Peterborough (Conington)
PETERBOROUGH - CONINGTON Military aerodrome later civil aerodrome
When civil known as CONINGTON or PETERBOROUGH/CONINGTON.
Later renamed as PETERBOROUGH BUSINESS
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified.
In WW2 known as GLATTON
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: In WW2 known as USAAF Station 130 Pictures obtained from the American Air Museum are marked with an asterisk.
Note: *The picture of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was taken in March 1944.
Note: The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Military user: WW2: 8th USAAF 94th Bombardment Wing 457th Bomb Group
748, 749, 750 & 751 Sqdns (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses)
Civil operator: 1980s to 2001 at least: Klingair Ltd
Note: This picture was taken on a visit in July 1995. I'm not knocking such precautions, but I do not recall anywhere in the many countries I have flown in, seeing light aircraft so thoroughly tied down. Was a hurricane forecast?
Flying school: Flying Club Conington
Helicopter ops: M.F.H. Helicopters
Maintenance: 2000s: Aerolease Engineering
Location: 1.5nm E of A1, S of B660 & Holme, NE of Conington village, 9nm N of Huntingdon
Period of operation: Military: 1943 to 1946 Civil from 1970s (?) to -
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: 14/32* 1829x46 hard 16/34 1280x46 hard
05/23 1280x46 hard
1990: 10/28 987x43 hard 16/34 800x43 hard
* (Listed perhaps incorrectly (?) as 14/32 in the Military Airfields Omnibus Edition by Steve Willis and Barry Hollis, in 1990 runway 10/28 was listed as having an additional 493m ‘Clearway’, presumably at the eastern end (?), and 500m unlicensed presumably (?) at the western end)
2000: 10/28 987x23 hard 16/34 800x43 hard
NOTES: *Mistakes abound in aviation historical records and I’m confident this is yet another. Although listed as 14/32 I’m certain this is the present 10/28 runway.
It was obviously a major base with, in late 1944, some 2894 USAAF personnel based here. This is yet another WW2 aerodrome I’d never heard of until researching this project. In fact even when I landed at CONINGTON in 1995, (for the first time), I had no idea it was originally known as GLATTON. In WW2 this airfield had a most unusual feature, (it is still there), namely a farm house and farm right in the centre of the airfield and surrounded by the runways! In 1975 though, it was still referred to as GLATTON although I note by 1977 the name CONINGTON appeared in brackets.
SOME MEMORIES
In 2022, Mr Graham Frost, another very good friend of this 'Guide', tells us that when he first visited in the early 1970s, just one hangar existed with no other buildings. That hangar is the one used by Aerolease Engineering in my picture above. At that time the Beechcraft A65 Queen Air, G-ARFF, was based here, registered to British Domestic Appliances from 23.02.70 until 09.04.73. I note that is was later sold to Belgium as OO-AWA in April 1976.
SPOTTERS NOTES
In 1977 it appears that seven aircraft were based here: Piper PA-24 Commanche 250 G-ASEO of Surface Craft Ltd - (I wonder what they did?). When I was a spotty spotter the Commanche was my dream machine, - the “Lear Jet” of the time I thought, but I’ve mellowed over the years and executive “hot-ships” don’t really appeal any more. Getting back to the subject in hand, the Beech D.95A Travel Air G-ASMF and Beech 95-B55A Baron were operated by Fenair Ltd/Fenair Air Taxi, and the Cessna F.172E G-ASMJ was operated by Congress Aviation Ltd. The PA-30 Twin Commanche G-AVUN belonged to Overseas Aero Leasing as did Stampe SV-4C G-AXHC but the PA-E23 Aztec 250 G-BCBG appears privately owned to Mr D R Burrell.
THE CASE FOR KEEPING AN AERODROME
In the course of this research I have had to learn many lessons, not normally known simply due to the overall picture needed to simply record the existence of a flying site. When fighting the case today for keeping aerodromes open it is often stressed that their importance to local business is a factor. When driving up the A.1 many years ago and seeing that CONNINGTON had become PETERBOROUGH BUSINESS I wrongly thought this was just another aerodrome seeking a “poser” title. I now know I was completely wrong as the list of occupants in 1977 clearly illustrates. The fact is, as seems so often the case looking at that period, that business use has in fact led to the re-development of many places for GA use in general. Business wants more money brought in and welcomes all-comers to use the flying school, the café/restaurant, bolster maintenance facilities, purchase fuel, pay landing fees etc, etc. In other words business use isn’t just important - it’s often crucial! The benefits seep back into the local economy in pretty significant figures too, by providing employment, using local services and especially by providing a great local amenity which is invariably enjoyed by thousands not involved in aviation at all, by wanting for example, a very special birthday present - a trial flying lesson in a light aircraft. The amount of sheer joy generated by this single activity alone needs to be seen to be believed.
A PERSONAL NOTE
I first flew into CONINGTON on the 15th July 1995 with my good fellow pilot friend Guy Browning in the Piper PA-38 Tomahawk G-BGWU from TOP FARM. The 'project' that day was to fly into FOWLMERE, CONINGTON and SIBSON for first visits, and this was easily acheived.
Nine years later I flew into this delightful aerodrome on the 5th August 2004 with Jose McVicar, the owner and CFI of the Lion Flying Group at ELSTREE. We had embarked on a flight to take pictures of airfields in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and a bit of Norfolk, using the Group Cessna 172 G-BDNU. Jose was flying the approach on this sector and I could get some 'snaps'..
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
