I recently obtained a few pre-WW2 Flying magazines, one of which featured a gliding competition at Dunstable Downs.
One of the pictures which I will scan and paste later depicts a number of ladies sat around a glider awaiting a aerial tow from an aircraft from Studham Aerodrome.
I was aware of a Tiger Moth based in the village operated by a Handley Page designer, but are the two linked?
I have lived close to the area for a good while and never heard a reference to Studham Aerodrome?
Any ideas, clues or comments will be gratefully received.
By: G-ASEA - 23rd February 2008 at 15:46
Some years ago the late Vic Spencer, Then with Russavia. Went to look at the hanger there. I think he wanted to buy it. He was shown around it and took photo’s. But their was so much asbestos and to move it would have cost to much.
Dave
By: Buster The Bear - 23rd February 2008 at 13:33
So I guess the reference to Studham Aerodrome and an aerial tow from Dunstable concern this farm strip.
The only Piper accidents that I can recall were the Cub (G-BHUF) at Dunstable and a PA28 that crashed on landing at a private strip to the east of Markyate and the A5 during the mid 1980’s. I think that it ended up in a sewerage farm and exploded on impact as it carrying a drum of aviation fuel in a passenger seat.
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.841804&lon=-0.436237&z=16.3&r=0&src=msl
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd February 2008 at 10:31
Some of the information in turbi’s reply was known to me however did not know that Sir Alan Butler’s son had died in an aircraft accident at Studham. Any details on the aircraft involved?
The Moth Club periodically carry out a flypast at Studham as a tribute to Sir Alan who is credited with saving the fledgling deH company by making his investment.
Planemike
By: wieesso - 23rd February 2008 at 01:46
Stag Lane Aerodrome: ok
Studham Aerodrome: ?
By: Turbi - 22nd February 2008 at 23:38
Alan Butler who in Alan Bramson’s book The Tiger Moth Story, approached De Havilland for a touring aircraft in 1922 and the DH37 was designed and built for him. He liked the product so much he invested in the company! The money was used to buy Stag Lane aerodrome and I believe he continued as a director for many years after this. He owned a farm on the road going from the top of Studham common to Redbourn.
He had a strip running alongside the wood next to the farm, where he kept an aircraft and I was told he used it to commute to Hatfield up until the 1960’s. Unfortunately his son was killed when trying to land, I think a Piper, at that strip and as far as I am aware it was not used again.
It has been many years since I lived there, so can’t remember the name of the farm now but if you drive along that road you should be able to identify it.
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February 22, 2008 at 10:52 pm