Misplaced Pages

#43956

43-754: Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in London, England, that was an important centre for aviation from 1908 to 1968. It was situated in Colindale , seven miles (11 km) north west of Charing Cross . It nearly became a central hub of civil aviation ("the Charing Cross of [the UK's] international air routes"), but for the actions of the RAF after the First World War in reserving it for military aviation. It

86-676: A Gnat jet trainer of the Red Arrows , and a full-scale mock-up of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. Aerodrome The term airport may imply a certain stature (having satisfied certain certification criteria or regulatory requirements) that not all aerodromes may have achieved. That means that all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Usage of the term "aerodrome" (or "airfield") remains more common in Commonwealth English , and

129-555: A crowd. In 1906, before any powered flight had taken place in Britain, the Daily Mail newspaper had challenged aviators to fly from London to Manchester or vice versa, offering a prize of £ 10,000 . The journey had to be completed within twenty-four hours, with no more than two landings. Aircraft and engine design had improved sufficiently by 1910 to make an attempt to win the prize realistic, and both Claude Grahame-White and

172-546: A monoplane with four engines in the ballroom of the hotel, but were never able to get airborne. Inspired by Louis Blériot 's flight across the Channel, Everett, Edgecumbe and Co began to experiment with an aircraft to be built at their works at Colindale near Hendon, erecting a small hangar to house it. From 1908 to 1910, their "Grasshopper", as the plane was called, taxied about and left the ground briefly, but failed to get truly airborne, although these attempts attracted quite

215-639: A range of permanent exhibitions including "Our Finest Hour" in the Battle of Britain Hall which was designed, produced and installed by specialist theme park and museum designers Sarner Ltd, the award-winning "Milestones of Flight" which details the major developments in flight technology from 1903 to 2003, two buildings containing various aircraft and helicopters, and part of the Grahame-White Factory, which contains many examples of original aircraft from

258-761: A regular event, known from 1925 as the Royal Air Force Display, and in 1938 as the Empire Air Day . The aerodrome was briefly active during the Battle of Britain , but for most of the Second World War , was mainly used for transport activities, and flying dignitaries to and from London. RAF Hendon had three crossed runways with magnetic headings of: QDM 339 – 3975 x 150 feet QDM 280 – 3000 x 150 feet QDM 014 – 3060 x 150 feet These runways were removed by 1969. Production of aeroplanes

301-663: Is velodrome , an arena for velocipedes . Αεροδρόμιο is the word for airport in Modern Greek, which transliterates as aerodromio. In British military usage, the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War , and the Royal Air Force in the First and Second World Wars , used the term—it had the advantage that their French allies, on whose soil they were often based, and with whom they co-operated, used

344-470: Is an aerodrome with significant facilities to support aircraft and crew. The term is usually reserved for military bases, but also applies to civil seaplane bases . An airstrip is a small aerodrome that consists only of a runway with perhaps fueling equipment. They are generally in remote locations, e.g. Airstrips in Tanzania . Many airstrips (now mostly abandoned) were built on the hundreds of islands in

387-661: Is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes , floatplanes and amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. It may have a terminal building on land and/or a place where the plane can come to shore and dock like a boat to load and unload (for example, Yellowknife Water Aerodrome ). Some are co-located with a land based airport and are certified airports in their own right. These include Vancouver International Water Airport and Vancouver International Airport . Others, such as Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre have their own control tower, Vancouver Harbour Control Tower . The Canadian Aeronautical Information Manual says "...for

430-664: Is conversely almost unknown in American English , where the term "airport" is applied almost exclusively. A water aerodrome is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes , floatplanes or amphibious aircraft for landing and taking off. In formal terminology, as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an aerodrome is "a defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations, and equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for

473-558: The Air Ministry took over in 1922, which led to a protracted and ugly legal action lasting until 1925 when Grahame-White left the site. The use of Hendon as an airfield was under threat even before the Second World War, since it was considered that RAF Hendon would become an obvious target for enemy bombing raids. After the war the airfield was increasingly unsuitable, particularly because the runways were too short, and

SECTION 10

#1732787056044

516-614: The Bleriot flying school. From 9 to 16 September 1911, the first official UK airmail was flown between Hendon and Windsor as part of the celebrations of the coronation of King George V. In 1912, the first Aerial Derby started and ended at Hendon. An estimated three million people turned out across London, forming a human ring around the race circuit to see the aviators fly round the metropolis. An estimated two million of these Londoners had never seen an aircraft in flight before. At Hendon Aerodrome at least 45,000 people paid for admission to

559-606: The First World War . In November 1916, the War Office commandeered the flying schools, after which the aerodrome trained 490 pilots. Claude Grahame-White and other members of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) mounted a night defence of London in 1915, constituting the first aerial defence of London. After the First World War, the first RAF "Pageant" was held at Hendon in 1920, and it soon became

602-518: The Pacific Ocean during the Second World War. A few airstrips grew to become full-fledged airbases as the strategic or economic importance of a region increased over time. An advanced landing ground was a temporary airstrip used by the Allies in the run-up to and during the invasion of Normandy , and these were built both in Britain, and on the continent. A water aerodrome or seaplane base

645-762: The Racer or Valkyrie B . A larger machine, the Passenger Carrier or Valkyrie C was flown a few days later and is sometimes referred to as the Valkyrie II , its works number. The first Type B built is sometimes referred by its works number as the Valkyrie III . Both types were of broadly similar layout and construction to the Valkyrie A, differing principally in size and the engine that was used. The Type B, which seated two people side by side in front of

688-517: The cognate term aérodrome . In Canada and Australia, aerodrome is a legal term of art for any area of land or water used for aircraft operation, regardless of facilities. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) documents use the term aerodrome , for example, in the Annex to the ICAO Convention about aerodromes, their physical characteristics, and their operation. However,

731-544: The 19th century. The first powered flight from Hendon was in an 88-foot (27 m) long non-rigid airship built by Spencer Brothers of Highbury. It took off from the Welsh Harp Reservoir in 1909, piloted by Henry Spencer with one passenger, the Australian suffragette Muriel Matters . The first attempt at heavier-than-air flight was by H.P. Martin and G.H. Handasyde, also at Welsh Harp. They constructed

774-522: The American aviator George Beatty , in partnership with Handley Page Ltd . These continued normal operation until late 1916. On 11 September 1916, Cicely Ethel Wilkinson qualified as a pilot in a Caudron biplane at the Beatty School at the aerodrome for which she received Royal Aero Club Aviator Certificate number 3522. She was possibly the only woman to qualify as a pilot in Britain during

817-495: The First World War and the early days of aviation. The museum was officially opened at the Colindale (then part of Hendon ) London site on 15 November 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II . The hangars housed 36 aircraft at opening. Over the years, the collection has increased in size substantially, and aircraft not on display at Hendon were stored or displayed at smaller local RAF station museums. The Battle of Britain Museum (later Hall)

860-469: The French aviator Louis Paulhan prepared for the challenge during April 1910. Grahame-White made two attempts, but it was Paulhan who succeeded. He chose a field on the future aerodrome site as his point of departure. On 27 April he flew 117 miles (188 km) from Hendon to Lichfield , easily the longest flight accomplished in the UK at that time. Before dawn on 28 April he took off and reached Burnage on

903-549: The aerodrome can be seen in "the parade" scene in the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen , with at one point a Kirby Cadet glider of the then-resident 617 Volunteer Gliding School of the Air Training Corps launching in the background. Late in 1968, when two of the three runways had been removed, a Blackburn Beverley was flown in to be an exhibit at the new RAF Museum: this was the last aircraft to land at Hendon. The RAF station finally closed on 1 April 1987. The site of

SECTION 20

#1732787056044

946-786: The aerodrome is now occupied by the Grahame Park housing estate, Hendon Police College , and the RAF Museum which is situated on the southeast side of the site. The following squadrons were here at some point: Units; Today, Hendon houses the London branch of the Royal Air Force Museum which portrays the role of the Royal Air Force in the development of aviation and avionics in the United Kingdom. The museum consists of several buildings containing

989-408: The arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft." The word aerodrome derives from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr), air , and δρόμος (drómos), road or course , literally meaning air course . An ancient linguistic parallel is hippodrome (a stadium for horse racing and chariot racing ), derived from ἵππος (híppos), horse , and δρόμος (drómos), course . A modern linguistic parallel

1032-843: The early aerodromes obsolete. The unimproved airfield remains a phenomenon in military aspects. The DHC-4 Caribou served in the United States military in Vietnam (designated as the CV-2), landing on rough, unimproved airfields where the C-130 Hercules workhorse could not operate. Earlier, the Ju 52 and Fieseler Storch could do the same, one example of the latter taking off from the Führerbunker whilst completely surrounded by Soviet troops. In colloquial use in certain environments,

1075-747: The enclosures. These annual events became as important as the Ascot and Epsom races during the London Season. By 1925, 100,000 people were coming to see the display, and it was so popular that there was talk of having to spread it over a few days. The first fatality at Hendon, reported in The Times in May 1911, was Bernard Benson (aged 23). On 25 May 1911 he fell 100 feet (30 m) from an ASL Valkyrie . Several flying schools were located at Hendon, including Grahame-White's, and another established in 1914 by

1118-426: The kingposts at the rear of these frames, in line with the trailing edge of the wing but after trials were moved aft, each being mounted on two short booms. In addition a small area of the sideframes at the front of the aircraft was given a fabric covering. Work was immediately started on two more aircraft, both with the same general arrangement. The first to fly, on 12 November, was a smaller aircraft referred to as

1161-401: The leading edge, was powered by a 50 hp (37 kW) Gnome rotary engine and had a wingspan of 31 ft (9.4 m) The Type C, which seated three people, was powered by a 60 hp Green water-cooled engine and had a wingspan of 39 ft (12 m). At least twelve were constructed, the last of these in early 1912. Most of the aircraft constructed were Type B, at least one of which

1204-457: The most part, all of Canada can be an aerodrome", however, there are also "registered aerodromes" and "certified airports". To become a registered aerodrome, the operator must maintain certain standards and keep the Minister of Transport informed of any changes. To be certified as an airport the aerodrome, which usually supports commercial operations, must meet safety standards. Nav Canada ,

1247-595: The outskirts of Manchester after three hours 55 minutes in the air, during a period of just over twelve hours. This was the first true flight from the Hendon site. Grahame-White created a new company, the Grahame-White Aviation Company, taking control of more than 200 acres (0.81 km) of Colindale and converting it into what could be recognised as a proper modern airfield. The first occupants were Horatio Barber 's Aeronautical Syndicate Ltd and

1290-916: The private company responsible for air traffic control services in Canada, publishes the Canada Flight Supplement , a directory of all registered Canadian land aerodromes, as well as the Canada Water Aerodrome Supplement (CWAS). Casement Aerodrome is the main military airport used by the Irish Air Corps . The term "aerodrome" is used for airports and airfields of lesser importance in Ireland, such as those at Abbeyshrule ; Bantry ; Birr ; Inisheer ; Inishmaan ; Inishmore ; Newcastle, County Wicklow ; and Trim . ASL Valkyrie The ASL Valkyrie

1333-697: The proximity of large residential areas made matters worse. The RAF argued for the military importance of the complex into the 1950s, in case future developments in aviation technology might render the base suitable again, but eventually Hendon Borough Council and the London County Council were able to argue that houses were needed far more than the aerodrome. The last flying unit, the Metropolitan Communication Squadron, left Hendon in November 1957. The entrance to

Hendon Aerodrome - Misplaced Pages Continue

1376-570: The summer of 1910 and the aircraft was first flown in October 1910 at the newly established Hendon Aerodrome , where the ASL had leased three hangars next to those occupied by the Blériot school. Although this aircraft shared the same canard configuration as its predecessor, there were significant alterations. It was powered by a 35 hp 4-cyl Green C.4 engine mounted in front of the leading edge of

1419-479: The terms airport and aerodrome are often interchanged. However, in general, the term airport may imply or confer a certain stature upon the aviation facility that other aerodromes may not have achieved. In some jurisdictions, airport is a legal term of art reserved exclusively for those aerodromes certified or licensed as airports by the relevant civil aviation authority after meeting specified certification criteria or regulatory requirements. An air base

1462-539: The terms airfield or airport mostly superseded use of aerodrome after the Second World War, in colloquial language. In the early days of aviation, when there were no paved runways and all landing fields were grass, a typical airfield might permit takeoffs and landings in only a couple of directions, much like today's airports, whereas an aerodrome was distinguished, by virtue of its much greater size, by its ability to handle landings and takeoffs in any direction. The ability to always take off and land directly into

1505-464: The third Briton to be killed in an aircraft accident. On 4 July 1911 a Valkyrie flown by Barber carried a box of light-bulbs from Shoreham to Hove, the first commercial air cargo flight in Britain. Barber gave the £100 he was paid to charity. Another notable early flight was made when Miss Eleanor Trehawke Davies chartered Barber to fly her from Hendon to Brighton and back. The flight, hampered by cloud and high winds, took two days. Miss Trehawke Davies

1548-447: The wind, regardless of the wind's direction, was an important advantage in the earliest days of aviation when an airplane's performance in a crosswind takeoff or landing might be poor or even dangerous. The development of differential braking in aircraft, improved aircraft performance, utilization of paved runways, and the fact that a circular aerodrome required much more space than did the "L" or triangle shaped airfield, eventually made

1591-421: The wing, driving a 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) pusher propeller directly in front of the centre-section of the wing, the leading edge of which was set back from that of the outer sections. A pair of foreplanes, one fixed and the other moveable, were mounted on a pair of widely spaced wire-braced mahogany side-frames, each having a straight upper boom and a curved lower member. The twin rudders were initially mounted on

1634-602: Was a canard pusher configuration aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Syndicate Ltd in 1910. Examples were widely flown during 1911 and were used for instructional purposes at the ASL flying school, which was the first occupant of Hendon Aerodrome in London. Following two designs styled simply monoplanes Nos. 1 and 2, ASL's third design was called the Valkyrie. All three were of tail-first or canard layout with rear-mounted engines and pusher propellers. The Valkyrie A or Valkyrie I took place over

1677-435: Was a notable flying enthusiast, and was later to become the first passenger to be carried between London and Paris. Four aircraft were given to the War Office to promote military aviation in Britain. One of these crashed at Hendon on 17 September 1911 when on a trial flight after a new engine had been fitted: the pilot, Lieutenant Reginald Archibald Cammell was killed. The accident was not considered to be due to faults in

1720-401: Was fitted with dual controls. Although they were considered tricky to fly, by contemporary standards the Valkyrie monoplane was a successful design. Most of the aircraft produced were used for training and exhibition purposes, principally at the ASL's flight school at Hendon. On 25 May 1911 a six-week-old Valkyrie from the Valkyrie school crashed killing the student pilot Bernard Benson, only

1763-523: Was known as a place of pioneering experiments including the first airmail , the first parachute descent from a powered aircraft, the first night flights and the first aerial defence of a city. Henry Coxwell and James Glaisher were the first to fly from Hendon in a balloon called the Mammoth in 1862. Ballooning at the Brent Reservoir was a popular spectacle for crowds on bank holidays late in

Hendon Aerodrome - Misplaced Pages Continue

1806-539: Was one of the features of the aerodrome's activities under Grahame-White. During the First World War production increased rapidly. To facilitate the transportation of the 3,500 workers and materials, the Midland Railway built a spur from the embanked main line with a platform close to the main line and a loop around the airfield to the plant. It had been Claude Grahame-White's conviction that Hendon would become "the Charing Cross of our international air routes", but

1849-662: Was opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in November 1978. On 3 October 2016 the Battle of Britain Hall was permanently closed and refurbished. As of 2012, it had over 100 aircraft, including the Avro Lancaster S-Sugar , which flew 137 night sorties. It also includes the only complete Hawker Typhoon . Added in 2018, as part of the RAF Centenary exhibitions, were a Westland Sea King helicopter (once flown by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge ),

#43956