St Marys flying sites
ST MARY’S: Military aerodrome later regional airport
Note: All pictures by the author unless specified. By an amazing stroke of good luck, as we taxied down to take-off on runway 32, the Scillonian III was sailing past. This now quite famous ship was launched in 1977, and, sailing eight months a year still plays the major role in keeping the islands supplied.
Military user: WW2: RAF Fighter Command 10 Group
87 Sqdn (Hawker Hurricanes)
Operated by: 1949: MTCA
1965: BEA Helicopters Ltd
1986: British International Helicopters Ltd
1990/2000: Council of the Isles of Scilly
British airline users: 1940: Great Western & Southern Air Lines
Post 1945: BEA (British European Airways, later BA – British Airways), British International Helicopters, British Westpoint, Brymon Aviation (or Brymon Airways), Island Air Services, Island Helicopters, Mayflower Air Services, Melba Airways, Murray Chown Aviation, Olley Air Service, Patrick Duval Aviation, Scillonian Air Services, Scillonia Airways, Scilly Skybus, Solair Flying Services
Charter: Post 1945: C&M Air Charter
A MIKE CHARLTON GALLERY
Note: These pictures from postcards were kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has an amazing collection. See: www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
First picture: This de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide 6, G-AHKU, was built at the Brush Coachworks in Loughborough during WW2 and served with the RAF as a Dominie, (as Dragon Rapides were named), as NR722. It came onto the civil register on the 14th June 1946, initially registered to BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation, but quickly transferred to BEA (British European Airways Corporation). They operated G-AHKU until the 2nd May 1964.
It then went to British Westpoint Airlines at EXETER from the 20th May 1964 until the 1st April 1965 when it was registered, apparently for private use (?) to Mr Frank Herburt Mann from the 16th April 1965 until the 9th of June 1966. It was then registered to Treffield International Airways at EAST MIDLANDS for charter work from the 2nd July 1966 until the 24th July 1967. No doubt an operation having a name far grander than their resources.
It was then registered to Ms Pamela Mary Scolefield of Topsham, Exeter, from the 8th November 1967 until the 30th May 1968, so presumably based at EXETER? It was finally registered to Mr Kenneth Bryan Neely with an address in London SW1 from the 6th January 1969 until the 16th May 1972 when it was declared PWFU (Permanently Withdrawn From Use).
Third picture: Although I say this was grass runways, it does appear that the southern end of runway of runway 10/28 can be seen, (see below), to have been 'hard'.
Ninth picture: This S-61N was imported from the USA where it was registered as N4604G. It served with BEA Helicopters from the 31st December 1963 until the 9th July 1968 when it went to The Netherlands as PH-SBH for just over a year. British Airways Helicopters (Gatwick) then operated it from the 2nd October 1969 until it ditched six miles off Aberdeen on the 11th March 1983. It must have been recovered because it then went back to the USA, with the UK registration being cancelled on the 31st October 1983.
Twelfth picture: It appears this S-61N (G-BCEB) was also imported from the USA, (previously N4023S) and registered to British Airways Helicopters at Aberdeen from the 2nd October 1974.This said it appears it was immediately passed to British International Helicopters to operate and, through a couple of their subsidiary companies such as Brintel Leasing and Brintel Helicopters, ending up with British International Helcopter Services until the 5th March 2013. It then went back to the USA.
Location: High Cross, E of A3110, 1nm E of Hugh Town, (previously called Old Town)
Period of operation: 1939 (some say 1940) to -
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: WW2: NE/SW 609 grass N/S 549 grass NW/SE 542 grass
1959: 10/28 515 grass (short hard section at eastern end) 15/33 570 grass
18/36 497 grass
1965: 10/28 513x46 grass (219 hard section at eastern end) 15/33 570x46 grass
18/36 497x46 grass
1990: 10/28 523x18 grass/hard (210 asphalt at E end) 15/33 570x20 grass
18/36 490x20 grass
2000: 09/27 523x18 grass/hard (280 asphalt at E end) 15/33 600x23 hard
Helicopter runway: 01/19 420x45 hard
Flight guides warn that pilots should exercise extreme caution when landing or taking-off as the aerodrome is severely hump-backed. It is too.
Note: On a visit in August 2015 the 09/27 runway was clearly all asphalt (see my pictures) but oddly enough I could find nothing to confirm this in information published for ST MARY'S.
NOTES: It appears that in 1940 the Duchy of Cornwall granted a lease to Great Western and Southern Airlines to open this aerodrome as a replacement to the golf course site. And yes, you have read this correctly - a new civil aerodrome/airport opening in Britain during WW2! Also, I was under the impression that all privately owned civilian operations had been suspended at the outbreak of war, the formation of BOAC being a quasi if not fully nationalised operation? However, certain operations serving places like the Scilly Isles and many destinations in Scotland did continue.
Late in 1944 only 78 RAF personnel were on station here.
Note Picture 1: Two Skybus Twin Otters and a Brittan-Norman Islander, the latter probably from LANDS END?
Picture 2. The two lovely and kind ladies manning the control tower when we first visited St Mary's in August 2015.
Picture 3: Passengers awaiting boarding in August 2015.
Picture 4: Another view of two Skybus Twin Otters.
CIVIL OPERATIONS
In January 1946 civilian operations commenced once more, (they had been allowed at times in the early part of WW2 as noted), and Island Air Services was formed at ST MARY’S. Using two Percival Proctors trips were made to ST JUST (LAND’S END) carrying local flowers and produce for local markets on the mainland plus engaging in pleasure flights from both locations. Presumably these Proctors were the most fragrant aeroplanes used for pleasure flying? Their first pilot was Monique Agazarian, an ex-ATA pilot, who brought the company after it had decamped to CROYDON. Later they used Dragon Rapide G-AGUF.
Patrick Duval Aviation based at ELMDON in the West Midlands also used Proctors, plus an Airspeed Consul for carrying flowers and produce for markets in the Birmingham area. Murray Chown Aviation based at STAVERTON and also using Proctors had a service running for a time routing via Cardiff, (RHOOSE) and either ST MAWGAN or PERRANPORTH. From 1952 to March 1961 BEA had sole rights on this route, using Dragon Rapides operating from LAND’S END (ST JUST).
NO FUEL
A small detail perhaps, but certainly of interest to pilots, is that even as late as 1959 no fuel was available at the airport - and it still wasn't in 2015! Also, and possibly unique in the world (?) is that fact that the airport is closed on Sundays - even during the peak holiday season. Certainly a claim to fame! And something that has pilots wishing to visit gnashing their teeth.
MAYFLOWER AIR SERVICES
In June 1961 Mayflower Air Services, also using a Dragon Rapide G-AHLM, started services from Plymouth, (ROBOROUGH). A second Rapide G-AIUL was added later.
A SINGULAR RECORD
In March 1962 Capt. Morris ‘Skipper’ Hearn MBE, BEA’s long serving Senior Pilot at LAND’S END, retired after twenty one years of continuous service on this route. He’d logged 15,000 hours and 31,650 flights, all on Dragon Rapides, which says one hell of lot both for his skill and of course, just how good the Dragon Rapide was in the right hands. When BEA commissioned two Sikorsky S-61N helicopters to operate services to ST MARY’s from EASTERN GREEN, (PENZANCE), in 1964 the era of the Dragon Rapide did not die out immediately. Scillonia Airways started in 1966 from LAND’S END with three Dragon Rapides and that operation continued until May 1970.
SOMETHING TO BE SAD ABOUT?
The history of failed small British aviation companies with big ideas is legion. One such was Solair Flying Services formed in early 1962, (an off-shoot of Taberrer Travel Agency in Solihull, now part of West Midlands). They operated charter, aerial photography and pleasure flights from ELMDON and BAGINTON using two DH Rapides G-AHKV and G-ALBC. Now to the extraordinary part of their story! In June 1964 Solair received a license to operate a service from ELMDON and BAGINTON to the Isles of Scilly, (ST MARY’S), via EXETER and/or STAVERTON. It appears this service was operated to a limited extent, from the 3rd July, using - of all things less likely (?) a Cessna 172C G-ARWP!
A WARNING
I remember being warned in the late 1990s, when flying out of TOP FARM and planning flying down to Devon and Cornwall for a few days, that I was allowed to attempt landing here with a Cessna 172 but not with a PA.28 type. I and my wife took a Cessna 172 but as things worked out the chance to fly across from LANDS END occurred on a Sunday, (the weather was perfect for such a crossing), when ST MARY’S is always closed! This seemed nonsensical in the extreme but was indeed the case and is still the situation today of course. We met some people who’d flown down all the way from Sweden, (also in a Cessna 172), desperately wanting to visit the Scilly Isles and who were grounded at LANDS END quite unable to believe this was actually the case! So we sat down with them to try and explain about how the British are very often utterly stupid, sometimes completely irrational, occassionally absurd - and how we truly value this traditition and are mostly very proud of it!
We also explained, (Well - you have to have some fun along the way), how being in ‘trade’ was traditionally deeply abhorent to the British aristocracy who years ago much preferred making fortunes drug running, (as in the China opium trade), and that Britian was proud to be the only nation to officially legitimise piracy under Queen Elizabeth I. Therefore, although we’ve mended our ways quite a bit on the mainland the people of the Scilly Isles, (who traditonally - allegedly - made their wealth from looting shipwrecks), still strongly uphold these traditions and close down at optimum periods of trade. Fortunately this very simple explanation of our ‘glorious history’ seemed to make them much happier. It’s nice to help out perplexed foreigners isn’t it?
In August 2015 I flew into here, piloted by Lee Merritt who constructed this web-site, in a Piper PA-28 Warrior, and he coped with the situation very well indeed. Such is life.
A FEW STATISTICS
Although really very small as a regional airport ST MARY’S has always had a surprising amount of traffic with, in the early 2000s 134,000 passengers and 14,000 movements. In 2008 there were only five resident light aircraft, two Cessnas, a Gardan Horizon, a CEA Chevalier and a Jodel D.120A.
In May 2018 Island Helicopters started a service using an AgustaWestland AW169 from LAND'S END.
ST MARY’S TOWN BEACH: Temporary landing ground
NOTES: Late in 1930 Colonel the Master of Semphill returned to the Scilly Isles during a tour of the British coastline using a DH Puss Moth floatplane G-AAVB. It seems he returned in March 1932 to the Scilly Isles to carry fresh flowers back to Buckingham Palace but what aircraft he used or where he landed seems a mystery?
ST MARY’S (?) Civil water aerodrome
British airline user: Aquila
Period of operation: 1949
NOTES: This service used ‘civilianised’ Short Sunderland flying boats. Presumably they used the harbour at St Mary's?
Could the visit by the Prince of Wales arriving by air in May 1932 in one of four RAF Supermarine Southampton flying boats on a visit to St Mary’s, (taking off from FALMOUTH), perhaps using roughly the same ‘trots’ as later used by Aquila who also based their flying boats in FALMOUTH?
ST MARY’S: Regional airport
Runways: NE/SW 393 grass NW/SE 416 grass
NOTES: The first “regional airport” on St Mary’s was on the golf course near the second green where a small booking hut had been put placed. The first scheduled service being made by the Channel Air Ferries DH Dragon G-ADCR on the 15th September 1937. A bell was rung to warn golfers of impending movements and on windy days their assistance was requested in ground-handling! At the busiest periods up to eight flights a day were being flown which did nothing to endear the golfers to the operation and presumably the ‘turf’ was taking a hammering too. Therefore in 1939 a proper airfield was constructed at High Cross, (see below), and by July 1939 this site ceased operations
J Greaves
This comment was written on: 2015-08-18 22:49:07Well done! Excellent pictures-wonderful clarity.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Praise indeed. Thank you very much. Glad to be of service. Best regards, Dick
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