Rendcomb
RENDCOMB: Military aerodrome, much later civil private airfield
Note: Often spelt RENCOMBE and RENDCOMBE in many authorative accounts.
See also my 'Articles of Interest' - Air Shows - on this web-site for more pictures taken in July 2001.
Military users: RFC/RAF (Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force)
Training Squadron Station and Training Depot Station
48 Sqdn (Bristol F2A Fighters)
Note: In his excellent book For Valour - The Air VCs , Chaz Bowyer makes this mention in the chapter relating to William Leefe Robinson after being awarded a VC: "The constant public attention was an embarrassment to Robinson, a modest man, who pleaded with RFC higher authorities for duties in a less public area. His request resulted in a posting to 48 Squadron at Rendcombe, with the rank of Captain. The new unit was in the process of forming for operational service in France, and was the first to equip with a new design; the Bristol F2A fighter two-seater."
Location: Near the A435, about 5nm N of Cirencester
Period of operation: WW1 1916 to 1919 Civil from ? to -
Site area: WW1: 226 acres 1052 x 869 (Probably the same today?)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The newspaper advert was published in the Gloucestershire Chronicle on the 18th December 1920. The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: RENDCOMB is one of the few WW1 aerodromes still operational, although for many years for civil only use of course. But, access for GA pilots is normally restricted and generally on invitation only. I have wangled permission to fly in - twice in one day! But RENDCOMB was hosting a corporate event and I was delivering and collecting Austin J Brown c/o The Aviation Picture Library and FLYER magazine.
I delivered Aussie down from TOP FARM in the morning using the Cessna 150 G-DENC, and as the picture shows, I parked it very briefly and rather discreetly to one side. In the afternoon I returned in the Cessna 172 G-JVMD with my good flying mucker Guy Browning, having stopped off at KEMBLE for a late lunch.
RENDCOMB has also been the base for the company that has become very famous for its wing-walking acts using Boeing Stearmans (see picture). However, I think it is fair to say that the operation is much better known as a showcase for its commercial sponsors such as Crunchie, Utterley Butterley and more recently Breitling watches.
Another visit to RENDCOMB was in my truck during February 2013, to deliver the Vans RV-7 G-DMBO. This was a very interesting job as the Vans had to be craned out of the owners back garden in Hampton, West London.
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2018-01-12 12:31:52I was taken to task on Pprune recently for spelling the name wrong; it's Rendcomb ('d' in the middle and no 'e' on the end)
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