Safdarjung Airport – New Delhi – India

http://www.delhismartcities.com/blogs/alternative-plan-delhis-safdarjung-airport/

Is there any update on the fate of Safdarjang? . I remember some years back driving through a highway in Delhi and coming across this Art Deco airfield. Without knowing anything further sounds like it may become like Croydon airport, just a building in the middle of an industrial estate.

Yes, maybe a zombie thread but this morning – I know that I should have had better things to do – I watched on television part of a 1937 film entitled ‘Passenger to London’ in which the villain is shot whilst standing in front of a Leopard Moth. As the camera pans out, it is evident that the Leopard Moth is G-ACRJ, which became VT-AKH. So it’s a film star too! But the odd thing is that the film is listed as being made in 1937 whereas according to the CAA website G-ACRJ was not registered as such until 4 May 1938. Does anyone have an explanation?

The main building will stay as it is, it is used by the Met department and the Civil Aviation ministry and comes under Delhi governments historical significance preservation.

I don’t know about VT-AKH, i will find out tomorrow and update.

Any idea if Leopard Moth VT-AKH is still there? Or did it move to a museum? What will happen to it when the place is axed?
Sad to learn that Safdarjung airfield will disppear. What about its nice buildings? I presume the famous ancient Tomb will stay!

Laurence

Thanks for all this, seems to have had an interesting past, from what I saw it seemed to be an old airport lost in time, such a shame it will be made way for a car park. Thanks for all the info…

VT-DGN is now at IGI, used for fire personal training i believe.

Good info. garey.

Safdarjung in the 1980s

I used to be in Delhi connected with my work in the 1980s at the All India Institute for Medical Science, not far from Safdarjung, so I often went past it and stopped by to visit a couple of times.
A few of the aircraft I saw there in December 1980/January 1981 were:
VT-DYP Agusta Bell 206A
VT-GCF AS1 (cn TC9)
VT-GDY ASK13
VT-DCU Auster 3 or 5
VT-ECL Basant II
VT-ECW Basant II
VT-ECZ Basant II
VT-EDG Basant II
VT-EDH Basant II
VT-EDI Basant II
VT-EEA Basant II
VT-EEC Basant II
VT-EEN Basant II
VT-DNT Beaver Dismantled (cn 1470)
VT-DNU Beaver Dismantled (cn 1475)
VT-DIV Beaver I
VT-DRQ Beaver III (cn 1520)
VT-DRR Beaver III (cn 1521)
VT-DUZ Bell 47G5
VT-DZO Bell 47G5
VT-EAS Bell 47G5
VT-EBM Bell 47G5
VT-GCD Bocian SZD9bis
VT-CZK Bonanza A35
VT-DAC Bonanza A35
VT-CAO Bonanza A35
VT-AUT C47A (42-93771, cn 13720)
VT-CEO C47B
VT-DGN C47A “Border Security Force”
VT-GCC IT-G3 Wreck
VT-GDF IT-G3
VT-GBU Ka7
VT-DUV Pawnee 235B
VT-DUW Pawnee 235B
VT-DZU Pawnee 235C
VT-EBH Pawnee 260C
VT-EBI Pawnee 260C
VT-GBP RG1
VT-GCA RG1
VT-GCG T21B (cn662)
VT-EDP Utva 65 Privrednik
VT-EDQ Utva 65 Privrednik

Quite a few gliders (in the VT-Gxx range) were there, some of which flew at weekends.

Leopard Moth VT-AKH was hanging in the clubhouse.

Sanjay Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi, died when he crashed in a Delhi Flying Club Pitts S2 from Sandarjung in 1980, just before my first visit!

Laurence

It was Delhi’s main airport, where the likes of KLM et all used to operate. After it was closed it became the hub of the Delhi Flying School for a good part of the 90s and was also used for VIP helicopters movement.

It is now going to be demolished and will make way for a car park and bus terminal.

The sketch in Tintin’s “Tintin In Tibet” is indeed Safdarjung formerly known as Willingdon Airfield.

Its a great site from the Safdarjung flyover, a site that will sorely be missed once the airfield is gone.

Janes AWA for 1938 listed the aerodromes used regularly for passenger carrying in India. That for Delhi was listed as Safdarjung.

Tim

Sorry but this thread can be closed, I entered it in error on this forum (sub section) and have now moved it to the historic section. Thanks!