Middleton Sands
Note: This map only gives a rough idea of where flying activities took place. Any advice on the subject will be much appreciated.
MIDDLETON SANDS: Early proposed aerodrome, later established beach airfield/airport (also known as MORECOMBE)
Note: Both of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
The second picture shows an aircraft at very low altitude. Possibly about to land? Or perhaps more likely just revelling in some totally legal very low flying, for which these Sands are ideal.
British airline user: 1935: United Airways
Location: SW of Heysham, on Sunderland Bank perhaps? About 2nm S of Heysham railway station.
NOTES: It is reported that in 1910 only fifteen people in the UK held a Pilots License, and five of these were flying, (or attempting to fly), doing so from sites on the LANCASHIRE coast, possibly all exclusively using beach sites? The similarity between this coast and the Wright brothers site at Kittyhawk in North Carolina is rather striking?
EARLY PRE-WW1 HISTORY
It would appear that Messrs Kitchen and Storey built a hangar here to house their ‘annular winged’ aeroplane’, possibly the first aircraft hangar in Lancashire, and blown down by gales, (destroying this aeroplane too), in 1911.
NOT USED UNTIL THE 1930s?
During the 1930s it seems another hangar was erected to house a DH.60 Moth operated by the Lancashire and District Aeroplane Club.
In the March 2007 issue of Popular Flying a picture taken in 1936 was published showing a Flying Flea on the ‘Sands’ which managed a few hops. This was sent in by James Fenton FRPS who said: "As a schoolboy these scenes were full of excitement at the time and I just had to capture them on my very simple box camera on what was unfortunately quite a dull day." So, nothing new here in Lancashire during the summer.
"As I remember, the aeroplane did little more than taxi about on the sands, but did attain some height that could only be described as a few hops." G-AEFD was, it appears, built by Mr G F Briggs, and along with so many 'Flying Flea' builders of that era, for a variety of reasons, never quite got fully airborne. Probably just as well looking at the history. The original design was fine and flew well - but how some people interpreted the build plans led to many examples being downright dangerous - leading to the type being grounded. There was no equivalent of the PFA and LAA in those days to supervise.
AN AIRLINE ARRIVES
In June 1935 United Airways started a service linking Leeds (YEADON) to Liverpool (SPEKE) via MIDDLETON SANDS and Blackpool (STANLEY PARK). And onwards to Glasgow (RENFREW) and the Western Isles. It seems the service to MIDDLETON SANDS became “on request” by the end of July.
This is perhaps indicative of the way the directors of United Airways were trying very hard to identify prospective revenue earning routes in that a route map (advertisement) published in Popular Flying in May 1935 did not include either MIDDLETON SANDS or Leeds – Bradford (YEADON). But – it did include the Isle of Arran!
It is all very confusing. In his book The Triple Alliance Neville Doyle reproduces the ‘cover’ of an United Airways time-table “of Services in operation from 27th July 1935”. This advertises sevices from ‘LONDON – BLACKPOOL – ISLE-OF-MAN’. Can we now assume that the London airport was ESSEX AIRPORT (STAPLEFORD), Blackpool (STANLEY AIR PARK) and the Isle-of-Man destination possibly RONALDSWAY by that time?
WORLD WAR II
During WW2 it is alleged that L-4 and L-5 aircraft of the US Army used the site. Can anybody kindly confirm this?
POST WW2
After WW2 it appears that Loxham’s Flying Services used the hangar for their Auster J/1 G-AGVF using this aircraft for pleasure flights. It seems that during 1947/48 Loxham’s also used the Avro Ansons G-AHXT and G-AJSL for pleasure flights at this location.
The ‘Sands’ are still used by some light aircraft and microlights.
Paul Croft
This comment was written on: 2019-01-27 09:32:53Site is MORECAMBE. A windsock existed at Heysham Golf Club, where the clubhouse looks remarkably like a control building! Heysham was a strategic fuel centre, and wartime target. I am also researching a possible airfield in this area.
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