Bognor Regis (Lec Refrigeration) Airfield

As nobody seems to have picked up on the David Purley connection that I noted I thought that ought to post the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Purley. This confirms that his Pitts crashed off Bognor Regis so presumably it used this field, as I understand it David Purley was the heir to the Lec business, so it would not be surprising if some the heart went out of both aviation and the entire business as a result – perhaps someone could confirm/deny?

I think it hasn’t been connected because there isn’t a connection. David Purley was connected to the business, to what extant I don’t know, but his father and the founder, Charles Purley, later knighted, was the C.E.O. until 1991 and his death in that year. The company was sold to Sime Darby in 1994 and then to Glen Dimplex in 2005. The ‘old’ factory was closed in 2003. I think therefore that the unfortunate death of David had little effect on the company and maybe changing economics affected the aviation side.

As nobody seems to have picked up on the David Purley connection that I noted I thought that ought to post the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Purley. This confirms that his Pitts crashed off Bognor Regis so presumably it used this field, as I understand it David Purley was the heir to the Lec business, so it would not be surprising if some the heart went out of both aviation and the entire business as a result – perhaps someone could confirm/deny?

As an aside I recall that the plane suffered a structural failure during aerobatics as a result of poor maintainance. He was a very brave man but walked the tightrope between bravery and recklessness throughout his career – he was awesome through the downhill swoop at the lethal Chimay circuit, I remember reading an interview (in Autosport?) just before he died at which he said that he used his Parachute Regiment training and screamed into his helmet as he approached the near flat sweeps…

….and also Cessna 401 G-AWDM which crashed on the nearby golf course after take off from the Bognor strip, 7/5/71.

Good subject, never realised it was a hard runway, always assumed it was grass. Just tried looking for their Comanche and couldn’t find it. Anyone remember it?

Maybe the Comanche was a mistake! However they did have Auster G-AIPE, Messenger G-AKDF, Gemini G-ALMU, C-172 G-AWCN, Aztec G-BCRP, Islander G-BLEC and possibly a Dove.

Lec airfield at Bognor

Richard

Take a look at http://www.bognor-local-history.co.uk/ then go to the piece about Bognor ALG. I was one of the contributors to the book “It started with a map” by Sylvia Endacott, because of my interest in 19, 350 (Belgian) and 602 squadrons, and it has a chapter on the LEC airfield in it.

As it says on the website “Entitled “IT STARTED WITH A MAP” tells the story of the ALG during the 2nd WW. The publication is available and now costs £12.99, (in addition postage/packing is £2.00) which includes a DVD on the production of the book. There are also discussions with people who were there. A section on Lec Refrigeration has been included to dispel the myth that they were on the same site. You can order your copy by email to [email]1787bognor@dsl.pipex.com[/email], giving your name and address, cheques payable to S. Endacott.”

cheers

Allan

Presumably this was also where David Purley flew his Pitts from – perhaps his death in 1985 had a lot to do with the demise of the airfield?

Two aerial pictures taken in 2004 and 2005. EGKC was the ICAO airfield designator. I am not sure when it closed but there used to be an Aztec
G-BCRP based there in the 80’s and LEC also had a BN2 Islander G-BLEC sometime later.

I was at Bognor Uni for three years (I tell most people I was at Chichester, it sounds better 😀 ) and never knew about this one.

Where abouts in Bognor was it?

Good subject, never realised it was a hard runway, always assumed it was grass. Just tried looking for their Comanche and couldn’t find it. Anyone remember it?