What is the actual date of the centenary? Webb & Bird’s history of Shoreham Airport says that Harold Piffard managed a hop in his second biplane at New Salts Farm in May 1910 but that the first recorded proper flight was made on 10 July 1910 from an area which is now in the south-east corner of the present airfield site. If these facts are correct, there appears to be nothing taking place to mark the actual dates (although I accept that no date is given for the May 1910 hop and there is a book fair at Shoreham Airport that month). As 10 July 2010 is a Saturday, one might have expected an event that day. Is the centenary fly-in, the following week-end, taking place then just because these dates are convenient to someone or is there a dispute as to the date of the “first recorded proper flight”?

Mike

No idea if the Webb/Bird info is correct or not but have no reason to doubt them as they seem to have done plenty of research on the history of the Airport. Pretty sure there is only the remotest chance of anyone still being alive today who was witness to the event to contradict them, so I think we shall have to accept what they say. Sadly another link to the Airport’s former years has gone this week as Vic Wheele, who was involved with the Southern Aero Club under CFI Cecil Pashley and either owned or operated a number of Tiger Moths, namely G-AKXO/LVP/OIS and OZH, passed away on Wednesday aged 83.

bazv & timuss – I have no involvement with the book fair next weekend but may well attend. Full details of this and other events are on the website http://www.shorehamairport.co.uk/ although strangely the centenary fly-in now appears to have dropped off.

Wicked Willip :diablo: