Anyone Remember West Malling Airfield?(Old Thread 2004)

My pics show how it looked in Sept ’95 and Viking on finals was in May ’91.

IIRC the 618VGS farewell dinner was something like Sept ’94.

The Lynx was flown in by my cousin on one of the last operational powered flights into West Malling, Sept ’92.

It is sad to see that the hangars have gone. I was under the impression that one of them was listed along with the control tower. I guess they left it too long without maintenance.

The pic of the Mk 3 was taken in said hangar.

The same will eventually happen to the former RAF Hunsdon airfield in Hertfordshire. there are plans afoot to build 28,000 homes between Harlow and Hunsdon village, obliterating what is left of the airfield today.
We have formed the Hunsdon Airfield Memorial Group (see December Flypast, page 83) to build a suitable memorial on the old technical site to honour the personnel who served here during 1941-45, as it stands this will probably be the only reminder of what originally lay under all these new houses.

North Weald has not escaped either, I read of plans for 6,000 houses to be built there as well.
Another of John Prescott’s ideas of ‘affordable housing’ ? 😡
(Hunsdons remains can be seen on my website, link below)

‘Swords into Ploughshares’ – I well remember Great Warbirds 1987 . A truely
cracking line up and many aircraft and people which are sadly no longer with us.
Much as I hate to see it gone I sometimes wonder if this is something we can really influence. Certainly the unusual and particularily historic deserves to survive but the reality is that we live in a small country with an increasing population. Sadly in many cases we will only be left with ‘Hart Drive’ and ‘Stirling Way’ as the bland housing estates and industrial units take over.

What a bloody shame. 🙁

I hope that this is not a growing trend. How many more of these historical airfields will end up as housing/industrial estates. 😡 🙁 :confused:

Cheers

Paul

Just look at Hawkinge, gradually being swallowed up by a vast housing estate, a planning application for 200 houses on the edge of Kenley is also about to be decided upon.

Will never forget West Malling, a superb airshow venue full of atmosphere. I can well remember my old Ford Capri breaking down at West Malling! Last to leave that year, with the help of a ‘very nice man’.

Septic.

What a bloody shame. 🙁

Hard to believe it’s the same place I wandered around as a kid in the 80’s at a few of the Great Warbirds shows.

I hope that this is not a growing trend.

How many more of these historical airfields will end up as housing/industrial estates. 😡 🙁 :confused:

Cheers

Paul

I also noticed that the builders have left a bloody great white arrow laying next to the tower……before any other wag gets there first!