1909 Doncaster Air-race

Many thanks for that one,I am chuffed to see there is still some more surviving documents.would the owner be able to get/allow a copy for Aeroventure?

I’m sure he would be happy to let me send you what I have. He is very old and frail so borrowing the original might be problematic. Check you PMs.

I’ve done a brief search and there are others in collections which might be in better condition. Sheffield Archives has one and the Bodleian Library at Oxford has another. The East Ridings Archive also has a programme and some postcards/photos. Doncaster Archives has a supplement to the Doncaster Gazette.
If you try www.a2a.org.uk you can search several of these repositories at once. You can also get to this search through the National Archives site: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
And to add to your evening of fun, I’ve had a quick look on The Guardian’s new digital archive and they’ve got lots of press reports, giving background to the event. They have a “free for 24 hours” offer on just now.

looking at the list of participants I don’t recall seeing a large green ogre with a scottish accent in any photo’s of the event:D

I don’t suppose the accent and colour would show in a B&W photo 😀 Actually, it’s a 100-year-old typo – should be Schercke

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/1909-Doncaster-First-Aviation-Air-Show-Poster-Posters_i912354_.htm

I wish it well – I’m quite sure it will be possible to get something really great together. I remember once – again many years ago – the Red Arrows performed at the Racecourse. Anything is possible.

I’ve dug this out for you – I met somebody earlier this year who had part of a programme for the 1909 meeting. This is the list of participants. There ought to be a more complete copy will be in local archives.

Allan

Many thanks for that one,I am chuffed to see there is still some more surviving documents.would the owner be able to get/allow a copy for Aeroventure?

looking at the list of participants I don’t recall seeing a large green ogre with a scottish accent in any photo’s of the event:D

I wish it well – I’m quite sure it will be possible to get something really great together. I remember once – again many years ago – the Red Arrows performed at the Racecourse. Anything is possible.

I’ve dug this out for you – I met somebody earlier this year who had part of a programme for the 1909 meeting. This is the list of participants. There ought to be a more complete copy will be in local archives.

Allan

Surely not:confused: You’ve got a long approach from the North East over open ground to the racecourse and out over the fishing ponds and shopping on the former Doncaster Airport and nature reserve on the other side of the road. Granted a Vulcan might raise some eyebrows but a small airshow to mark the event would be highly significant.

And when talking about the history of flying at Doncaster, remind your PR people not to skip straight from RAF Doncaster to Aeroventure – I learnt to fly there at the old Doncaster Aero Club. I used to push aircraft around, chase horses off the runway and repainted the crash truck with a large tin of red Dulux paint so I could be paid in flying hours. Happy Days. 🙂 I doubt you’ll get anybody who can remember 1909 but there will be plenty who can reminisce about the 1980s. Trouble was that even then they were in a protracted battle with the council who wanted the site for – well all the stuff that’s there now really. So now Finningley is called Doncaster (Well Robin Hood:rolleyes: ) but we know where the real Doncaster airport was.

BTW – I work in PR and we’re paid to be positive, but do keep pushing your team hard to make sure things actually happen as well. I’d hope you can get a small flying display but at least a nice mix of static aircraft/cockpits brought in by road – that exhibition hall will take a fair bit of filling.

Good luck with it and keep us up to date with the plans

I agree with what you say about the NE approach, but I don’t know what the current CAA & local flying restrictions/regulations are for the area.

YES I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A FLY-IN!It would be fantastic to see a line up starting with shuttleworth’s Bleriot & Boxkite,going through to modern.If is was acheived it would have to be limited to perhaps 10-40(my own figures)single and smaller twin engine aircraft.

I must stress the idea is very much in the early stages & needs your support(from individuals to preservation groups & museums)so I have the evidence to take to various organisations to help raise awareness & funding.

In the past at Finningley & through to the Waddington airshow South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum/Aeroventure has increased BAPC awareness by getting nearby museums to put on displays as a BAPC collective whilst retaining individual group indentity at the venues.

I would like to do something on a similar vein,but on a more national scale-call it a one off,temporary air museum,involving ALLBAPC member groups.I just need some ideas of how to go about getting there.

does anybody remember the Hornet Moth that used to fly from Doncaster Aero Club. Drivng out the the M18 one day over the East Coast main Line I well remember running parallel with it for a while following take off (the plane not my car)

I think it was owned by a lady Consultant at DRI IIRC

Remember it? I was banned from washing it! 🙂 Our head groundsman was in charge of looking after the moth, the young spotty herbert that was me was only allowed to look at the plane, not touch. I got to spend two days washing and polishing a C206 for the new parachute school.

The Hornet Moth’s owner was an elderly doctor, lovely lady, very friendly and I think retired at that time. She flew quite regularly and loved the plane. She flew everywhere at 800 feet – both she and the moth were happy at that height – which is why you would have seen her so clearly. The ATC at Finningley knew her callsign well – I think it was everybody’s favourite in the area.

I should have some photos somewhere, but probably in the files in my parent’s attic.

As well as the Moth, there were a couple of airworthy Austers – lovely planes, and a little single seater homebuilt monoplane at the back of the hangar painted red with German WWI colours. I never saw it fly and I’ve no idea what it was but the fuel tank was just in front of the cockpit. There was a wire sticking through the fuel filler cap and below, in the tank, the wire had a cork fitted so it would rise and fall with the fuel levels – the world’s most reliable fuel guage.

On the subject of fly in or airshow – I suppose the distinction is an airshow doesn’t involved landing but a fly-in does. I’m not sure the racecourse would be suitable for landings but I can’t see why an air show should be a problem.

Surely not:confused: You’ve got a long approach from the North East over open ground to the racecourse and out over the fishing ponds and shopping on the former Doncaster Airport and nature reserve on the other side of the road. Granted a Vulcan might raise some eyebrows but a small airshow to mark the event would be highly significant.

And when talking about the history of flying at Doncaster, remind your PR people not to skip straight from RAF Doncaster to Aeroventure – I learnt to fly there at the old Doncaster Aero Club. I used to push aircraft around, chase horses off the runway and repainted the crash truck with a large tin of red Dulux paint so I could be paid in flying hours. Happy Days. 🙂 I doubt you’ll get anybody who can remember 1909 but there will be plenty who can reminisce about the 1980s. Trouble was that even then they were in a protracted battle with the council who wanted the site for – well all the stuff that’s there now really. So now Finningley is called Doncaster (Well Robin Hood:rolleyes: ) but we know where the real Doncaster airport was.

BTW – I work in PR and we’re paid to be positive, but do keep pushing your team hard to make sure things actually happen as well. I’d hope you can get a small flying display but at least a nice mix of static aircraft/cockpits brought in by road – that exhibition hall will take a fair bit of filling.

Good luck with it and keep us up to date with the plans

Agreed. I think a fly-in would be an excellent idea, I’m sure some of the Breighton fliers would support it with their presence – certainly some of them cut their teeth at Doncaster Aero Club. Would be sensible to try to get Finningley and DMBC on board early doors too.

does anybody remember the Hornet Moth that used to fly from Doncaster Aero Club. Drivng out the the M18 one day over the East Coast main Line I well remember running parallel with it for a while following take off (the plane not my car)

I think it was owned by a lady Consultant at DRI IIRC

But the fly-in would be a no-go due to too many houses in the area(pity really-it would have been fantastic).

Surely not:confused: You’ve got a long approach from the North East over open ground to the racecourse and out over the fishing ponds and shopping on the former Doncaster Airport and nature reserve on the other side of the road. Granted a Vulcan might raise some eyebrows but a small airshow to mark the event would be highly significant.

And when talking about the history of flying at Doncaster, remind your PR people not to skip straight from RAF Doncaster to Aeroventure – I learnt to fly there at the old Doncaster Aero Club. I used to push aircraft around, chase horses off the runway and repainted the crash truck with a large tin of red Dulux paint so I could be paid in flying hours. Happy Days. 🙂 I doubt you’ll get anybody who can remember 1909 but there will be plenty who can reminisce about the 1980s. Trouble was that even then they were in a protracted battle with the council who wanted the site for – well all the stuff that’s there now really. So now Finningley is called Doncaster (Well Robin Hood:rolleyes: ) but we know where the real Doncaster airport was.

BTW – I work in PR and we’re paid to be positive, but do keep pushing your team hard to make sure things actually happen as well. I’d hope you can get a small flying display but at least a nice mix of static aircraft/cockpits brought in by road – that exhibition hall will take a fair bit of filling.

Good luck with it and keep us up to date with the plans

Return of a ‘Finningley’ air show:rolleyes: 😀

Brian

The UK’s first Air Display (“Aviation Meeting”) held 15th – 23rd October at the racecourse, just across the road from what became RAF Doncaster and, latterly, Doncaster’s air museum AeroVenture.
I agree, this is a milestone that’s worthy of celebration but what sort of display are you thinking of, an exhibition of memorabilia, a static aircraft display or an airshow/fly-in?

Somthing on those lines,but the fly-in would be a no-go due to too many houses in the area(pity really-it would have been fantastic).

The racecourse has a large exhibition hall & lots of grass areas to play with+ their PR team are pretty positive about doing somthing.No doubt it will be down to funding in the end as to if & what is staged.

The UK’s first Air Display (“Aviation Meeting”) held 15th – 23rd October at the racecourse, just across the road from what became RAF Doncaster and, latterly, Doncaster’s air museum AeroVenture.
I agree, this is a milestone that’s worthy of celebration but what sort of display are you thinking of, an exhibition of memorabilia, a static aircraft display or an airshow/fly-in?