Windyedge
WINDYEDGE: Temporary Landing Ground
Note: These four maps and pictures were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide'. He also provided the newspaper pictures and article below, whereas I just added the Google Earth © area view.
Location: Near the A9, about 4nm WSW of Perth city centre
Period of operation: 12th July 1929
A MOST REMARKABLE VENTURE
In 1929, from May to October, Sir Alan Cobham embarked on his Municipal Aerodrome Campaign in the ten-seater de Havilland DH61 'Giant Moth' G-AAEV, named 'The Youth of Britain'. He visited 104 towns and cities in England and Scotland, plus Cardiff and Newport in South Wales, and the Isle of Man, making a total of 107 venues. The theme being to encourage towns, and some cities, to provide municipal aerodromes/regional airports. Although he often didn't succeed in the short term - many seeds were sown, which later came to fruition.
His visit to WINDYEDGE was the 31st venue. Typically he would take the local worthies for an aerial tour of the area, and make four flights for forty local schoolchildren sponsored by Lord Wakefield of Castrol Oil fame, (although he it seems preferred to remain anonymous), and attend a gala luncheon after which he presented his case. The passion with which Cobham exhorted local people of power and influence, week in and week out, plus all the flying involved, for nigh on six full months is quite extraordinary - as were his later 'Flying Circus' Tours. (See nearby WOODHEAD of MAILER) for info about these.
Notes: The picture above was published in the Dundee Courier on the 13th July 1929. The article was published in the Dundee Evening Telegraph on the same day as the visit. Clearly a rush job which might explain why the reporter got the name of the aircraft wrong. The fourth rather poor images are from a double page spread in the Perthshire Advertiser published on the 19th July 1929.
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