Hi CS, if your uncle got one of the Percival President G-APMO could you possibly post it, please? Its tail is visible behind the Short SC.1 in your first post and it looks like a really nice colour scheme. Lovely photos – so nice to see colour shots from that time.
Went to the museum a few years ago. We travelled down to the Cuatro Vientos metro station no problem – found the metro system very easy to use. Then, having left the note I’d made of the bus no. back at the hotel, I asked a passer-by if he knew which bus went to the air museum. He didn’t understand English so I tried my best (atrocious) Spanish – he gave me a funny look and waved his hand vaguely towards the other side of the road. I then asked someone else and she did the same! Thankfully a young guy came along who spoke excellent English – he explained that we could have boarded any passing bus (they were frequent) as they all passed the museum entrance. The problem was I had been asking directions to the Air Force lol! Get off the bus at the pedestrian bridge over the motorway and cross it, then it’s a short walk along a lane and over a small bridge.
We got to the gate and were asked for passports – wasn’t expecting that and hadn’t taken them but thankfully the guys on duty took pity and let us in on our EHIC cards! The museum is fantastic but unfortunately we had to miss a hangar because we hadn’t realised it closed so early – 2pm iirc.
I can get some time out as long as I pay for her to go to the spar
There are other, much better shops in Madrid btw 🙂
May not add much to your search, but does give a max time frame of 2 years from December 1926 and indicates G-EBPO was likely operated from the North East of England as the evidence points there, rather than East Scotland. Not impossible to speculate that JJS Robinson, Pleasure Flying Services and Cramlington Aircraft Ltd are all linked ownerships.
That long sand-dune backed beach looks remarkably like the Tentismuir beach at the end of Leuchars runway does today, but then all wide, long sandy beaches with only surf as a back-ground look similar, and is the only one in the St Andrews area I am familiar with.
Thanks very much, viscount. Wasn’t aware of Cramlington until now! Will be looking into it a bit more as it has obviously had an interesting history. I suspect you may be right about the linked companies too. Can’t say I’ve been on Tentsmuir beach but it certainly is a possibility being close enough to St Andrew’s!
They also operated two Simmonds Spartan G-AAGV/G-ABXO and G-AAHV (around 1929)
Thank you, Martin. I suspect that it is one of their Spartans then at 15m 20s into the film. Just a brief shot of it taking off.
There are a few references to the company in Findmypast’s newspaper archives, including an article from the Dundee Courier of Monday July 29th 1929, reporting that they had been operating pleasure flights from Monifieth Sands, St Andrews for a couple of weeks.
The reports states that the flights were very popular with over 1,000 passengers taken up over a fortnight, and that the machine used was a ‘practically new Handley Page, carrying two passengers in addition to the pilot.’
That’s interesting, thanks. Monifieth Sands is on the north bank of the Tay just along from Dundee but not far across the river from St Andrew’s. Sounds like they were having a successful time then! Must try to find out more about the Handley-Page.
Pleasure Flying Services, based Cramlington Aerodrome.
Owned by Constance Leathart & WL Runciman
Thank you, pogno. I was wondering who the “main characters” were.
The movie was made by Mrs F.H. Montgomery who was a town councillor in St Andrew’s. She seems to have taken her cine camera everywhere as there are quite a few movies on the SSA website from her family collection. Although totally unconnected to the thread, I’ll link to another one here just because it’s worth watching for the lovely little car at the start and then at 5m 54s there’s early footage from Hendon- It includes a shot of a hangar which appears to be marked ABC Aircraft maybe someone can confirm whether that is Hendon?
Re. post # 232. Here’s one for you trivia quiz enthusiasts. The Auster Arrow (F-BAVS) in the background belonged to the Enghiens-Moisselles Aeroclub and featured in the film ‘Les Copains du Dimanche’ (‘Sunday Friends’) starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Nice mention! There’s a couple of clips of the movie on Youtube – looks like a nice little film 🙂
Unfortunately my seriously limited French can’t keep up!
Beautiful photos – really atmospheric. Thanks for posting them 🙂
You were lucky to see it Rob, I think it has spent most of the time in storage for the past few years
It was on display when we were there in July. Thought it was a great name!
Also gets a mention here –
http://www.andersen.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-110425-077.pdf
And video here –
Lovely photos – what a stunning scheme on the DH60!
Very nice 🙂
Thanks for that Anon, will try looking for any Sunderland wrecks.
Hi nimgen,
Think a lot of the Sunderland crashes in the area were over land. L5802 did however sink when control was lost during landing in the Cromarty Firth on 16th January, 1943. Don’t know exact position but given its proximity to the Moray Firth it might be a possibility that tides and currents have dragged wreckage there.
Apologies, I don’t know why I didn’t think of Flight in the first place
No apologies necessary, I’m sure. Glad you got your answer 🙂
Nice to see these older shots. Great photos 🙂
There’s a cutaway plan of the Hampden on Flight Archive – pages 444 and 445 here –
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201315.html
Also found one of the Blenheim, though less detailed and only the Mk.1 on pages 622 and 623 here –
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%201667.html
Thought this was a great idea for a thread and was really looking forward to seeing what turned up. Hopefully people are just needing a bit more time to search through their photos!
Sadly unable to contribute any myself.
Happy to have helped 🙂