Land's End
LAND’S END see also St JUST for earlier history
LAND’S END: Trinity House helipad
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
Is it just my imagination or is a second helipad available just west of the lighthouse?
Location: On top of the Lighthouse just W of Lands End
LAND'S END: Civil regional airport (Aka St JUST)
Note: Pictures by the author unless specified. The second picture has, as copyright, The Aeroplane via The John Stroud Collection. This aerial picture is not dated, but, it smacks heavily of being pre-WW2. Can anybody confirm this? The third picture was taken on short finals in August 2015. The fourth picture features our trusty stead, the Piper Warrior G-BSJX on the apron awaiting to be refuelled.
ICAO code: EGHC IATA code: LEQ
Operated by: 1950s to early 1960s: Mr Viv Bellamy
1965: Land's End Gliding and Flying Club
From 1984 (?): Westward Airways (Land’s End) Ltd
2015: The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group
Note: I have inspected these Skybus aircraft at close quarters a couple of times, and have to say, they really were in immaculate condition. A great credit, considering the intensity of their operations, to those who maintain and look after them.
British airline users:
Pre 1940: Channel Air Ferries (Olley Air Services), Great Western & Southern Air Lines and Western Airways
Post 1945: British European Airways (BEA), British Westpoint, Island Helicopters, Scillonia Airways, Scillonian Air Services, Skybus
Flying schools: Land’s End Flying and Gliding Club, Land’s End Aero Club, Land’s End Flying Club, Westward Airways
Pleasure flights: Scenic Flights
Location: 5nm W of Penzance
Period of operation: 1937 to present day.
Note: It appears that although the aerodrome/airport was officially opened in September 1937, it was used by Olley Air Services flying de Havilland DH84 Dragons as early as 1935.
Note: These maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014. The third picture (2017) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Runways: Originally ‘all over’ grass airfield?
1965: SSE/NNW 631 grass ENE/WSW 747 grass SE/NW 518 grass
NNE/SSW 646 grass
1990: 17/35 792x23 grass 07/25 677x36 grass 12/30 518x18 grass
NNE/SSW 616 grass
2001: 17/35 792x36 grass 07/25 677x36 grass 12/30 510x18 grass
03/21 574x18 grass
Note: When we landed in August 2015 the two main runways (07/25 & 16/34) were hard, this work being undertaken in 2014 it seems. However, all the latest information we had in 2015 still described the runways as being grass. This has been, and remains, a major problem for pilots - so much information we are supposed to rely on is way out of date.
A MIKE CHARLTON GALLERY
These eight lovely pictures from postcards were sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See; www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
Second picture: The de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide G-AHLL first appeared on the UK register on the 8th May 1946, operated by Scottish Airways at RENFREW until the 31st January 1947. The next day it was registered to BEA (British European Airways) with whom it served until the 30th of July 1959. The entry on the register for that date simply says "destroyed" - which usually indicates a very serious accident.
Third picture: Note that the Rapide G-AHLL also features in this picture.
Fourth picture: Here's a question for the experts. G-AIYR was operated by BEA from LAND'S END, but clearly isn't in their colours here. A search of the UK register doesn't appear to reveal an obvious answer as to who owned 'Yankee Romeo' and what it was doing in this picture. If anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be much appreciated.
Fifth picture. This shows the Pilatus Britten-Norman BN2B-26 Islander G-SSKY taking-off. It was first registered to Pilatus Briiten-Norman from the 22nd October until the 11th May 1992. It has been with Isles of Scilly Skybus ever since and in March 2018 had 12570 hours logged. Considering the very short haul nature of operations - a very impressive record surely. In passing I have the greatest respect for the pilots operating these services as they really are incredibly demanding, even in the best weather, and their safety record is second to none.
Seventh picture: This picture is of the De Havlland Canada DHC-6 Series 310 G-BIHO landing at LAND'S END. Ex N8511Z, it was first registered in the UK on the 9th January 1981 to Brymon Aviation at PLYMOUTH and served with them until the 9th October 1991. After changing hands fairly breifly to a couple of other owners, presumably dealers (?), it was registered to Isles of Scilly Skybus on the 26th April 1994, with whom has served since. In April 2018 it had accumulated 44869 hours, which seems to confirm just how tough these aircraft are.
Eighth picture. In the foreground is G-BIHO, (see abpve), and beyond G-CBML. Ex C-FZSP, this DHC-6 Series 310 was registered to Isles of Scilly Skybus on the 4th July 2002.
NOTES:
In September 1926 Colonel the Master of Semphill departed from LAND’S END to JOHN O-GROATS in DH.60 moth G-EBMO, a quite famous aeroplane at that time, belonging to the De Havilland Aircraft Company and available for hire. He made it too but crashed on take-off trying to leave John O’Groats. The thing being of course - did he use this airfield or just a nearby field?
The first airline service using this site appears to have been Channel Air Ferries on the 15th September 1937 using DH.84 Dragons. Channel Air Ferries were a subsidiary of Olley Air Service who were based at CROYDON (LONDON). According to a Wikipedia entry a hangar was brought from SQUIRES GATE (BLACKPOOL) to provide protection and maintenance. It appears that until St MARY'S on the SCILLY ISLES had its own airport established in 1939, the 'airliners' landed on the golf course.
It is now claimed that in 1938, Great Western and Southern Airlines took over the Channel Air Ferries operation and continued the service throughout WW2. The DH.84 Dragons being replaced by DH.89A Dragon Rapides. It is a common fallacy that all commercial airline activity ceased during WW2. Apart from this service, many commercial airline operations continued in Scotland, and of course, BOAC were operating long-haul flights using mostly flying boats.
PICTURES SCANNED FROM AEROPLANE MONTHLY, October 1987
Picture One: Sometimes things did go wrong as the BEA pilots tried to keep the service going in very difficult circumstances. In this case, trying to land in very foggy conditions, the pilot of the de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide (G-AKZB) obviously got his approach wrong, but it appears that nobody got hurt. Picture by: David Wills.
Picture Two: The BEA DH89A Dragon Rapide G-AIYR about to land on the easterly runway in 1977.
Picture Three: A lovely picture, air-to-air, of the BEA DH89A Dragon Rapide G-AIYR.
Note: This picture was sent to me by Mike Charlton in March 2020.
The history of G-AFEZ shows it was first registered to Wrightways at CROYDON from 31.5.38 to 14.4.40. Rather than being impressed into RAF service, it then went to Isle of Man Air Services from 7.9.40 until 31.1.47. It was then acquired by BEA (British European Airways) who operated it from 1.2.47 to 4.6.56. Hants & Sussex Aviation at PORTSMOUTH kept it from 7.6.56 until 3.11.56 when it went to France as F-LAAL.
BEA OPERATIONS
After WW2 British European Airways took over these operations, using DH89A Dragon Rapides flying to St MARY’S in the SCILLY ISLES on the 1st February 1947 and continued using these until May 1964. On the 2nd of May BEA replaced the Rapides with a single Sikorsky S.61 operated by BEA Helicopters. It might not be remembered today that BEA in the 1950s and 60s were very pro helicopter for shorter distance regional services and had established a small network. For several reasons, probably related to cost, most of these services were closed down. But, the service to the Scilly Isles remained viable for many years. Indeed, for some unexplained reason (?) BEA decided to open a new heliport at Penzance on the 1st September 1964 - so just in time to miss the main holiday season traffic. Perhaps the existence of a train station in Penzance influenced the decision?
According to the Wikipedia entry, BEA occassionally chartered Britten-Norman Islanders to fly from LAND'S END when the S.61 was unavailable.
1966 to 1970
My good friend Maurice Wickstead sent me this info regarding Scillonia Airways: “Founded by former BOAC pilot, Capt K B Neely and based at Land’s End airfield in Cornwall, from where operations began on June 19, 1965. Three DH Dragon Rapides were used on summer scheduled services linking Newquay, Land’s End and the Isles of Scilly, taken over from British Westpoint, which was then in decline. The fleet was gradually built up to five aircraft which also found use on charters, pleasure flights under the name of Scenic Flights and later, the carriage of locally-caught shellfish to Brittany. This varied work continued unchanged for the next two years, by which time the Rapides were beginning to show their age. Replacements had already been sought back in 1965 with an order for two BN Islanders, but this was not fulfilled. Thus, attention was turned towards two second-hand Twin Pioneers available from the Kuwait Oil Company, but although these aircraft arrived in the UK in mid-1969, their potential new owner ran into problems with the Kuwaiti authorities. His delay in returning home forced Scillonia to suspend operations and eventually to be liquidated.”
THE SCILLONIA FLEET
DH89A Dragon Rapides: G-AHAG, G-AHGC, G-AHKU, G-AJCL and G-ALGC.
MORE NOTES
See GATWICK (SUSSEX) for the similarly named Scillonian Air Services. Although licensed to use LAND’S END it appears that they rarely called in, unless on a request stop.
ANOTHER PERIOD
Once BEA had gone in 1964, this airfield was essentially open to just GA activity and the Lands End Flying and Gliding Club was formed by Viv Bellamy, (another big name in British GA affairs -see SOUTHAMPTON), who took over the running of the airfield.
It now appears that the 'Skybus' operation using Brittan-Norman Islanders and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters began in 1984 for freight and charter operations. They began scheduled services from April 1987 to the Scilly Isles, alongside the BA helicopter service from PENZANCE, until that service terminated in October 2012.
INTO THE 21st CENTURY
I have made notes that in the spring of 2009, British International, (who took over the BEA, later BA Scilly Isles helicopter service), decided to move back to LANDS END while retaining PENZANCE as a maintenance base until a new facility can be constructed at LANDS END. This resulted in the airport operators, Westward Airways, giving the Lands End Flying Club notice to quit.
According to the Wikipedia entry: "On the 9 April 2013 a new £1 million passenger terminal was officially opened. Work had begun in July 2012 and included new baggage handling and arrivals facilities and a new control tower. Up to 2014, all of the airport's runways were grass. During the winters of 2012/13 and 2013/14 the airport closed for long periods when the runways became waterlogged, and flights were temporarily moved from Land's End to Newquay. In May 2013, ISSC and the Council of the Isles of Scilly submitted a bid for finance from the European Regional Development Fund for runway resurfacing at Land's End, together with various improvements at St Mary's. In May 2014 the European Commission gave its approval. The cost of the planned asphalting at Land's End was stated to be £2.6 million, for which the European fund's contribution was £1.3 million. The airport closed on 4 July 2014 for the asphalting of two runways, with Skybus flights diverted to Newquay, and it reopened on 29 July."
In May 2018 Island Helicopters commenced a service to ST MARYS on the Scilly Isles using a AgustaWestland SW169.
PERSONAL NOTES & PICTURES
LAND'S END has, for a long time been a popular GA launching point for the Scilly Isles. For several years I had planned flights to Cornwall and, when it came to the day, the weather forecast was really awful. Then, in April 2000 a weather window lasting for days emerged - light easterly winds with fabulous visibilty. My wife and I flew out of TOP FARM in the Cessna 172 G-JVMB, routing via FILTON, EAGLESCOTT and BODMIN to LAND'S END. Landing at LAND'S END with every intention of flying on to SMARY'S. It wasn't to be - as the Scilly Isles were closed on a Sunday! We met three disconsolate Swedes who were utterly perplexed by having to wait another day. We did try to explain to them, that faced with at least more than a thousand years of inbreeding, you must not expect anything approaching rational behaviour on the Scilly Isles.
ANOTHER PERSONAL MEMORY
In April 2001 I was given the job of moving the Stolp T00 SA300 Starduster G-UINN from LANDS END to CHARTERHALL in the Scottish Borders. This may well have been the longest aircraft move I ever made in the UK. Apart from the distance involved, the job had to be spread over three days.
This being of course, with regulations applied to amount of time a truck driver can work. Something I have been very thankful for over the years, even if at times they can be real pain to comply with.
Martin Willetts
This comment was written on: 2020-05-27 01:26:36Hi Dick, Thanks for a fascinating website, from which I learned much. From my research during lockdown I can supply information. Photo 1 From page 155 of the book BEAline to the Islands, also see page 192 of British Independent Airlines 1946- 1976. The DH84 Dragon 2 is G-ACPY of Channel Air Ferries, founded by Captain Gordon Olley. They began services from Lands End to the Scilly Isles on 15 September 1937, and later in Spring 1938 transferred their aircaraft and operations to Great Western and Southern Airlines. G-ACPY was shot down on the Scilly Isles route on 3rd June 1941 with 6 fatalities. Photo 4 Rapide G-AIYR was registered 22.7.71 to Viv Bellamy, Hook, Hants; operated by Westward Airways (Lands End) Ltd and Lands End Aero Club, St Just. Cancelled 8.11.78 & regd 10.1.79 to Christopher David Cyster, Cherry Ann Cyster & David Ivan Rendall
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
