Silverstone

Sorry… TW is our short hand for Turweston…
They had only 20 fixed wing this year… In fact such is the drop even some of the based stuff flew which is highly unusual for a G.P. weekend. The largest stuff in this year was a PC12 and two King Air’s. The Heron was due in but failed to materialise.
We did have Trislanders in to Turweston a few years back but not since. Last year we had three PC12’s and one year a Beech Starship.
OAW

Snetterton was also an 8th Airforce bomber base as was the Lotus track at Hethel.

Everyone always forgets the 9th Airforce. They were at Snetterton first, then moved to Boxted, making way for the B17s.

A friend of mine did a track day with Toyota (Having bought a MR2). He flew himself in to Silverstone using a rented PA 28 Warrior.

Moggy

We help at Turweston for the G.P. weekend and apart from the year when Silverstone was closed for most of the morning through fog (the year Bernie complained that HE couldn’t fly into the circuit – as if HE was the only one!!!) every year the numbers are getting less and less…

I remember that one. Two years ago wasn’t it? We were sat in a field near Potterspury waiting for the fog to lift; when it finally did at about 11 the sky became thick with heli’s. Approach into Silverstone was quite good fun as they had everything coming in in two parallel streams down the runway, then turning left and hover-taxiing onto the stand. Touch down, we all got out, and then off he goes departing out to the south west while more heli’s come in and take his place. I’m not particularly into the old angry palm trees, but it was fascinating to watch, and a privelege to have been able to go in that way. I’ve got some pics on the pc at home which I took over the pilot’s shoulder on the approach. I’ll post some up later if anyone’s interested.

Bruce McLaren’s team mate was Denny Hulme.
Silverstone held the first World Championship Grand Prix event.
In the 1980’s the runway still prominent in that aerial photo was used by fixed wing aircraft even during GP meetings. I remember seeing Trilanders flying in there. Now days Tuwestone takes all the suitable fixed wing traffic and some helicopters. There is a cross country route by 4X4s to Silverstone and helios also use the Silverstone runway as a heli pad. Over the GP weekend in past years around 2000 helicopter movements are recorded.
The Hangar straight did indeed have a large hangar on the in field just after Abbey curve. I saw it filled up and emptied with Coco cola and the like one year in the 70’s 🙂
mmitch

excuse my ignorance but TW is the designation for which airport/aerodrome?

thanks for the link, Id always imagined that the tower would have gone long ago.

Hatton
No all Fixed wing go into TW… Only Rotary go in but there was some talk a year or so ago of even stopping that except for “special” people…
I remember in 1988/89 seeing Dash 7’s fly in for the G.P.
For a picture of the tower try this link
http://www.controltowers.co.uk/S/Silverstone.htm
OAW

Edit for spelling

do fixed wing aircraft land there anymore, very handy i would imagine if they are allowed to still. Anyone with a picture of the tower, wartime or recent?

Steve…
The air movements at Silverstone for the G.P. over the last few years is not even a patch on what it was back in the eighties and early nineties…
The number of transfers and direct flights has dropped so much… We help at Turweston for the G.P. weekend and apart from the year when Silverstone was closed for most of the morning through fog (the year Bernie complained that HE couldn’t fly into the circuit – as if HE was the only one!!!) every year the numbers are getting less and less…
I remember waking to hear the constant flow of helicopters at 7 in the morning at my mum & dad’s…
OAW

And he met Bruce and his team mate (can’t recall his name)

Team mate was Denny Hulme.

The TV progs Top Gear and 5th Gear still use Kemble a lot, especially 5th Gear. Occasionally, in some shots, you can see the Brittania. Clarkson’s solo series of programmes (Apocolypse Clarkson, etc) were filmed at Kemble.

Glen should be able to tell you more if necessary.

During Grand Prix weekend, Silverstone also temporarily becomes the busiest airport in the world apparently. I forget exactly how many movements they have per hour, but it’s hugely impressive. And all rotary wing, too.

Few people these days might know that Ardmore airport, Auckland, home of the New Zealand Warbirds, was once a Formula One track. Dad has some photos he took inside the McLaren pitts. Amazing – you could simply stroll through the pitt and what they now refer to as ‘the paddock’ literally was in those days!! He also got to have a sit in one of the Mclaren cars – lucky git. And he met Bruce and his team mate (can’t recall his name).

—–

When they set F1 up they went to the horse racing people for help and a lot of terms from the gee-gees have come accross with it.

Tank

Cheers guys, very interesting. I don’t know what would be better to hear, the roar of Wellingtons or the scream of F1 cars. Hmmm. Both I think 🙂

Snetterton was also an 8th Airforce bomber base as was the Lotus track at Hethel.

Other race track/test tracks that were former RAF/USAAF bases include:-
Goodwood (Westhamptnet)
Pembury (Pembury :rolleyes: )
Gaydon (Gaydon – V bomber base)
Croft (?)
Boreham – Ford test track and old rally team HQ (B-26 base)

Over the past 20 or so years, I’ve also competed in many motorsports events (mostly rallying and sprinting) at Debdon, North Weald, Thorney Island, Oakington, Watton, Bovingdon and Enstone to name a few…. 🙂

SIlverstone was…
Base to Wellingtons of No 17 OTU part of 92 group.
Opened March 1943
Closed November 1946
There is a small memorial near the gate… Also the original tower is still there.
Info from various sources…
OAW

Thanks all,

I guess there may well have been a TV documentary made at some point about the track’s history or even books but i haven’t found much at all.

I wonder if many other F1 tracks around the world are built upon former-air force stations.

Few people these days might know that Ardmore airport, Auckland, home of the New Zealand Warbirds, was once a Formula One track. Dad has some photos he took inside the McLaren pitts. Amazing – you could simply stroll through the pitt and what they now refer to as ‘the paddock’ literally was in those days!! He also got to have a sit in one of the Mclaren cars – lucky git. And he met Bruce and his team mate (can’t recall his name).

They used to race cars and bikes at RNZAF Station Wigram when I lived there, including Formula 3 and Formula Ford, and I often saw the awesome Britten Superbike race there too. It is infrequently used as a race track nowadays.

Snetterton was also an 8th Airforce bomber base as was the Lotus track at Hethel.

Here’s an aerial pic of silverstone as it is today,with the old airfield layout still clearly visible.

Dave,

Silverstone, and a number of other nearby bases, were used by the RAF as training bases for Bomber Command crews. I think they mainly used Wellingtons for training.

I’ve noticed that part of the original runway is still visible when cycling around the race circuit on charity days.

Does anyone know more about it? Was it RAF? or USAAF? Was it a bomber base? Or Fighters? or other?

I’ve been Googling around looking for something on this and the best I’ve gotten so far is that it was a RAF Bomber training base. I’m sure someone with a lot more knowledge/books handy will come up with the goods though.

Always a bit of a give away when watching the race is where they keep referring to ‘hanger straight’! 🙂

Cheers

Tank

As far as I know it’s still being made, however I’ve not seen any of the new series hence why I didn’t know whether they had moved location or not. Seems that Dunsfold is ideal for such a programme.