#wisley airfield

[rozmorris]

A blasted heath, beware of the moth, I'm judging a new competition for writers of creative non-fiction and memoir, a little horse. Also, a love of old derelict places, including a splendid abandoned airfield https://mailchi.mp/fe860ea17ac3/a-blasted-heath-beware-of-the-moth-im-judging-another-book-competition-see-me-at-lbf-a-little-horse

[airmanisr]

Percival Pembroke C(PR).1 ‘XL954’ (G-BXES) by Alan Wilson Via Flickr: c/n PAC/66/101. Built 1957. Airworthy and operated by the “Classic Air Force”, although for sale at time of writing. Seen in the maintenance hangar at ‘Coventry - Airbase’, Coventry Airport, UK 11-10-2015 The following info is from the Classic Air Force website:- “It's fair to say that a successful spy should never look like one. So the slightly portly, mild-mannered Pembroke maintains its cover with polished ease. But don't be deceived, that quiet exterior hides a history of espionage and intrigue. Powered by a pair of 540hp Alvis Leonides radial engines (built at Coventry airport, just across the runway from our Coventry HQ!) the prototype first flew on November 21, 1952 and the type entered service the following year. Although the majority of the 128 Pembrokes built served in rather mundane eight-seat transport duties, six were converted for a more clandestine role. Designated the Pembroke C(PR).1 the aircraft were equipped with an array of cameras in the belly and optically perfect glass in the front passenger windows to allow it to work in the photo-reconnaissance role. Although the work was originally undertaken to enable the aircraft to be used by 81Sqn during the Malayan Emergency the aircraft’s modifications also proved of use when flying in and out of Berlin when assigned to 60 Sqn at Wildenrath. The corridors in and out of West Berlin took the aircraft past several ‘sensitive’ areas such as military installations in Communist- controlled East Germany and the Pembrokes would routinely photograph these without raising suspicion. Classic Flight’s Pembroke is one of a handful left flying in the world. It was built in 1957 and allocated the RAF serial XL954. Before being delivered to the air force it was demonstrated to the German authorities who were considering the type for both its air force and navy. Upon completion of the trials XL954 was delivered to 10 MU at Hullavington on August 8, 1957. The following June the aircraft was allocated to HQ 2 Tactical Air Force (TAF), but a few days later, on 13th June, it was transferred again, this time to 2 TAF Communications Sqn. On November 22, 1963 XL954 was sent to Fairey Engineering Ltd for modifications which included the installation of a camera and under-fuselage camera doors. The aircraft emerged as a Pembroke C(PR).1 and was subsequently issued to 60 MU at RAF Leconfield in October 1966 following which it was returned to 2 TAF Communications Sqn. In February 1969, the aircraft was transferred to 60Sqn and the RAF Germany Communications Flight based in RAF Wildenrath where it remained until September 3, 1971 when it was despatched to BAC at Weybridge, Surrey. Here the aircraft was re-sparred, in doing so becoming the last of the type to be so upgraded. By November 10 that year the re-spar on XL954 was complete and the aircraft was test flown by Roy Radford, a BAC Test Pilot, from Weybridge to Wisley. It was then transferred to 5 MU at Kemble, where it is believed the aircraft was refurbished. XL954 returned to 60 Sqn in Wildenrath, having retained its camera installation. The aircraft remained with 60 Sqn for several years and was regularly flown across Europe on various tasks, although it was briefly transferred to the St Athan Station Flight during 1982. On May 18, 1990, XL954 was flown to RAF Northolt, where it was stored awaiting disposal. A new maintenance serial (9042M) was allocated but it does not appear to have been used. The aircraft was eventually sold on February 5, 1991. The new owner was Richard Munslow, who traded as the British Air Force in America Inc, and the aircraft was given the American civil registration N4234C on March 29. John Mulvey ferried N4234C from RAF Northolt to White Waltham in April 1991 but it stayed there until< October 21, 1992 when he made the short hop to Tatenhill airfield in Staffordshire. With no sign of the aircraft making its way stateside Colin Allen of Downbird UK was instructed to handle the sale of the aircraft in 1994. Following a survey of the aircraft, XL954 was purchased by one of the Air Atlantique group companies and ferried to Coventry. After restoration work to make the aircraft airworthy again it was test flown on February 17, 1999 as G-BXES.”

[howardmackenzie75]

Taylor Wimpey buys Wisley Airfield site near Guildford as campaigners vow to battle new proposal

The airfield is a key part of Guildford Borough Council's Local Plan from Surrey Live - Surrey News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/taylor-wimpey-buys-wisley-airfield-17898395

[doormaticdoors]

Thousands of homes to be built in Guildford by 2034 as £3.4m local plan approved

Wisley Airfield will be taken out of the green belt to help meet the need from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-local-plan-approved-councillors-16184309

[seocompanysurrey]

Thousands of homes to be built in Guildford by 2034 as £3.5m local plan approved

Wisley Airfield will be taken out of the green belt to help meet the need from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-local-plan-approved-councillors-16184309

[surreyenterprisebusinessschool]

Thousands of homes to be built in Guildford by 2034 as £3.5m local plan approved

Wisley Airfield will be taken out of the green belt to help meet the need from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-local-plan-approved-councillors-16184309

[arthausfl]

Thousands of homes to be built in Guildford by 2034 as £3.5m local plan approved

Wisley Airfield will be taken out of the green belt to help meet the need from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-local-plan-approved-councillors-16184309

[getsurrey]

Three things that condemned the Wisley Airfield proposals – and one that might have saved it http://bit.ly/2t6zVnt

[evgenychernyavskiy]

Wisley Radar Has 100% Up-Time - “Since i

Wisley Radar Has 100% Up-Time – “Since i

Wisley Radar Has 100% Up-Time – “Since its installation two and a half years ago, our long-range surveillance radar has not had one breakdown due to equipment failure,” Mr E.T.Wells, Senior Air Traffic Controller at Wisley Airfield, told our Aeronautical Electronics Correspondent last week during an EW visit to Vickers-Armstrong (Aircraft) Ltd. So, 57 years ago, started a story in Electronics ……

[purcell-engineering]

Wisley Radar Has 100% Up-Time

“Since its installation two and a half years ago, our long-range surveillance radar has not had one breakdown due to equipment failure,” Mr E.T.Wells, Senior Air Traffic Controller at Wisley Airfield, told our Aeronautical Electronics Correspondent last week during an EW visit to Vickers-Armstrong (Aircraft) Ltd. So, 57 years ago, started a story in Electronics ...

This story continues at Wisley Radar Has 100% Up-Time

Or just read more coverage at Electronics Weekly

[airmanisr]

Vickers Super VC10 ‘G-ASGC’ by Alan Wilson Via Flickr: c/n 853. Built 1965. Owned by the Duxford Aviation Society as part of the British Airliner Collection. On display at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, UK. 26th May 2017 The following history for ‘GC’ is from the Duxford Aviation Society website:- “G-ASGC was built at Weybridge as the third of 17 Super VC10s ordered by BOAC in addition to its 12 Standard VC10s. ‘GCs first flight on 1st January 1965 was a short one to the nearby BAC flight test centre at Wisley, It was flown to Shannon for crew training on 8th February , before being officially handed over to BOAC-Cunard on 27th March and delivered to Heathrow on 30th April. Four days later it entered service on the North Atlantic route. The BOAC-Cunard partnership was dissolved in 1966. In 1972 BOAC became part of British Airways, and ‘GC was later repainted in BA colours. BA began to withdraw its Super VC10s from service in 1979, and immediately prior to their retirement some were used on European routes for a time. ‘GC’s last commercial flight was from Amsterdam to London on 22nd October 1979 after which it was stored at Heathrow. ‘GC was donated to DAS, and was flown to Duxford on 15th April 1980. Its landing here was its 16,415th, and it had flown a total of just under 54,623 hours.”

[howardmackenzie75]

Guildford's Local Plan faces judicial review as opponents claim inspector's reasoning 'flawed' and 'irrational'

Ockham Parish Council claims the allocation of 2,000 homes at the former Wisley Airfield is "a strategy of massive overprovision at the expense of the green belt" from Surrey Live - Surrey News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildfords-local-plan-faces-judicial-16392781

[doormaticdoors]

Guildford Local Plan inspector's Wisley comments 'unfair', claims local campaign group

The Wisley Action Group claims the rejection of the Wisley Airfield planning application identified "very serious problems" with the site from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/guildford-local-plan-inspectors-wisley-15106998

[seocompanysurrey]

Parish council 'disturbed' by county support for Wisley garden village

The proposals on the former Wisley Airfield have been highly controversial since they were revealed in October 2018 from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/parish-council-disturbed-county-support-15653730

[surreyenterprisebusinessschool]

Parish council 'disturbed' by county support for Wisley garden village

The proposals on the former Wisley Airfield have been highly controversial since they were revealed in October 2018 from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/parish-council-disturbed-county-support-15653730

[arthausfl]

Parish council 'disturbed' by county support for Wisley garden village

The proposals on the former Wisley Airfield have been highly controversial since they were revealed in October 2018 from Surrey Live - News https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/parish-council-disturbed-county-support-15653730