Pebsham Aerodrome, Hastings

Hello to all.

I only just discovered this thread and the forum by trying similar searches.

I live in Bexhill and my childhood home is only 1/4 mile from this old airfield.

I never knew it was an aerodrome until recently. A colleague of mine, whom is probably acquainted with wes, mentioned the local football teams wanted to replace the “control tower”.

This building is used as a sports pavillion for the football & cricket pitches.

^^^ I don’t think the raised section in the middle is meant for cricket scoring.

I’ve lived here since 1972 and there has only ever been to my knowledge, recreation fields and a landfill tip.

As for Sidley, aka – Sidley Green, one of the chav capitals of Britain, the information Tangmere1940 has provided is probably as accurate as there is to be had.

HTH.

Green Banana………..Welcome to the forum.

Very interesting pictures……..

Planemike

I’m sorry Green Banana, but that ain’t no control tower! Having spent all this week in the East Sussex Records Office, and elsewhere, researching the history of Pebsham, I can make that statement with confidence. The history of Pebsham is fascinating. Over forty years in the making and only a few years of relatively unsuccessful operation. One of the reasons for its spectacular lack of success was the lack of any infrastructure – which included a control tower (and no hangars, no clubhouse, no anything……..). I fear that what you have photographed, Green Banana, is a typical DIY piecemeal extension of what may have started as a single storey changing room serving the playing fields between the aerodrome site and the houses on the Bexhill Road. If I’m wrong, then your control tower was erected without the knowledge of Hastings BC (the site owner) or Bexhill BC (the planning authority).

p.s. the playing field strip never formed part of the airfield site – but that’s not to say that Hastings BC never desired to include it in their grandiose and ever changing plans for their municipal aerodrome!

Hi,

As you see I have a scanned programme of the airshow on the 27th July 1980 complete with a couple of photographs of the field in operation on that day.

I do recall witnissing a full size display, including a James Bond flying autogyro, and see that she is indeed listed for this display.

Enjoy!
Wes

Love the 1:1 scale Arrow Active, Zlin Trener and Piper Super Cub! The photos are incontrovertible proof that, at least in 1980, the old Pebsham Aerodrome site was used for landings and take-offs and not just for a “fly by” display. Does anyone have a record of the visiting aircraft in 1980 and, whilst on the subject, the 1979 and 1981 displays?

p.s. can anyone work out what is the aircraft behind the Arrow Active in the right hand picture posted by Wes?

One little snippet seen in Aeroplane magazine September 1 1950 is a small articule that says basically that the flying club at Pebsham will close shortly as the lease has expired and the council will not renew it. It goes on to say that the club had some 60 members. There is a photo of a Auster and a covered up low winger, probably the aforementioned Klemm. Apart from that there was only a large cylanderical tank in the picture and a rather scrubby looking field.

Hi Rocky. A PM is a personal message, one of which I sent to you on 3 February. If you go to ‘private messages’, on the header bar beneath the forum banner title, click on that and go to your inbox, you’ll find my message there. I’ll look forward to your reply to it.

PRIVATE MESSAGE, next to your new posts, top left!!

Hi AA

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a PM?
Yes I know Barry, he only lives 5 doors away from me!

The shows he is refering to are Model aircraft shows that were put on by Hastings MFC and 1066MFC.

As for the early history he does not know much as he lived in Rye, East Sussex.

I’ll send you a PM, Rocky48. In the meantime, as a fellow member of the 1066 Model Flying Club presumably you know Barry (crescent7) and so might you be able to speak with him concerning the photos and DVD he mentioned (post# 67) back in March 2011?

p.s. PM now sent

Hi AA

I am researching the Pebsham Aerodrome on behalf of the 1066Model Flying Club to which I belong.
I am interested, as the club has its flying site on the field, where the Aerodrome was.
I am finding it very difficult to find much out, but I am wondering if you were able to find out much about this site.
If you have any info would you be willing to share it with me. I edit the clubs newsletter and i want to write about the Aerodrome in the newsletter.

Hi Yes that would be fine,it would be nice to see then on there,

Barry

You may not be surprised, Barry, to hear that I am very interested in the photographs and the DVD! If you would like me to upload the photographs to this thread, please let me know. I’ll then send you a PM with my e-mail address and if you can attach the images to an e-mail to me, in turn I will post them here.

Hi All
Have tried uploading photos of hasting airshow to no avail,
A super 8 film has emerged & been transfered to dvd,it shows parts of both the 1979 & 1980 airshows,some of aircraft,tiger club turbulant team doing limbo etc,
britten norman islander,pair zlin acrobats doing mirror flying etc,3 pitts specials,
arrow active,ken wallis with auto gyro,jodel bebe,parachutists,powered hang glider launching from mini pick up,friesler storch,helicopter,varios single & twin engine aircraft,piper cub,plus some airbourne shots of airfield & show taken from one of the helicopters, the quality of the copy is very bad & with no sound.
i will get some copies if any one is interested,

Barry

On matters relating to Shoreham, I defer to you, Willip!

As I defer to you, mon ami, on all matters French, or indeed in connection with Pebsham or Wilmington.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

I also have found several photos that i took,will try to upload them,
I have just heard that some video of show has turned up will keep you posted.

Do you think that you will be able to upload the photos, crescent7? And do you have any more information about the video mentioned?

On matters relating to Shoreham, I defer to you, Willip!

Fascinating thread, avion ancien, which brings back a number of happy memories, despite having never been to Pebsham. I too was one of those, who had his first ever flight with Mike Macey, in G-ANHR from Shoreham in 1958. His writing was not good but it appears the cost of the pleasure flight ticket, which I still have to this day was 15/-. I am not sure that both NHR and PAF were ever operated together as his Daedalus Air Services was very much a one man band, flying through the summer months and maintenance in the hut during the winter. Sadly he died a good few years ago in the Worthing area, from asbestosis of all things.

It was the only occasion I flew with him, but I flew several more times in NHR from 1977 onwards, after a friend rebuilt it. I believe it now lives in a hangar roof somewhere in the North of England awaiting yet another restoration.

Wicked Willip:diablo:

Went to Pebsham, today, as the light was fading. Very atmospheric. It was easy to envisage why, from the 1930s to the 1950s, the local authority persisted with the idea of a municipal aerodrome there. But a 360º appraisal, whilst thinking of more modern aeronautical demands, soon made me realise why, on this site, it was all really pie in the sky.

G-ANIT

The insurance report stated that the Auster was on a flight from Lympne when the engine failed at 500 feet. Macey ditched the aircraft just off the beach at Hastings and climbed out onto a wing. He was taken off just before the aircraft sank.

The aircraft had taken off with sufficient fuel and the engine failure was attributed to a loose banjo union causing loss of fuel.

The report doesn’t state the intended destination but I guess it could have been Pebsham.