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By: - 26th August 2011 at 14:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
What's the history of the flying club?
By: - 26th August 2011 at 14:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great to hear at least something is being done.
It's probably been around 30 years since I was there last, and everything was mainly in good condition then.
Here's a photo I took from the first floor of the control tower, and a wartime shot taken from the inaccessable floor above...
By: - 26th August 2011 at 14:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
From what I can remember, the flying club opened in 1976, and closed sometime in 1979. It may have lingered until the early 80's in a different form, but I don't remember any aircraft operating from there....
The only former military airfields I can remember civil aircraft flying from is RAF Longside (Peterhead) where I still believe one of the offshore helicopter companies still have a base, and the former airfield at Fordoun, Laurencekirk (about 30m south of Aberdeen, just off the A90). Nowadays Fordoun just has pipe storage and other light industry on the runways. One more of the blister hangers has been removed after it collapsed under the weight of snow in the past couple of years.
Maybe somebody else knows more?
Kind Regards,
Scotty
By: - 26th August 2011 at 14:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As you say a good bit of news for a change.
I have been to Banff about 4 years ago and was very disheartened to see the usual wind turbines go kart track etc etc on a fantastically historic airfield.
I didn't have time to go looking at the tower it self, although I could see it.
I sincerely hope that they get somewhere with this and wish them the best.
The memorial on the A98 is very good.
By: - 26th August 2011 at 14:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
What's the history of the flying club?
http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/RAFBanff#toc2
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1976/1976%20-%201028.html?search=Banff%20Flying%20Club
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%201164.html?search=Banff%20Flying%20Club
By: - 26th August 2011 at 14:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Al, that's an amazing comparison between the two photos! From being so busy to so desolate....
I was up at the Highland Aircraft museum recently at Inverness Airport, and they had a picture of another (now former) airfield at Brackla (Nairn area) to see it packed of Halifaxes for scrapping - the photo shows about 130 of them - now nothing is left of Brackla apart from the odd building and bits of peri-track....
Kind Regards,
Scotty
By: - 26th August 2011 at 15:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Al, that's an amazing comparison between the two photos! From being so busy to so desolate....I was up at the Highland Aircraft museum recently at Inverness Airport, and they had a picture of another (now former) airfield at Brackla (Nairn area) to see it packed of Halifaxes for scrapping - the photo shows about 130 of them - now nothing is left of Brackla apart from the odd building and bits of peri-track....
Kind Regards,
Scotty
Maybe this picture?
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/images/l/876107/
By: - 26th August 2011 at 15:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Maybe this picture?
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/images/l/876107/
That's one of them...
You're on fire today :)
All the best,
Scotty
By: - 26th August 2011 at 15:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Al, that's an amazing comparison between the two photos! From being so busy to so desolate....I was up at the Highland Aircraft museum recently at Inverness Airport, and they had a picture of another (now former) airfield at Brackla (Nairn area) to see it packed of Halifaxes for scrapping - the photo shows about 130 of them - now nothing is left of Brackla apart from the odd building and bits of peri-track....
Kind Regards,
Scotty
Comparing old and new photos fascinates me - here's a Brackla then and now...
By: - 26th August 2011 at 15:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Al, that's an amazing comparison between the two photos! From being so busy to so desolate....
But you can almost hear them once again in the wind.......
By: - 27th August 2011 at 01:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The OPs building is still in not too bad a condition and still has remnants of the last OPs flown from here.There used to be a lot more but as usual the local kids destroyed it.There is a lot of good information in Les Taylors book Banff Strike Wing At War.
John
By: - 27th August 2011 at 13:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great to hear at least something is being done.
It's probably been around 30 years since I was there last, and everything was mainly in good condition then.
Here's a photo I took from the first floor of the control tower, and a wartime shot taken from the inaccessable floor above...
Lovely 'then and now' picture - I find pictures like this fascinating & it really helps to show exactly how the airfield was in its heyday - pure gold!
:-)
By: - 27th August 2011 at 13:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yep fantastic, also amazed at the writing and boards left in the Ops Block, worthy of protection for sure.
Do you have any more pics of the Ops block in general?
I reckon the b&w Banff picture is one of the best of any 'RAF temporary' A/Fs anywhere.
Reminds us of what St Eval and even Predannack may have looked in their heydey eh Nick!
By: - 27th August 2011 at 14:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The OPs building is still in not too bad a condition and still has remnants of the last OPs flown from here.There used to be a lot more but as usual the local kids destroyed it.There is a lot of good information in Les Taylors book Banff Strike Wing At War.John
Cheers John,
When were your photos taken? I would love to have more time to explore, especially with somebody who knows where the good stuff is. Trully amazing that something has survived.
Kind Regards,
Scotty
By: - 27th August 2011 at 19:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yep fantastic, also amazed at the writing and boards left in the Ops Block, worthy of protection for sure.
Do you have any more pics of the Ops block in general?I reckon the b&w Banff picture is one of the best of any 'RAF temporary' A/Fs anywhere.
Reminds us of what St Eval and even Predannack may have looked in their heydey eh Nick!
You're absolutely right James - I have tried to take some of my own 'then and now' pics at St Eval - two with moderate success - the first being a funeral party exiting the main gate and the second a Shack MR 1 (WG510?) on the runway with the church in the background. This is of course all fields now, but I even managed to get all the angles and alignment 'just so' on the church towers/spires etc - most satisfying!
Then and now pics - love 'em!!!
By: - 27th August 2011 at 22:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Scotty,The pictures were taken in the past year,If you want to go up i would be happy to meet up and show you around the little bits that i know
By: - 27th August 2011 at 22:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great set of then and now photos Al. Very atmospheric. Thanks for sharing.
Posts: 462
By: WL747 - 26th August 2011 at 13:50 - Edited 2nd October 2019 at 11:40
Hi All,
Thought I'd share a good bit of news from this corner of the UK.
Boyndie Aerodrome was home to the Banff strike wing of Mosquito aircraft, and carried out many successful and highly dangerous raids from this base.
This article appeared in the Aberdeenshire edition of the 'Press And Journal', and is better news to receive, than to hear of things deteriorating.
There's very little historical aviation up here that I know of, despite the N.E of Scotland having many prominent bases in the second world war, although there is the Moray Aviation Trail.
I was up past Boyndie at the beginning of the month, and was sadened to see the aerodrome now - Kart racing, wind farm, pylons, and some sort of industrial estate on the west side. Here is hoping that the trust can preserve the ops block and the control tower...
Kind Regards,
Scotty