i was asked the other day was Fido used after 1945 the answer is YES but only on practice burns as far as i know. FIDO has been well documented over the years most people think it was only used during the later part of WW2 to assist in the landing of Lancasters and other aircraft .Not so as a Aerodrome Fireman i was posted from RAF Sutton on Hull with 6 other Airmen to the USAF/RAF base Manston in Kent to operate the System .At that time we had no idea what Fido was but soon found out how to maintain and light the burners it was 1954 i thought what am i doing here 9 years after WW2 ended in Europe we were issued with RAF cycles and transported to a small nisson hut as our billet at the side of the runway our duties were to keep the pipes clear at all times also to check the storage tanks daily the MT bods looked after the Ford V8 engines used to pump the petrol down the pipes .But why did we need Fido after all Manston was equipped with a good GCA and Radar system i don’t think we ever knew the answer.Perhaps someone out there does ?
By: Alpine - 18th October 2011 at 13:54
Re Blackbushes Fido
The FIDO at Blackbushe was used post War on six operational occasions. Five of these were in 1945/46 for transport command flights. After the airport was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in January 1947 the whole system was overhauled at great expense. It was used just once on 30th November 1948 to allow Airwork Viking, G-AJFS to depart on a government charter will currency for West Africa. There were a couple of ‘demonstration’ burns in which a BOAC York and BEA Viscount and and Ambassador did circuits. The problem was that on average it cost almost £10,000 for a successful 30 minute burn, which was then the price of a DC-3! By the mid 50’s it had become disused due to the cost.The cost of the burn would be charged to the airline, most of which were operating a ‘hand to mouth existence’.
Thanks for the info on Blackbushe We fired up Fido in1956 cant remember the date. the RAF hut was near the MT section and the US Navy hanger we were told too be on stand by if the Queens Flight was diverted it never was .Off duty we worked for Eagle Airways . In late 1956 most of our RAF FIDO operators returned to Manston but i was posted to RAF Odiham to resume my trade as a Aerodrome Fireman putting out fires not starting them i will try to attach a few pictures
By: pagen01 - 16th October 2011 at 19:28
I know Mantson had its FIDO until 1958, I’m guessing that it was seen as such an important enough diversion airfield that it was best to keep the system in place.
Don’t forget that the electronic stuff such as SBA, BABs, and early ILS only got you down and close to the runway, the pilot still had to get visual with the runway before landing, something that FIDO had the advantage with at the time, being able to burn of the low level fog near the surface
There’s a well known picture of a BEA Ambassador on the FIDO lit runway at Blackbushe, sometime in 1952 I think.
I wonder if Blackbushe retained the system for Heathrow divesrions?
There was great local and parliamentry opposition to Heathrow having FIDO, because of the extra polution that it could cause, construction of a system there was commenced immediately post-war, and then cancelled.
ISTR reading that Manstons FIDO burn was estimated to cost around £44k per hour.
By: farnboroughrob - 16th October 2011 at 19:08
The FIDO at Blackbushe was used post War on six operational occasions. Five of these were in 1945/46 for transport command flights. After the airport was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in January 1947 the whole system was overhauled at great expense. It was used just once on 30th November 1948 to allow Airwork Viking, G-AJFS to depart on a government charter will currency for West Africa. There were a couple of ‘demonstration’ burns in which a BOAC York and BEA Viscount and and Ambassador did circuits. The problem was that on average it cost almost £10,000 for a successful 30 minute burn, which was then the price of a DC-3! By the mid 50’s it had become disused due to the cost.The cost of the burn would be charged to the airline, most of which were operating a ‘hand to mouth existence’.
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October 16, 2011 at 5:46 pm