Membury
MEMBURY: Military aerodrome later civil micro-light strip & private airfield
(WW2: USAAF Station No. 466)
Note: Pictures by the author unless specified.
Note: The motorway service area on the M4 was built on part of the WW2 airfield site. The second picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: 9th USAAF
53rd Troop Carrier Wing
436th Troop Carrier Group
79th, 80th, 81st & 82nd Sqdns (Douglas C-47 Skytrains)
Note: From the 16th to 22nd August 1994, the 93rd Troop Carrier Squadron of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, operated their Douglas C-47 Skytrains from here. I mention this to illustrate that very often, especially during WW2, short term detachments of Squadrons, (both USAAF and RAF), were commonplace.
US Army Air Corps 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
Civil users: In 1986: Southern Sailplanes
Operated by: 2012: Southern Sailplanes, Flight Composites & Aviation Enterprises
Flying Club: Membury Flying Club
Maintenance: From 1986, Southern Sailplanes
Manufacturing: Post 1945: AMF Aviation Enterprises later Aviation Enterprises
Location: Bisected by M4 motorway together with service areas, 5nm NNW of Hungerford
Period of operation: Military: 1942 to 1947 Civil: From 1970s (?) to today?
PICTURES IN 2018
Note: The third picture includes the Membury Flying Club hangar, and I assume the windsock is used by model aircraft flyers.
Runways: 1944: 04/22 1388x46 hard 17/35 1829x46 hard
09/27 1006x46 hard
2012: 16/34 500x5 hard 05/23 650x8 hard 05/23 650x30 grass
13/31 1100x30 grass 17/35 850x30 grass
(All grass runways only available from April to September)
Paramotor launching area in the grass triangle formed by the runways
Model aircraft flying site in the area at NW end of airfield south of the end portion of the 13/31 grass runway
NOTES: Several Piper L-4 Grasshoppers arrived here in 1942. In July 1943 ATC cadet Don March who’d totalled 68 hours passenger flying in a wide variety of RAF and USAAF types including some ‘hands on’ time in L-4s decided to ‘borrow’ one for a solo flight. Incredibly he flew around for ten minutes and then managed to just about land it without causing any damage. Equally incredibly he was only told off for the ‘stunt’ and was later taught by the Americans how to take-off and land correctly. He later become an airline pilot.
During WW2 the USAAF used ex RAF Spitfires from here.
CAMPBELL AIRCRAFT & AME
In the 1960s and 1970s Campbell Aircraft were developing gyroplanes here, these being manufactured in nearby Hungerford.
The AME prototype Chevron was, it seems, first flown in 1983 from BIDFORD gliding site near Evesham, but was manufactured here. The type claiming to be one of the quietest three-axis microlights when in production from about 1987. Aviation Enterprises, a direct successor of AME has been developing the ‘Magnum’, a design which has much promise.
MORE NOTES
I suppose the construction of the M.4 motorway striking through the WW2 aerodrome pretty much put paid to much of the GA activity at MEMBURY, with it’s service area not helping. Even so, flying activity has survived into the 2000s. In 1977 however quite a few aircraft were either based at or could often been seen here: G-AHVV (?), DH.82A Tiger Moth G-AMIU, PA-18 Super Cub 150 G-APZJ of Southern Sailplanes, Campbell-Benson B.8M G-AWJD of Campbell Aircraft Ltd, Campbell Cricket G-AXRB, Campbell Cricket G-AXVK of Campbell Gyroplanes Ltd, Campbell Crickets G-AYRA & G-AYRE of Campbell Aircraft Ltd and the Robin DR.400/180 Regent G-BALG.
A PERSONAL NOTE
In early 2013 I had the job of moving the Grob G.115 Tutor (G-BYUB) from RAF Cranwell to Southern Sailplanes for a repair. The picture shows the reapired aircraft about to be loaded into my truck in April 2013 for transport back to RAF Cranwell.
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