: Temporary aerodrome
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The first six items were kindly provided by Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'. The second item, the newspaper article, was published in the Shields Daily News on the 4th October 1932.The fourth item, an advert, was published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 1st October 1932. The sixth item, another advert, was also published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette, but two years later on the 21st May 1934.
The seventh item, the area view, is from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Sir Alan Cobham’s 1932 National Aviation Day UK Display Tour, also, probably his No.2 Tour in 1933? Plus, Cobham's 1934 National Aviation Day event on the 27th May.
Location: W of Cleadon village, about 3nm NNW of Sunderland town centre
Period of operation: 3rd October 1932, 31st July 1933
NOTES: Thanks to Mr Michael Holder, see 'Comment' below, the map above has now been amended.
This was Sir Alan Cobham's first major 'flying circus' tour. A term that he detested incidentally, and other operators had started similar operations the previous year. However, none came even close to matching Cobham's National Aviation Day tours. Indeed, to keep the momentum going, he moved his operation pretty much lock, stock and barrel, to South Africa for the winter season.
This tour started at HANWORTH in south west London on the 12th April 1932 and ended in CHINGFORD, north London on the 16th October. In all, 174 venues were planned to be visited, and there seems little reason to suppose that any were not. This said, poor weather did curtail some displays, which of course is to be expected.
What we need to remember is that virtually none of the low flying rules we have today applied in those days. His pilots would think nothing of doing transit flights from one venue to another, at very low altitudes scud running. And indeed, very low level displays were held, in quite awful circumstances so as not to disappoint the large crowds that had gathered.
Michael Holder
This comment was written on: 2020-05-08 12:46:56Holder House Farm 54 57 41"N 001 25 12"W - it's a housing esate now.
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