Tredegar
Note: This map is only a rough guess as to possible position. A bit of research appears to show that there was an airfield at BRYN BACH PARK, but was it this one?
TREDEGAR: Private airstrip (Aka BRYN BACH PARK?)
Note: This picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
See below for extra comment.
Operated by: Mr B Brooks
Location: S of B4256, just SW of Tredegar town centre, 2nm SSW of Ebbw Vale
Period of operation: 1970s & 1980s only?
Runway: 10/28 930 hard
NOTES: On modern maps this site appears to be in the totally nonsensical and utterly artificial ‘County’ of MERTHYR TYDFIL.
I suppose there must be a comical element involved here? After the Welsh have fought the English for most of their/our history, they now appear to have devised a devilish plan to self destruct and nigh-on obliterate their own County heritage.
Getting back to more serious matters, like aviation history, it seems that in the mid 1970s at least eight aircraft were based here: The Auster J/I Autocrat G-AGXV, (registered to Mr B Brooks), Miles M.38 Messenger 2A G-AIDK, the Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer 150 G-ARCF and the Morane Saulnier M.S.893A Rallye Commodore G-ATST of G B Instrument Panel Co Ltd.
Plus, another privately owned M.S.892A Rallye Commodore G-ATWE, a Piper J3C-65 Cub G-ATZM also registered to Mr B Brooks, the Piper PA-17 Vagabond G-AWOH and the Cessna FRA.150L G-BAOP. Plus, with several joint owners, the Piper PA-22-160 Tri-Pacer, G-ARBV (ex. N8633D), was based here from 11.05.76 until 12.01.78.
This was obviously (?) more of an airfield rather than a private airstrip. I would much welcome more information if anybody can kindly provide it.
In 2023, Mr Graham Frost, I great friend of this 'Guide', informed me that the Piper PA-22-150 Caribbean G-BHCW, (ex F-BHDT), was based here from February 1980 until October 1991.
EXTRA COMMENT
Having received the 'Comment' below from Dan in January 2019 I decided to take a look - and there it is. Obviously now in a bit of a state, as might be expected, this has all the hallmarks of a serious hard runway. If anybody can kindly offer more advice this will be very welcome. I wonder why such a runway, if this is really what it seems, would have fallen into disuse?
Richard Carbutt
This comment was written on: 2017-08-26 21:20:42I learned to fly in G-BAOP when she was based at Humberside in the mid 70s.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Richard, Many thanks for the memory. It serves to remind us that so many aircraft move around with various owners quite a lot. Best regards, Dick
Dan
This comment was written on: 2019-01-21 14:48:47I always thought that the airstrip here was something I'd misheard previously but its clearly visible from Google maps. I live a few miles away and walk my dog at the lake regularly.
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