Just had a drive around what’s left of West Malling. Its now a massive housing and business development called ‘Kings Hill’ 🙁
All I could recognise of old is the control tower, surrounded by housing and an ASDA store. Maybe it’s planned to turn it into a wine bar? Some of the domestic buildings are still there, and used by the council as offices, but that’s it really. A sad end to a fascinating place.
Has anyone got any pictures to cheer me up and show how it used to be in it’s heyday?
By: Bunsen Honeydew - 30th October 2012 at 21:03
Hampden
Wasn’t accusing you of saying it, that’s how it is described there.
By: hampden98 - 30th October 2012 at 14:10
Hi. Thanks for the replies re the tower. BTW I used the term `Pilot` as a generic one. Hadn’t rearly looked that closely at the figure. Always assumed it was a representative figure not of any one specific type / crew.
By: Bunsen Honeydew - 30th October 2012 at 13:59
Agreed, and I think the Beaufighter Nav/Gunners did too, but the statue is labelled as a pilot.
By: PeterVerney - 30th October 2012 at 08:11
The pilot statue is probably not a pilot as it’s wearing an observer’s harness and carrying a chest pack parachute. Could be wrong but I don’t think any of the types operates from West Malling had pilots who wore that set up.
No, but the Mossie NF navs did
By: Bunsen Honeydew - 29th October 2012 at 21:19
Sorry, try again,
[ATTACH]209225[/ATTACH]
Hampden98, the Tower is between the Doctor’s surgery and Waitrose. It is very difficult to find, I wandered around the approximate location for about half an hour, at one point I could see the top of the scaffolding but couldn’t see how to reach the fence. The pilot statue is probably not a pilot as it’s wearing an observer’s harness and carrying a chest pack parachute. Could be wrong but I don’t think any of the types operates from West Malling had pilots who wore that set up.
By: nightdriver - 29th October 2012 at 10:17
The control tower at West Malling is right behind Asda, I get to see it ever time I deliver to the store.
By: pagen01 - 29th October 2012 at 10:10
There’s a good thread on West Malling on AIX, from people involved with the site, http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?133-West-Malling/page28
By: hampden98 - 29th October 2012 at 09:30
Where is the control tower? I tried to find it last year. Found the pilot statue and memorial but couldn’t see the tower?
By: paul178 - 28th October 2012 at 21:14
Here are some from 2007
By: hunterxf382 - 28th October 2012 at 21:09
No photos I’m afraid?
By: Moggy C - 20th August 2004 at 00:04
I overflew it on the way back from Chailey.
First time I’ve ever seen it (air or ground). You can still pick it out as an airfield, but only just.
Moggy
By: Steve Touchdown - 20th August 2004 at 00:03
A couple of unusual shots are of the vintage Mk3 WT910
Blimey I must be vintage now too then…I didn’t fly WT910 at Malling, but sister-ships WT902, WT914 and XA306 all appear in me log book for the course I did in July ’80!
Was never comfortable in the TX.3, brick outhouse that I am, so did the last two days and my solo on the unit’s “Barge”…aka Sedbergh TX.1 XN186.
Ahhh memories of a carefree, post-GCSE summer! 😀
Steve
By: merlin70 - 19th August 2004 at 23:10
Yeah thats the stuff….We flew ASK-21 Vanguards. Anyone got any pics to post ?
That shot looks suspiciously like a Grob 103 to me :confused:
By: merlin70 - 19th August 2004 at 23:07
Like thousands of other airshow goers I have loads of the Warbirds displays. I will leave it for someone else to provide a few.
A couple of unusual shots are of the vintage Mk3 WT910, the view across the Viking launching with the METair hanger open and the Saab 340 sat outside.
The Lynx arrived en route to Detmold. My cousin dropped in to say hello, providing a good excuse to take an early lunch and meet up.
By: snakeman - 19th August 2004 at 23:05
618 VGS ASK-21
Yeah thats the stuff….We flew ASK-21 Vanguards. Anyone got any pics to post ?
By: merlin70 - 19th August 2004 at 22:59
West Malling and 618VGS
Ahhhh Flingers. Many happy weekends spent at West Malling flinging Vikings into the sky.
A number of shots from 91 when 618 were operational at West Malling, plus a couple from 2500ft taken in Sept 95 just after the runway had been ripped up and the golf course constructed.
By: snakeman - 19th August 2004 at 21:41
Flak Tower
I passed their the other day and didn’t notice the Flak tower. Has it gone or do I need new glasses. I did a gliding course there in 1987 and went to most of the Great Warbird airshows….happy days ! 🙁
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August 19, 2004 at 3:45 pm