Torquay flying sites
Note: This map shows the location of BEACON QUAY.
Note: I presume this is the beach where Mr Hubert conducted his flights?
TORQUAY:
During the August Bank Holiday in 1912 thousands of trippers flocked to Torquay, many no doubt hoping to witness an unique event. The Town Council’s Entertainment’s committee had invited two French aviators, Messrs Hubert and Fischer to demonstrate the Daily Mail ‘Waterplane’. A 70hp Henri Farman bi-plane equipped with floats.
It seems this daring duo had two aeroplanes for the ‘tour’ that year, each pilot having one to demonstrate with. As so often happens the weather intervened and Jules Fischer was weatherbound in SOUTHAMPTON.
MORE INFO
Since discovering the above more information has come to light. It would certainly seem that the above visit was all part of the joint ‘Wake Up England’ campaign devised by Claude Grahame-Wight and endorsed and supported by the Daily Mail using seaplanes during July and August 1912. It is claimed 120 towns were visited, (I’d love to know which all these towns were of course), with 500 exhibition flights made and over 1000 passengers carried.
A PROBLEM?
There is, I think, a problem with these statistics, because they don’t make too much sense broadly speaking?
Perhaps the account should read, “500 exhibition flights plus 1000 flights carrying passengers? I believe I am correct in thinking that during this period the aeroplanes used could only carry ONE passenger? Unless of course, the exhibition flights were also used to carry passengers?
Note: These latter two pictures taken in December 2015 are, I think, of the concrete slipways constructed during WW1. But, I might well be mistaken. If anybody could be kind enough to add information, this will be much appreciated.
TORQUAY: Military Seaplane Station and Balloon Station
(also known as BEACON QUAY and TORQUAY HARBOUR)
Military users: RNAS/RAF RNAS/RAF Seaplane Station 1918 to 1919
RNAS 418 Flight
And very briefly before being repositioned to STANNERGATE in Dundee,
419 Flight (Short 184s)
Under RAF control:
239 Sqdn (Short 184s)
254 Sqdn
RAF Kite Ballon Station 1918
Location: Between South and Haldon Piers, in/near the Pier and Marina area today, just S of the A379, on the north side of Tor Bay, close to the centre of Torquay
Period of operation: 1918 to 1919
Site area: 4 acres initially expanding to 12 acres
NOTES: It appears that four small “dummy” or ‘kite’ balloons were ‘stationed’ at BEACON QUAY in 1918, acting as a sub-station to MERIFIELD in CORNWALL. One being based permanently at BERRY HEAD.
Regarding the Short 184s, although a slipway was available it seems they were normally ‘launched’ by use of a crane.
It is also stated that ‘Joy-Riding’ Avros, (presumably 504s?), also used the site in 1920.
TORQUAY: Military airstrip
Military user: US Army 58th Armoured Field Artillery Battalion
Location: Airstrip site unknown?
Period of operation: 1943 to 1944?
TORQUAY: See also TORQUAY GO-KART track helipad
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
