Tresco flying sites
Note: This map shows the location of TRESCO heliport.
TRESCO see also ABBEY WOOD
TRESCO: Military Seaplane Station and Flying Boat Station (Aka ABBEY FARM)
Military users: RNAS/RAF (Short 184s, Curtiss H.12s, Felixstowe F5s)
In late 1918 all the four RNAS Flights based here had been incorporated into RAF 234 Squadron
Location: In bay/foreshore of New Grimsby
Period of operation: 1917 to 1919
Site area: 30 acres (Main site 20 acres)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', decided to take it upon himself to see what might be available. As you can now see, quite a lot.
Note: The Photo One shows the early tented accommodation provided prior to construction taking place.
Photo Two shows the Station under construction. Note that some serious work is being undertaken, out in the open on one of the Curtiss H.12B Large America flying boats.
Information from Action Stations 10, Supplement, by Bruce Quarrie. This excellent work should, I think you will find, cover all the aspects of this Station.
A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS?
Until I saw this picture I don't think I had come across the R.N.A.A.S before. Presumably standing for Royal Naval Anti-Aircraft Service? It appears this Unit arrived for training duties but I cannot really imagine what these may have entailed?
This Station opened in 1917 when the U-Boat threat was still very real, so what was the suspected aerial threat? The Germans did have a handful of small aircraft carriers - slow and barely self-defended.
Basically the only even miniscule threat could have been from a large 'Zeppelin' type airship, and by then they were having a tough time attacking our cities - several being shot down.
Photo Three is of a Curtiss H.12B Large America of 234 Squadron, 1918. Photo Four is of a Short Type 184. These were operated by the RNAS here in 233 and 353 Squadrons.
The local area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: Possibly the best ever account of civil flying activities on the Scilly Isles was ‘Bound for Lyonesse’, an article compiled by my good friend Maurice Wickstead and published in Light Aviation in April 2008.
TRESCO: Civil heliport
Note: The first three and the fifth pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©.
Note: The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: Tresco Estates
Location: 0.75nm N of southern tip of Tresco Island
Period of operation: 1983 to 2012. Reopened from?
Landing area: Originally it seems; Grass/heather 30x30m
As can be seen in the later pictures, up to three 'helipads' now available
NOTES: My first note regarding this site was that in the early 1980s British Airways were operating a service to TRESCO as well as St MARY’S. I then found another account which clearly states that it was British International Helicopters who, having taken over the BA operation, initiated the TRESCO service in 1983. To doubly confuse the issue it now appears it was John King, Chairman of British Airways, who officially opened TRESCO heliport on the 26th April 1983. The heliport closed in October 2012, but was later reopened.
Later, in around 2020 (?), services were resumed by Penzance Helicopters operating from their new heliport near Penzance.
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