Heston Airport Fly-in, 09 June 1951

Nice photos there. Always wondered what heston airfield was like. Sadly for me being born in the 80’s the airfield had already disappeared. Although I grew up in Southall and my nan used to tell me about the planes she saw flying out of there.

Heston Airport Fly-In, 09 June 1951

This month, I was with my Aviation Group when we visited the GA Expo at Booker Airfield, High Wycombe.
As well as seeing the latest aircraft and technology in general aviation, I
was able to visit John Harthill, the CFI of British Airways Flying Club and
view his collection of early photos of the Airways Aero Association from the
1950’s and later. Since I had been in touch with him over the last
year about pictures of the fly-in to the BOAC Sports Festival by the AAA
when they were based at Denham, I had the opportunity to take these digital
photos of a few of the original ones in his collection which are to be
digitalised and archived when he gets the time. I was excited to
see from the aerial pictures that my long outstanding query of whether the
reported D.H. Dove taking the Festival President, Mr Whitney Straight to Heston had landed earlier in the day either at Heston or possibly at Heathrow, have finally been resolved.
Also I was delighted to see the picture of the D.H.Dragon, G-ACIT which
along with an Auster Aiglet of AAA gave the public sight seeing flights
nearby for 5s per time !
I have a feeling that there was also another picture of some of the aircraft
lined up at Denham before a departure on the day to Heston which included
the D.H. Tiger Moth and an Aiglet, unfortunately this could not be traced, however I am very pleased that I can now add these photos to my now extensive collection of Heston Airport history and memorabilia.

If you view the aerial pictures in maximum close up, you can make out the D.H.Dove to the left of the main marquee, whilst the 2 Miles Hawk Trainers and D.H.Tiger Moth can just be made out nearer to the hangars on the southern side of the Airport.

Comper

Very nice website….

I have the Aeoplane Monthly Comper Swift Database article (about 20 pages)from March 2003 if you don’t already have it…

rgds

Thanks so much for your reply. I have found the deatils of a man who built his own Comper Swift, John Greenland, and hope he will point me in the right direction. Otherwise I will contact Aeroplane Monthly directly as you suggest.

I’m keen to make contact with Richard. He worked closely with my mother and Adrian in the past but I don’t know where he is now that he has retired from Aeroplane Monthly. I’d also be glad of any corrections and suggested additions to my entries made so far on the site.

Have you asked Aeroplane Monthly to pass on a message to RR? I think he still contributes articles – wasn’t there a second one a few months ago about his father Eddie’s pre-war travels?

Good luck with your website – I shall follow it’s progress with interest (solely as someone who admires the Swift).

Roger Smith.

PS perhaps one of the mods will open a Comper thread for you?
PPS have yopu got to using the search facility yet – the Swift has cropped up a lot over the years 🙂

Nick Comper

I am Nick Comper’s grandson (Stephen Perry) – he of Comper Swift fame. My mother, Naomi, died last year and. in memory of her and my grandfather, my daughter and I are building a website for “Nick Comper”.

I’ve just joined this forum and it doesn’t allow me to open a new thread so I don’t know if this will be noticed.

I would be very grateful for any help and support from those who admire his work in making the website as authoritative as possible. If you look at www.nickcomper.co.uk site you’ll see we are making good progress with it. I have used as source documents letters and other materials from my mother, Adrian (Nick’s brother), Richard Riding and other published works and articles.

I’m keen to make contact with Richard. He worked closely with my mother and Adrian in the past but I don’t know where he is now that he has retired from Aeroplane Monthly. I’d also be glad of any corrections and suggested additions to my entries made so far on the site.

Heston….Miss Susan Slade

FAO ESS44 et al……If you search in the Flightglobal archive either ‘miss slade’ or ‘susan slade’ you get plenty of archive Flight magazine pages about her, and some pics….searching Heston Airport/Airfield/Aerodrome/Air Park in Getty Images or its more user friendly derivative www.jamd.com gives a selection of Heston pics (though none of Miss Slade,I think).
An aviation historian from Newquay gave us a talk on Susan Slade at the West Cornwall branch of Air Britain a few years ago(I think she came from Truro)….unfortunately I have no notes on the talk but I’ll drop him a note to see if he can help(he’s not on the internet)……..M West

If you would like to give me your e.mail address, I can send you several items, including pictures of Heston Airport in the 1930’s. Air Britain (Historians) have several recent articles on Heston in their Archive Magazine (mostly about Heston Aircraft, Comper etc,) which can be obtained via their website. Also I can refer you to various other websites
where pictures of Heston Airport can be viewed.

check you private messages….

Heston 1929-1940

Aerofoil and 233sqn,

Have seen that you both have an interest in Heston. I am trying to find anyone with memories/info of Heston in the 1930s.

My husband’s great-aunt Eleanor (always known as ‘Susan’) Slade was an early aviatrix (owned her own Puss Moth), and her ATA references show that before joining up, she had worked for Airwork at Heston from Feb 1929 to June 1940, where ‘her duties entailed the management of the Airport Hotel and Restaurant at Heston and she also had considerable responsibilities in connection with the Airport Club.’ (Ref from MD Wyatt, MD of Airwork Ltd).

In December 1940 she joined the ATA, working at Hatfield, where, in the absence of Pauline Gower, she ‘takes over command of the Pool’, and from 19th May 1943, at Thame. Reading her RAF Museum file, she may have been more valuable on the ground than in the air. She appeared before the accident committee twice and was found to have been in error. Yet as officer i/c women her record of 1944 reveals that ‘her efforts are tireless and her value inestimable.’

Susan was killed on 13th July 1944, when the Wellington that she was flying from Little Rissington Maintenance Unit veered to starboard immediately after take off, lost height and crashed. This time it was not her fault. Elevator or Elevator Trim was given as the cause.

We have a photo of her with Capt Baker in a bi-plane at Heston, and I guess that in her role at Heston, she must have known most of those in this (at the time) small world. Yet we can find few refs to her in any memoires – Pauline Gower’s or Lettice Curtis’, for example – so I am trying to track down anyone with/with knowledge of aviation memoires of the period.

I would enjoy seeing pics of Heston other than those in John Hamlin’s Airfield Focus 24 (spoke to John who was very kind but had no further suggestions). Went to Heston last week and precious little to be found on the ground, but did find the surviving Airwork hangar.
Thanks, in advance, for any help that you might be able to offer.

Heston Airport history

We should talk….

As an ex-local I have been collecting/reserarching Heston Airport for many years and have a reasonable collecton of pictures and documents…..

That said, I can’t help regarding your specific enquirey…. but we may have stuff of mutual interest?

BTW… I have no commercial aspirations here… it’s purely for my own interest!

rgds

I have just posted a picture of a Agusta Bell 47J-2 (Ranger) taken in Sept. 1964 at Heston on the Air Britain website www.abpic.co.uk. I would certainly be interested in exchanging information etc. I suggest that perhaps you could call me on 01372 452769.

l

I would be keen to try and obtain copies as I am currently researching Heston Airport and have a collection of relative books and old pictures.

We should talk….

As an ex-local I have been collecting/reserarching Heston Airport for many years and have a reasonable collecton of pictures and documents…..

That said, I can’t help regarding your specific enquirey…. but we may have stuff of mutual interest?

BTW… I have no commercial aspirations here… it’s purely for my own interest!

rgds