Wolverhampton (Pendeford) airfield

Wolverhampton Pendeford Airfield
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Wolverhampton
Location	Pendeford, West Midlands
In use	June 1938 - December 1970 (1970)

Wolverhampton Pendeford airfield was an airport in Pendeford, Wolverhampton. The airfield was planed by The City of Wolverhampton Council in 1933 at the recommendation of Sir Alan Cobham, and was built on 178 acres of land in the Barnhurst area that had previously used for sewage disposal. ^[1]

History

In October 1935 Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd., was established in Pendeford, due to the original Norwich based company, Boulton & Paul Ltd., selling it's aircraft department in 1934. ^[2] The first aircraft built at the factory was a sub-contracted Hawker Demon, making a flight in August 1936. ^[3] On the 11th of August 1937 the first Boulton Paul Defiant built in there factory in Pendeford took flight from the still under construction aerodrome.

The airfield was opened in 1938 at the price of £80,000. It was managed by the Midland Aero Club although was still used by private aircraft owners.

During the opening ceremony on the 27th of June 1938, events included balloon bursting competitions and was attended by Amy Johnson who entertained the crowds with an aerobatic routine in a glider.

During the Second World War the airfield was used for training air force pilots, with 108 de Havilland Tiger Moths stationed there at one stage. No. 28 Elementary Flying Training School commenced operations at Pendeford on 15 September 1941 and was operated for the Royal Air Force by Air Schools Ltd. It was renamed No. 25 Reserve Flying School on 26 June 1947, and ceased to operate on 31 March 1953, ^[4] The site was also used by No. 663 Squadron RAF. In April, 1940, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II visited Pendeford where they saw an aerobatic display by a Defiant over the airfield before touring the local Booulton Paul factory. A dummy factory was built next to the nearby Shropshire Union Canal to lure luftwaffe bombers away from the real Boulton Paul factory. The dummy factory was bombed three times during the second world war notably In September 1940 a Junkers Ju 88 dropped four to five bombs on the decoy factory. ^{[5] [6]}

In June 1950, the airfield hosted the prestigious Kings Cup air race, The winner was Edward Day in his Miles M.14 Hawk Trainer 3 registration G-AKRV. A Bristol Brabazon registration G-AGPW (piloted by ex-RAF pilot Bill Pegg) landed at the airfield just after the race had finished, they aircraft then picked up multipul notable people such as Claude Grahame-White. ^[7] In 1953 passenger services from the airport commenced, seeing flights to Ronaldsway Airport on the Isle of Man and being a stop over on flights from Derby to Jersey, ^[1] and seeing aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3 and de Havilland Dove. On 16 May 1953 the airport saw the Wolverhampton Airshow, which saw flyovers of multipul Royal Air Force aircraft including a English Electric Canberra regisered WH649,a Fairey Gannet registered VR557 and two Supermarine Seafires. ^[8]

The airport was criticized for having a lack of asphalt runways which Halfpenny Green Airport had, the airport was also criticized for its close proximity to houses and factories, lack of night flying capabilities and customs facilities.

Don Everall Ltd. promoted the airfield in the mid-1960s. Their fleet of Dakotas was based at Pendeford and they ran a busy flying club which put on displays for the public.

On 31 December 1970 the airfield closed due to the rising costs of maintaining the airport, rising safety concerns and being sandwiched between Birmingham International and Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green.

Incidents and accidents

On 9 April 1970 a Hawker Siddeley HS 104 Dove, Registration G-AVHV belonging to McAlpine Aviation crashed on landing at Pendeford Airfield. The flight was an empty flight from London Luton to Pendeford being piloted by Captain J.E. Miller and Trainee co-pilot R.J. Davall, The flight departed Luton at 08:00 going to Pendeford to pick up two members of management of Dowty Rotol Ltd (The owners of the aircraft) where they would then be flown to France. The flight was made under visual flight rules (VFR). The flight was given clearance to fly through the Birmingham Terminal Control Area at 2,500 ft at Daventry. When the flight reached Birmingham at 2500 ft the flight entered a cloud and were then directed to continue towards Wolverhampton and then descend to find the airport, the first attempt to find the airport was unsuccessful and the plane climbed back up to 2,500 ft. The pilot then contacted Birmingham ATC requesting assistance for the second attempt, The second attempt was also unsuccessful, the pilot then again contacted Birmingham ATC informing the controller that Wolverhampton visibility was just over half a mile. They were ordered to land at runway 25 with radar assistance for their final attempt before they would have to divert. The third attempt was successful and the pilot informed Birmingham ATC that they would stay at low altitude and make a circuit before landing. The plane was then seen flying over the airfield in a westerly direction, the plane was unusually low and according to a witness in a nine-story block of flats, flying at an altitude of no more than 200 ft, at reduced power and at a slight bank to the left. The plane then began a slightly sharper bank towards the runway but had bled most of its speed causing a stall. the right wing dipped towards the ground by up to 90 degrees, hitting a garden wall and slamming into a house. A major explosion was seen and a fire broke out, The aircraft was destroyed killing both the pilot and co-pilot instantly, one person in the house was killed and two people received minor injuries from jumping from the second story window. ^[9]

The response to the crash by the Wolverhampton City Fire and Rescue Services was described as very quick and were able to contain the fire and eventually extinguish it without any injures to others and without damaging other properties.

References

1. "The History of Pendeford". www.historywebsite.co.uk.
2. "Exhibition Details - Staffordshire Past Track". www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk.
3. Gordon Kinsey Boulton & Paul Aircraft p71-75
4. Sturtivant, Ray (1997). Royal Air Force Flying Training and Support Units. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN   0-85130-252-1.
5. http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/people/at_war/ww2/home2
6. "BBC - WW2 People's War - Near Misses".
7. "Air News (The Bristol Brabazon & King's Cup Air Race)".
8. https://www.airhistory.net/photo/10362/VP487
9. "10/1971 G-AVHV, 9 April 1970". GOV.UK.