Miles M18 G-AHKY landing at Heston Airport

Miles aircraft landing at Heston Airport

The ever elusive mystery landing at dusk of the Miles Hawk Major (most likely G-ADWT in 1955) may possibly be solved in part. Although the current owner of this aircraft was unable to find any record of a landing at Heston in his aircraft logbook, it would appear that the owner at this time being Cartwright-Hamilton Aviation,based at Croydon were a subsidary company of Fairey Aviation. This being so then the reason for this impromptu visit could have been a liason meeting with Fairey Aviation either that evening or following day, since the aircraft was towed into Hestair’s hangar and the doors shut for the night.Cartwright Hamilton were aviation consultants and dealing with aircraft brokerage and spares to commercial operators and private owners. The period 1955/6 and the fact that it was probably in the autumn/winter between November and February when the sun set times most meet the criteria from when I remember seeing the aircraft land. Also another possibilty could have been the pilot running out of VFR and setting down due to that, or even airline traffic at LHR meaning that a short 16 mile dash to Croydon across the LHR approach could have meant ATC problems-even assuming that he had some means of radio communication.All of course is debatable.None of the other Miles aircraft G-ADMW or HKY, ( CYO crashed late 1954) seem to fit the solution quite as well as DWT.

Hi Aerofoil.

The entry in the pilot’s logbook, would have been completed entirely at his own discretion. I guess that if it were a legitimate arrival it would have been entered as such.

Once out of training, there is normally no requirement for a tower or control to countersign a log book or other paperwork on arrival. Most private flights into unlicensed strips are done on a ‘trust’ basis.

Miles M18 landing at Heston Airport

Another helicopter arrival/departure seen by a fellow Air Britain member on the 04/03/63 was a Bristol 171 Mk 3A, G-AMWH in British European Airways
livery.

Miles aircraft landing at Heston Airport

Since 1951 when I first became interested in aviation, I have seen a total of
9 aircraft using Heston Airport since the official closure in 1947. Although
it appears likely that the movements records for this airfield have not survived, at least I can account for the following aircraft in addition to the Miles Hawk Trainer on these pages.

In cronological date order, these were:

09 June 1951- 5 aircraft from the Airways Aero Association, Denham for the BOAC Sports Festival (see separate pages) G-ACIT DH Dragon, Auster Aiglet,
reg. unknown, G-ALOX DH Tiger Moth and 2 Miles Hawk Trainers, including G-AKKV (see: www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1018874)

ca. 1952/53 Swiss Messerschmidt ME108 Taifun, HB-DUB (a fast ship !)

ca. 1953/54 red/silver Miles Gemini, reg unidentified, taking off over Cranford end (possibly after having Fairey Metal propellors fitted)

1955/56 Miles Hawk Trainer, believed to be G-ADWT

Sept 1964 Augusta Bell Ranger helicopter, G-ASNV (see www.ab-pic.co.uk)

Other reports include Westland Widgeon, G-ANLW which collected 3 MTCA officials at Heston enroute from Yeovil to the new Battersea Heliport in order
to make the first landing there prior to its official opening.

Other helicopters may well have included the Fairey Gyrodyne and possibly the Rotordyne since the Company had their premises there and at Hayes.

My final report is taken from Tim Sherwood’s excellent book “Coming Into Land” which details the history of Heston, Hanworth, Hounslow and the original Heathrow (Great Western) airfields and is purchaseable from Hounslow Library.
This mentions the departure of a Board of Trade helicopter from Heston Airport to Sevenoaks on the 06 June 1978 after the CAA had vacated their
offices there.

G-ADWT

Does any one know when or where G-ADWT will be at any shows or ? in uk, need to know as i want to suprise me dad as he flew this when he was younger, plz any ideas 🙂

Miles Hawk Major at Heston……

The one at Heston in the mid-fifties might have looked like this ….perhaps with a gravel pit in the middle distance….this was Shell’s G-ADCF Dick Bentley mount from 1935-1939….mostly flown with the front screen removed and the front cockpit faired over, though….scanned from Hugh Scanlan’s book ‘Winged Shell’

Prince ‘Bira’ Birabongse Gemini G-AJWH

‘Blue Wings to Bangkok’ records the epic Gemini flight from Gatwick to Thailand, the new wooden props were fitted at Fairoaks just before departure…..there is an earlier book by his first wife Ceril ‘The Prince and I’ which I havent read…..Bira was discussed in depth on Air Britain’s ab-ix forum a couple of months ago

Thanks Mick,

I hazard a guess that maybe the metal props, although more efficient, were quite a bit heavier than the wooden equivalents – something that would prove quite important in an aeroplane with two 90hp Cirrus Minors, loaded with fuel for long-distances!

While everyone remembers Fairey Reed metal propellers, they also continued to supply and service wooden ones (at Heston?) into the 1950s. My Tipsy Trainer has I think, one of the last wooden props to be made by them in conjunction with Hordern Richmond, while Ronald Supply’s OO-EOT has the metal equivalent.

He had this from 1947 , had Fairey metal props fitted at Heston, but for his 1952 flight UK-Thailand in it he had wooden props refitted….will add the name of the book tonight….Mick (and it was pale blue, his racing colour, withyellow lettering)….scans from Prince Bira’s book ‘Blue Wings to Bangkok’

A fascinating thread. I feel a bit sorry for the poor chap who thought he’d got away with a sneaky ‘off-piste’ landing at dusk, 48 years ago! 😀

Just out of interest, does anyone know which Gemini it was that B. Bira owned?

He certainly had a big interest in flying, both pre-, during and post-war and was a very enthusiastic sailplane pilot, as well as forming I believe, an airline back in his native Thailand.

I understand that the premier gliding trophy at the Long Mynd gliding site is still the Bira Trophy.

Miles M18 G-AHKY landing at Heston Airport

Yes I admit I should have checked when the Gemini first flew, you are quite right, my silly goof !

Prince Bira, a famous racing driver from Siam (now Thailand) had his new Miles Gemini fitted with these sometime in the 30’s

Well if he did he must have had an extraordinarily early pre-production model – namely between five and fifteen years pre-production – because the first Gemini flew on 26 October 1945!

Miles M18 G-AHKY landing at Heston Airport

Last week I managed to visit the owner of the Miles Hawk Trainer G-ADWT which according to my records most probably was the aircraft which landed at
Heston. He graciously showed me all the aircraft records and historical
photos pertaining to the Hawk over a number of years, but unfortunately the old logbook from previous pilots, which might have detailed the landing there was missing when he purchased DWT. So it rather looks that after all these years unless someone who used to work for Heston Aircraft, the M.T.C.A. (Southern Divn.) or Fairey Aviation are still alive and not too decrepid, has the answer, this will remain a mystery.

One possibility however may be the fact that various aircraft flew into Heston
earlier to have Fairey metal propellors fitted when the airfield was still open, for instance Prince Bira, a famous racing driver from Siam (now Thailand) had his new Miles Gemini fitted with these sometime in the 30’s, and I can remember a red Gemini taking off from Heston around 1952/3 which may well have had the same installation by Fairey’s.

Keep searching, we are all waiting!:)

Miles aircraft landing at Heston Airport

I recently made contact with Sqn Ldr Iles family and his son was able to check the logbook for Miles M18 G-AHKY but found no reference to any
landing at Heston. It now seems likely that the aircraft in question may well have been G-ADWT a M2W Hawk Major since I found a remark in an old
spotter’s logbook of mine that I saw this overflying Heston and it could have been the mystery visitor.
This aircraft was restored to a beautifully condition about 4 years ago and is
a tribute to Miles great designs. The C of A expired in June this year
and I have written the present listed owners, but as yet no reply, although they might conceivably have moved address. Luckily a pilot who occaisionally sees the owner/s at the flying strip where the aircraft is located, will hopefully put me in touch with them. If the logbook shows a landing at Heston in the 1950’s, there still remains the question whether or not it was intentional or just due to dusk falling , being outside of VFR.