Lympne Airport
Encyclopedia
Lympne Airport
, Kent
, United Kingdom
, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France
during the First World War
. Later designated as a First Class Landing Ground, RAF Lympne
became a civil airfield in 1919 and saw the operation of early air mail services after the 1918 armistice
. It was one of the first four airfields in the United Kingdom with customs facilities.
Lympne was also involved in the evolution of air traffic control, with facilities developing and improving during the 1920s and 1930s. A number of record-breaking flights originated or ended at Lympne. During the 1920s Lympne was the venue for the Lympne light aircraft trials
from which a number of aircraft types entered production. Air racing was also held at Lympne.
Just before the Second World War
, Lympne was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm
. It was named HMS Buzzard and renamed HMS Daedalus II three months later, before being transferred to the Royal Air Force
in May 1940. During the war Lympne was a front-line fighter base, RAF Lympne. It was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain
in 1940 and put out of action for a number of weeks. It was too close to the coast to be used as a squadron base, but squadrons were detached there on a day-to-day basis. Lympne was also to have been the landing place for a German aircraft used in a plot to kidnap Adolf Hitler
, with preparations made by the Royal Air Force
for his arrival.
Lympne returned to civilian use on 1 January 1946. In 1948, the first air ferry
service was inaugurated at Lympne by Silver City Airways. Problems with waterlogging of the grass runway and the refusal of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to upgrade the airfield led to Silver City transferring operations to Lydd (Ferryfield) in 1954. By 1956, the airport's ownership had passed to Eric Rylands Ltd, the Skyways holding company. Skyways operated a coach-air service
between London
and Paris
, flying passengers from Lympne to Beauvais. This service operated until 1974 (1955–1958: the original Skyways; 1958–1971: Skyways Coach-Air; 1971–1972: Skyways International; 1972–1974: Dan-Air Skyways). Following the cessation of commercial operations in October 1974, Lympne continued to be used as a General Aviation
airfield until about 1984. The site is now an industrial estate.
(RFC) home defence fighters defending London against Zeppelin
s and Gothas. No. 1 Advanced School of Air Gunnery operated from Lympne during January and February 1917. In January 1917 it was designated as No. 8 Aircraft Acceptance Park for delivery of aircraft to, and reception from, France. On 25 May 1917 Lympne was bombed by Gotha G.IV
bombers of Kagohl 3 who dropped 19 bombs on the airfield.
In 1918, Lympne was designated a First Class Landing Ground and the Day and Night Bombing Observation School was formed here in May. The RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service
(RNAS) were merged to form the Royal Air Force
(RAF) in April 1918. From 17 July 1919, No. 120 Squadron RAF
flew air mail services between Lympne and Cologne
, Germany, using de Havilland DH.9 aircraft fitted with Beardmore Halford Pullinger
engines. This service ended on 1 September 1919 when 120 squadron moved to RAF Hawkinge
. Hawkinge and Lympne lay within a few miles of each other and as the Air Ministry
could not justify keeping the two bases open following the end of the war, they decided to retain Hawkinge. In August 1919 the RAF moved out of Lympne and it was turned over to civilian use, although 120 Squadron did not depart until 21 October.
; along with Hadleigh in Suffolk
, Hounslow Heath
in Middlesex
and New Holland in Lincolnshire
. Although Lympne had a customs clearance point there was no permanent customs officer there; a telephone call to Folkestone Harbour
was needed to clear customs. On 1 May the ban on civilian flying was lifted and a Sopwith Gnu
was flown from Hounslow Heath to Lympne carrying a cargo of newspapers during that first day. In September, Sir Philip Sassoon purchased an Avro
aircraft in which he commuted between London and his Lympne residence. In October the Air Ministry
announced that searchlights would temporarily be displayed to assist aircraft to find certain airfields. Lympne was to be identified by three searchlights arranged in a triangle, their beams shining vertically. In November a Notice to Airmen
was issued advising that radio telephony
was in use at Hounslow Heath and Lympne, using the 900-metre wavelength. The practice of using the aircraft registration
as a callsign was instigated. In December 1919 two Westland Limousine
aircraft bound for the Paris Aero Show
were delayed at Lympne by fog. Conditions later improved so that both aircraft were able to fly to Le Bourget
, where G-EAJL was dismantled and transported to the Grand Palais
where it was exhibited to the public. The other aircraft remained at Le Bourget where it gave pleasure and demonstration flights.
The North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. used a Blackburn Kangaroo
on its short-lived Leeds
-Lympne
-Amsterdam
service from 6 March 1920. The customs facilities at New Holland had been withdrawn on 28 January, necessitating the roundabout route. It was estimated that the extra costs involved in taking this route amounted to one-third of the total costs. Flight
called for customs facilities to be established to enable direct flights to be made from the north of England to the continent. Starting from 2 August, hourly weather forecasts
were broadcast from Lympne and other airfields. A system of ground signals advising pilots of the weather conditions at Biggin Hill and Croydon
was also introduced about this time. During August, Aircraft Transport and Travel
took over air mail flights, using DH.9A
aircraft. In November a Notice to Airmen was released announcing that searchlights would be in use at Lympne for two hours after sunset to assist pilots in landing their aircraft. Arrangements could be made in advance for this facility to be made available after the notified hours. In December, it was announced that an "aerial lighthouse
" was to be installed at Lympne as the one installed at Croydon had proved to be of benefit to pilots arriving after dark.
In May 1921, it was reported that a waiting room for the use of passengers at Lympne was being planned. In June a Notice to Airmen was release saying that, for cost reasons, lights would no longer be exhibited after sunset without prior arrangement. The system of ground signals was amended with effect from 14 July, and in September an "aerial lighthouse" was reported to be under construction. The system of aerial lighthouses on the "London – Paris Airway" was completed in December 1921.
In January 1922, a 78 feet (23.8 m) high mast for an anemometer
was being erected at the south west corner of Lympne Aerodrome. On 13 February, the system of ground signals at Lympne was further extended to include information about the Saint-Inglevert Airfield
, just across the English Channel
in France. In July, a Notice to Airmen said that all aircraft were to make at least one left-hand circuit before landing at Lympne. By November, the Instone Air Line
were operating a service from Croydon to Cologne
using de Havilland DH.18 aircraft, stopping at Lympne to refuel to full capacity. These aircraft then had the necessary range to fly direct from Lympne to Cologne. This arrangement did not last long, with the refuelling stop moved to Tirlemont, Belgium, by the end of the month. On 30 December a Dornier
aircraft landed at Lympne. It was the first German aircraft to land on British soil since the end of the First World War. A German airline, Aero-Lloyd was in negotiation with Daimler Airway
to start a service between London and Berlin.
A Junkers F.13
called at Lympne on 10 January 1923 to clear customs and then flew to Croydon where it was inspected by Secretary of State for Air
Sir Samuel Hoare. In February, it was reported that Lympne had taken part in a test of the newly introduced Mayday
radio signal used by aircraft to indicate that they were in distress. Georges Barbot won a prize of F.25,000
from Le Matin
when he made a flight from St Inglevert
to Lympne and back again on the same day, 6 May. He flew the route in a Dewoitine
aircraft fitted with a Clerget engine. On landing a bracing wire in the undercarriage of the aircraft broke, but repairs were effected within half an hour. Problems starting the engine then delayed his departure slightly. On 28 October the Light Aircraft Trials were held (see below). In 1923, Air Union
started a service flying newspapers to Lympne using a Farman F.60 Goliath
.
From 1–31 May 1924, the Royal Air Force
conducted a number of night flying experiments. Pilots were asked to keep an extra lookout whilst the experiments were taking place. On 27 and 28 September, the elimination trials for the Light Aircraft Trials were held. Only eight aircraft passed through to the trials proper. Also in October, it was notified that changes were being made expanding weather information given at Lympne. Amongst the changes were that measurements used were to be changed from imperial to metric
. The addition of weather information at Haren, Brussels
and Ostend, both in Belgium
was notified. In 1924, Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
aircraft were operating cross-channel services for Imperial Airways. Lympne was used by aircraft of Imperial Airways
as a refuelling point. The first stop in France was St Inglevert. When an aircraft departed Lympne for St Inglevert, the destination airfield was advised, and if arrival was not notified within two hours, the Coastguard
was informed. Communication was by Carmichael Microway
UHF transmitters at each airfield. Short Brothers
used Lympne for flight testing new aircraft during 1924.
In January 1925, notification that red edge lights had been installed along the runways and taxiways at Lympne was made. In July 1925, a new arrangement was introduced whereby aircraft not fitted with radio, flying across the Channel, could have their departure and arrival reported by radio to the authorities. A circuit of Lympne and St Inglevert had to be flown at a height not exceeding 1000 ft (304.8 m) on departure for, and arrival from, the continent. Between 1–3 August, the Royal Aeronautical Society
held a meeting at Lympne. The Grosvenor Challenge Cup, Private Owners' Cup, Light Aeroplane Holiday Handicap and International Handicap were all competed for. Separate Speed Races were held for single and two-seater aircraft. In August 1925, the scheme for non-radio aircraft was extended to cover Ostend. One hour was allowed for the crossing to St Inglevert and two hours for the crossing to Ostend, after which the aircraft would be reported as missing. On 25 September, Lympne was one of a number of airfields which began operating a radio direction finding service. As before the 900-metre wavelength was used.
During the General Strike of 1926, which ran from 3–13 May, the Daily Mail
was printed in Paris and flown from there to Lympne on Handley Page W.10 Imperial Airways aircraft. Further aircraft chartered by the Daily Mail then flew the newspapers to Birmingham
for onward distribution. A fleet of de Havilland DH.60 Moth
, de Havilland DH.9 with some Avro and Westland aircraft were used. The distribution of the newspapers by air was co-ordinated by the Royal Aero Club and a total of 33174 mi (53,388.2 km) was flown by aircraft operating under the Royal Aero Club's co-ordination. The Royal Auxiliary Air Force
(AuxAF) had been formed in 1925. In late August and early September 1926 601 (County of London) Squadron
AuxAF held its inaugural camp at Lympne. The squadron was equipped with Avro 504
and de Havilland DH.9A aircraft. The Light Aircraft Trials were held between 10 and 14 September.
On 1 January 1927, new regulations came into effect which meant that aircraft carrying 10 or more passengers would have to carry a radio operator in addition to the pilot. In February it was reported that a Notice to Airmen had been issued stating that aircraft coming from the Continent in conditions of poor visibility in which the radio was not functioning correctly should land at Lympne, where repair facilities were available. In April it was reported that a new wireless station was being built at Lympne and in May it was notified that the night light was again in operation at Lympne. In July, a new system was introduced for civil aircraft flying in bad visibility between Lympne and Croydon. They were not to follow the normal Lympne–Edenbridge
–Caterham
–Croydon route, but instead follow one of three notified alternate routes. Aircraft were to be notified by radio whenever such conditions were declared to be put into effect, or whenever the weather had improved. This was aimed at preventing mid-air collisions between civil aircraft and those operated by the Royal Air Force. From 7 to 21 August, 600 (City of London) Squadron
AuxAF and 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF were both at Lympne on their annual camp. The squadrons were flying Avro 504N and de Havilland DH.9A aircraft. In October, a Notice to Airmen announced that the ground signals at Lympne would be displayed in a different arrangement than previously, standardisation of ground signals worldwide required the change which came into effect on 1 October. In December, a Notice to Airmen informed that in foggy weather the position of Lympne would be indicated by flares fired from the ground, to be seen by aircraft flying in the vicinity. Colour was to be at the discretion of the Civil Air Traffic Officer. The Notice to Airmen was quickly amended to state that the firing of red flares would be reserved to indicate that an aircraft was being instructed not to land at the airfield in question. In 1927 a Fokker F.VII
of SABENA
flew newspapers to Lympne.
A meeting was held over the Easter weekend in 1928 by the Cinque Ports Flying Club. Pleasure flights were given for a cost of 5/-
. An unverified report stated that one person was dissatisfied with two circuits of the airfield. The pilot is said to have offered to take him up again, which was accepted. On this second flight various aerobatics were flown and the hapless passenger was said to have been left incapable of expressing himself coherently. Among the pilots attending were Geoffrey de Havilland
and his son. Other activities included some air racing and a guess the altitude competition. In May a Notice to Airmen said that the scheme for aircraft reporting that they were crossing the Channel was being extended. Lympne was to remain the reporting place on the English side but, in Belgium and France, the Ostend and St Inglevert airfields were joined by semaphore stations at Village de Baracques, Calais
and Cap d’Alprech, Boulogne
. On 17 May, Lady Heath landed at Lympne after crossing the Channel during her 10000 mi (16,093.4 km) flight to Croydon from Cape Town
, South Africa. She was flying an Avro Avian III which had been taken out to South Africa by ship. In August, the AuxAF held their annual Air Defence Exercises. Both 600 (City of London) and 601 (County of London) Squadrons AuxAF were based a Lympne for the duration of the exercise. They were operating Avro 504N and de Havilland DH.9A aircraft. Towards the end of the camp Chancellor of the Exchequer
Winston Churchill
and Under Secretary of State for Air Sir Philip Sassoon inspected both squadrons and were entertained at a dinner. On 18 September, Juan de la Cierva
departed from Lympne in an Autogyro
, making the first flight between London and Paris in this type of aircraft and the first flight across the Channel by autogyro in the process. In November, a Handley Page W.10 of Imperial Airways diverted to Lympne in a gale with three passengers suffering from airsickness
. Once landed the aircraft was briefly lifted from the ground in a gust whilst ground handling staff were taking it to a hangar. Winds of 82 mph (36.7 m/s) were recorded.
In January 1929, a Notice to Airmen said that when visibility was bad any aircraft not fitted with radios were warned against using the Croydon–Edenbridge–Ashford–Lympne route or any of the alternative routes notified in 1927. Later that month it was notified that the aerial lighthouse had been replaced by a 6,000 candlepower
neon light
which would be visible at a range of 45 mi (72.4 km). In July 1929 a plan was proposed where an amphibious aircraft would be based at Lympne for use in search and rescue
when aircraft were reported missing over the Channel. On 14 August, the 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF arrived for their annual camp. In September 1929 arrangements were notified for the abandonment of a Channel crossing by aircraft flying from England to France. In such cases, the aircraft was to perform a second circuit over Lympne which would be acknowledged. It was also notified that a flying boat
operated by Compagnie Aérienne Française was to be based at Calais
for use in search and rescue work.
were also on standby at the French ports and air patrols were in operation during working hours, operated by Air Union
. In August 1930, the arrangements for non-radio aircraft flying between Croydon and Lympne in bad weather were amended. Pilots had to notify which route they intended to take and the destination airfield was to be notified of this by telephone once the aircraft had departed. That month 601 (County of London) Squadron held its annual camp a Lympne.
On 1 August 1931, the 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF began its annual camp at Lympne. Croydon Airport took over the responsibility for weather forecasting on air routes from the Air Ministry in October. As part of the changes Biggin Hill, Croydon and Lympne now provided weather information on a 24-hour basis.
In March 1932, the arrangements for flying between Lympne and Croydon in poor visibility were altered. If the cloudbase was less than 1000 ft (304.8 m) above sea level, or the visibility was less than 1000 yd (914.4 m), aircraft were prohibited from using the Croydon–Caterham–Penshurst–Lympne route, but were to use either the Croydon–Merstham–Edenbridge or Croydon–Chelsfield
–Shoreham
–Otford
–Wrotham
route. Alternatively a rhumb line
course could be flown on the Croydon–Chelsfield–Lympne route. Aircraft not fitted with radios had to notify the officer in charge at their departure airport as to which route they intended to take before departure. Royal Air Force aircraft would avoid these routes as far as practicable in conditions of poor visibility. On 25 August the Folkestone Trophy Race was held at Lympne and was won by a Comper Swift
. In November, it was reported that new radio equipment was to be installed at Lympne and St Inglevert operating on the 15-cm waveband at 2,000 Megahertz. The new radios were to be used for the announcement of the departure of non-radio aircraft across the Channel. Messages sent by radio were also printed out by a teleprinter
, providing a record of the communication. The new equipment was scheduled to come into operation in Spring 1933.
In 1933, Imperial Airway's Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft were replaced by Handley Page H.P.42
s. On 7 March 1933, the system for non-radio aircraft proved effective when a de Havilland DH.60 Moth
of British Air Transport
failed to arrive at Lympne. The aircraft had ditched in the channel and both occupants were rescued by a steamship bound for Amsterdam
, Netherlands
. In August, the No. 601 (County of London) Squadron again held its annual camp at Lympne. They were visited by the Marquess of Londonderry
who was the Secretary of State for Air
. The squadron was equipped with Hawker Hart
s. Later that month the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race was held and was won by Ken Waller in a de Havilland DH.60 Moth. In September, a new system was introduced for broadcasting weather forecasts in various areas and on various air routes, including that between Croydon and Lympne. Navigational warnings would also be broadcast. In October, it was notified that the floodlight at Lympne had been put back into operation and the use of flares was therefore discontinued. In November, a squadron of the Egyptian Army Air Force was based at Lympne for a few weeks whilst they trained on their new Avro 626 aircraft. They departed on 18 November for Egypt
. By 1933, Lympne was well prepared for handling diversions. Passengers who cleared customs were taken by car to railway station where they boarded trains to London using 1st class tickets. On 2 December, a Fokker F.XX
, PH-AIZ Zilvermeeuw of KLM, diverted to Lympne following an engine failure. This was the only diversion KLM had during the whole of 1933.
In January 1934, a new radio, telegraph and telephone link was installed at Lympne and St Inglevert which came into operation on 26 January. Sir Philip Sassoon officially declared the installation open. The equipment at Lympne was manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables
and operated on the 17-cm wave band. From 13 to 27 July, 606 (City of Glasgow)
Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne, followed by 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF from 29 July to 12 August. On the weekend of 1–2 September competitions for the Folkestone Aero Trophy and the Wakefield Cup were held. Both competitions were won by pilots flying the de Havilland DH.60 Moth G-AAMU. Later that month a second batch of ten Avro 626s of the Egyptian Army Air Force departed from Lympne for Egypt.
In April 1935, Air Traffic Control
in the United Kingdom was improved by the introduction of a new control zone system. Heston was added as a control zone, relieving Croydon of some traffic. As a result of these changes the wavelength used by Lympne for radiotelegraphy changed from 862 metres to 825 metres. Six new direction finding
stations were installed as part of these improvements, including one at Lympne. The improvement meant that Croydon would now be able to communicate by radio with two aircraft at the same time. In August Henri Mignet
flew his Mignet HM.14
"Flying Flea" across the Channel to Lympne, where the aircraft was demonstrated in front of large crowds. Also that month 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne after having converted from a bomber squadron to a fighter squadron earlier in the year.
From 2 to 16 August 1936, No. 601 Squadron held their annual camp at Lympne. One aircraft exhibited at the 1936 International Air Rally was a 1912 Caudron G.2. In November, it was reported that 21 Squadron
and 34 Squadron
of the RAF were temporarily relocated to Lympne as hangars at RAF Abbotsinch had been damaged in gales. In October 1936, Lympne was again taken over by the RAF, becoming a base within No. 1 (Bomber) Group
. Although some improvements were carried out Lympne was initially seen as a temporary station. On 3 November 21 Squadron
and 34 Squadron
moved in, equipped with Hawker Hind
aircraft.
On 4 June 1937, a British Klemm Swallow made a pilot-less take-off from Lympne and flew for some 35 minutes before crashing into a tree. Its resting place was 200 yd (182.9 m) from RAF Hawkinge
. On 31 July the Folkestone Trophy was competition was held and was won by Alex Henshaw
in a Percival Mew Gull
.
On 12 March 1938, Captain Davis, managing director of the Cinque Ports Flying Club, was killed in an accident shortly after take-off from Lympne. On 30 July, the Folkestone Trophy race was held and was won by H Buckingham flying a de Havilland Hornet Moth. 34 Squadron departed Lympne on 12 July, and 21 Squadron departed on 15 August. Lympne was placed under "Care and Maintenance" in October, becoming a Training Command
Administration School.
In May 1939, Lympne was transferred to Fighter Command. It was used by the Fleet Air Arm
as an outstation for the Air Mechanics School based at HMS Daedalus. On 1 July 1939, Lympne was taken over by the Fleet Air Arm, becoming HMS Buzzard. Aircraft at Buzzard included Blackburn Shark
s and Gloster Gladiator
s. On 5 August, the Folkestone Trophy Race was held and was won by Andrew Dalrymple flying a Chilton D.W.1A.
in May 1940 a French Air Force
squadron was based at Lympne. It was equipped with Marcel Bloch
and Potez
fighters. On 15 August 1940, during the Battle of Britain
, Lympne was bombed by Stuka
dive-bombers of II Gruppe, StG1
. All the hangars were hit and those aircraft belonging to Cinque Ports Flying Club that had not been evacuated to Sywell
were destroyed in the fire. Lympne was evacuated and only available as an Emergency Landing Ground until mid-September.
In 1941, Lympne was to be the destination for the landing of an aircraft carrying Adolf Hitler
in a daring kidnap plot. A man by the name of Kiroff had given information to the British Military Attaché in Sofia
, Bulgaria, that he was the brother-in-law of Hans Baur
, the personal pilot of Hitler. He stated that Baur was planning to defect using Hitler's Focke-Wulf Fw 200
with him on board. The RAF made plans to receive the aircraft at Lympne and 25 March was the date that the defection was expected to occur. Baur did not defect and spent the war as Hitler's personal pilot. A few weeks later Rudolph Hess defected to Scotland
.
Also in March 1941, 91 Squadron
moved in, equipped with Spitfires
. Additional dispersals and fighter pens as well as three new blister hangars were built during 1941. Typhoons
were based at Lympne from March 1942 to February 1944 to counter the threat posed by the Luftwaffe's newly-introduced Focke-Wulf Fw 190
s and a runway was extended across Otterpool Lane to accommodate the Typhoons. In November 1944, Lympne was downgraded to Emergency Landing Ground status. Consideration was given to building four runways at Lympne, with the longest being 6000 ft (1,828.8 m), but it was noted that serious demolition work would be required and a number of roads would need to be closed.
and an Auster
. The first post-war air races were the Folkestone Trophy and the Lympne High Speed Handicap held over the weekend of 31 August and 1 September. The Folkestone Trophy was won by John Grierson
flying a Supermarine Walrus
(G-AHFN). The Lympne High Speed Handicap was won by W Humble
flying a Hawker Fury I
. Charter airline Air Kruise (Kent) Ltd was established at Lympne by Wing Commander Hugh Kennard
and in September it was reported that the company had received the first civilian Miles Messenger
aircraft. Air Kruise also operated Dragon Rapides
.
On 1 December 1946, Group Captain A. Bandit departed Lympne in a Miles Gemini
bound for Wondai, Australia. This was the first solo flight to Australia since the end of the war. Bandit reached Truscott Airfield, Western Australia, on 6 January 1947 to complete the first post-war England–Australia flight. Air races were held at Lympne on 30 and 31 August and four national records were set (see below).
In July 1948, Silver City Airways started an aerial car ferry service from Lympne to Le Touquet
using Bristol Freighter
aircraft. At the Lympne Aero Races Lettice Curtis
set a new women's world speed record whilst competing in the High Speed Handicap race flying a Spitfire XI
. The Cinque Ports Flying Club folded on 1 October, its successor being the Kent Coast Flying Club which was set up by Hugh Kennard and had a Miles Magister
(G-AKJX). Kent Gliding Club took up residence, and Skyfotos also made Lympne its base for aerial photography. Aircraft operated by Skyfotos included an Auster Autocrat
(G-AIZZ) and a Piper PA-22 Caribbean
(G-AREN).
In May 1949, it was reported that Lympne had made a loss of £17,000 and that the Air Ministry was looking to dispose of it, although it was thought that should a sale not materialise it would continue in operation. In August 1950, Air Kruise started a scheduled service between Lympne and Le Touquet using Dragon Rapides. This service was operated under an associate airline agreement with British European Airways
.
was also used whilst Lympne was closed. On 1 May 1952, a passenger tax was introduced in the United Kingdom. The rate was 5s
for passengers arriving from Europe and 7s 6d for those arriving from outside Europe. At the same time landing fees at Government-owned airports were halved where the aircraft was operating an international flight of less than 115 mi (185.1 km). Silver City Airways would benefit from this concession. Also in May it was reported that Air Kruise were extending the Lympne – Le Touquet service to Ramsgate
, as Ramsgate Airport
was to be re-opened. In July, the members of Folkestone Town Council visited the Ministry of Civil Aviation in London to discuss the purchase of Lympne Airport.
In February 1953, Lympne was again waterlogged and Silver City Airways operated out of Southend and Blackbushe. The company stated that they were willing to purchase Lympne, but the decision of Folkestone Town Council was still awaited for. By May, Folkestone Town Council had decided not to purchase Lympne and Silver City Airways again expressed an interest in purchasing the airport at a reasonable price. In November, it was announced that Air Kruise had been given permission to operate a scheduled service from Lympne and/or Ramsgate to Birmingham. The service was to be seasonal between April and September, with permission to run the service lasting until 1960. Air Kruise moved its operations to Ramsgate Airport in 1953.
In March 1954, Air Kruise applied for permission to operate Dakotas on routes between Lympne and Le Touquet, Calais and Ostend. On 29 April, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation offered Lympne for sale by auction
in London. Bidding reached £88,000 but the reserve was £100,000 and the airport was not sold. On 28 August, Silver City Airways trialled a Westland-Sikorsky WS-51
helicopter
on cross-Channel flights. Permission had been granted for the use of these aircraft for freight operations and it was intended to introduce them on 1 April 1955. On 3 October, Silver City Airways operated their last flight out of Lympne as operations were being transferred to the new Lydd (Ferryfield) Airport which had opened on 6 July 1954. A total of 33,487 car ferry flights had been made from Lympne since the service had started in 1948. As of 1 November, Lympne closed as a public airport, although private flying was allowed as long as no passengers were carried for hire or reward.
In 1955, Air Kruise moved to Lydd (Ferryfield) and Lympne was re-licensed in 1955. On 30 September 1955, Eric Rylands, a former co-owner and managing director of the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC) who had bought Skyways from the previous owners in March 1952 (together with LAC's other owner, David Brown), started a coach-air service between London and Paris. Passengers were taken by coach from Victoria Coach Station
to Lympne, flown to Beauvais and then taken by coach to Paris. Check-in and coach departures in Paris were at the Hôtel Moderne Palace on Place de la Republique
in Paris 12. Aircraft and coaches each held 36 passengers. Passengers returning to the UK could order duty-free goods at Paris and the orders were telephoned to Beauvais for distribution on the flight. The off-peak fare was £7 14s 0d and 47,000 passengers were carried in the first year. Three Dakotas were used initially and later increasing to four. A trial run took place on 21 September and Skyways holding company, Eric Rylands Ltd, bought Lympne from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in 1956.
In January 1957, Skyways ordered a new Decca
type 424 radar
for installation at Lympne. In summer 1957, a service was started between Lympne and Vichy
, the first service between the UK and Vichy since Hillman's Airways
before the war. This was part of Skyways London–Lympne–Lyon
s–Nice
route. Valence
was also served by air.
In May 1958, a route to Nice via Lyon was introduced. A temporary service to Brussels
via Antwerp
operated that year to serve the Brussels International Exhibition. In December, it was announced that an experimental scheme to allow British and Irish
subjects to make day-trips abroad without needing a passport
was to be introduced on a limited number of routes, including Lympne–Beauvais. An identity card would be issued in lieu of a passport and the experiment was to run from Easter to the end of September 1959.
On 15 March 1959, RAF Detling
closed and the land was sold back to its pre-war tenants, who did not wish for any flying to take place. As a consequence the Kent Gliding Club relocated temporarily to Lympne. In June, Skyways signed a letter of intent
to purchase a number of Avro 748 aircraft. Flight magazine
stated that the number involved was "about four". Skyways were the first airline to make a public announcement of support for the then yet-to-fly airliner. In autumn 1960, Lympne was closed for a few days due to waterlogging of the runway.
at the end of the trials as it was not scheduled to be delivered to Skyways until 1 March 1962.
On 15 March 1962, a bomb disposal officer was killed at Lympne when the pipe mine he was attempting to make safe exploded. The Army
temporarily suspended their bomb disposal operations as a result. Skyways supplemented their Dakotas with an Avro 748 (G-ARMV) which operated its first revenue-earning flight on 17 April 1962. In July, it was reported that Skyways had extended the passenger terminal at Lympne. In November, Skyways was taken over by Euravia
, excluding Skyways Coach-Air which remained a separate company.
In 1963, three Avro 748s were in service and two of Skyways Coach-Air's Dakotas were converted to freighters. During the winter of 1962–63, the 748s continued to operate a normal service out of Lympne. In October 1964, Skyways Coach-Air moved out of its London offices and all operations were now at Lympne, although a sales office was retained in London. The Cinque Ports Flying Club was restarted in 1964 by Barry Damon and had 120 members by 1968. The club aircraft were a Beechcraft Bonanza
, Beechcraft Musketeer
s and a Bölkow Monsun
.
In March 1965, a NOTAM
was issued of changes had been made into the arrangements for light aircraft crossing the Channel. These changes were partly to avoid conflict with traffic flying into Lydd (Ferryfield). Non-radio aircraft could use the route between Hythe
and Ambleteuse
. Non-radio aircraft were advised to call at Lympne before crossing. On 11 July, one of Skyways Coach Air's Avro 748s crashed on landing
at Lympne.
Following the 1965 accident, which had been caused by the nose-wheel of the aircraft digging into soft ground, a 4500 ft (1,372 m) concrete runway was constructed. It was reported in January 1968 that planning permission
had been granted and the new runway came into use on 11 April 1968. Skyways Coach-Air leased an Avro 748 from Leeward Islands Air Transport in 1968 for a two-year period to replace the aircraft lost in the 1965 accident.
A new terminal building opened in June 1969. Sheila Scott
performed the ceremony, arriving in her record-breaking Piper Comanche
G-ATOY Myth Too. On 10 June, the airport was renamed Ashford Airport, identifying the airport with the nearby town of Ashford
which was scheduled for rapid growth. To mark the occasion a plaque was unveiled by Leader of the Opposition Edward Heath
.
. Skyways International was bought by Dan-Air in February 1972, with operations continuing under the [interim] Dan-Air Skyways name.
In October 1974, commercial activities ceased at Lympne and Business Air Travel, Dan-Air and Skyfotos left. In 1982, the airfield was in use by the Ashford Parachute Centre with a Super Cub in residence in July 1983. The Eagle Parachute School also used Lympne before leaving for Headcorn. In 1983, Luscombe Aircraft was based at Lympne producing their Luscombe Rattler, a military version of the Luscombe Vitality. The Cinque Ports Flying Club moved to Lydd in 1984.
. The 1923 competition was for aircraft with maximum engine capacity of 750 cc. This increased to 1100 cc in 1924 and was replaced by an engine weight limit of 170 lb (77.1 kg) in 1926. The rules for 1924 and 1926 required two-seat, dual-control aircraft. Aircraft that entered production after competing at the Light Aviation Trials include the Avro Avian
, Blackburn Bluebird
and Westland Widgeon, although these had larger engines. The 1924 competition was won by the Beardmore
WB XXIV Wee Bee
powered by a Bristol Cherub
engine. The 1926 competition was won by a Hawker Cygnet
.
–Bristol
–Croydon–Lympne, a total distance of 404 miles (650.2 km). The race was won by Walter Longton, with Fred Raynham second and Bert Hinkler
third. Major Foot was killed when his aircraft crashed at Chertsey
, Surrey, on the Bristol–Croydon leg caused by the structural failure of the port wing. Lympne was a checkpoint during the 1928 King's Cup Race
and two local newspapers, the Folkestone Herald and Kent Evening Echo offered a cup to the fastest private pilot on the leg from Southampton
to Lympne. It was won by Sqn Ldr
H. Probyn in a Westland Widgeon, who beat Norman Jones in a de Havilland DH.60 Moth by four seconds.
Competitors
The Light Aircraft Trials
included a speed section over a triangular course of Lympne-Postling
-Brabourne
-Lympne. The Folkestone Aero Trophy was held at Lympne in 1932 and the Wakefield
Cup races in 1933. The final air race before the Second World War was the Folkestone Aero Trophy on 5 August 1939. This was won by Andrew Dalrymple in Chilton D.W.1 (G-AFSV).
Races at Lympne:-
in Supermarine Walrus
G-AHFN. The 1946 Siddeley Trophy was won by R Pomphret in Tiger Moth
G-AHNX. The four aircraft in the 1946 High Speed Handicap were a Vampire
(flown by Geoffrey de Havilland), Hornet
(Geoffrey Pike), Fury
(William Humble
) and Seafang
(Guy Morgan). The race was won by the Fury flown by Humble. John Cunningham
competed in the 1947 High Speed Handicap in Vampire F1 VZ332
, coming sixth. Peter Twiss
flying a Firefly IV
won the high-speed race at 305.93 mph (136.8 m/s). The winner received the Hythe Aero Trophy and £100. The 1948 High Speed Handicap Race was won by Flt Lt
J Colquhoun in a two-seat Spitfire. The course was Capel airship hangar, Folkestone
pier and Hythe
gas holder. In 1950, competitors in the Daily Express
South Coast Air Race used Lympne before the race started. This race was won by Nick Charlton in Proctor
G-AHUZ.
Races held at Lympne:-
Lympne was the start and finish for several record attempts. Wing Commander E. R. Manning left for India in a Westland Widgeon in 1923, but only got as far as Baghdad
. In 1930 the Fokker F VIIA (G-EBTS) The Spider flown by Charles Douglas Barnard and R F Little, with Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford
as passenger, left Lympne for Maitland Airport
, Cape Town
, which was reached in a record 100 hours. In 1931 C.W.A. Scott
set a UK-Australia record in a DH.60
(G-ABHY). On the return he landed at Lympne in the aircraft which had been re-registered VH-UQA. Also in 1931 Glen Kitson and Owen Cathcart-Jones left Lympne bound for Cape Town in a Lockheed DL-1 Vega Special
. Cape Town was reached in 6 days, 10 hours. On 31 October C. Arthur Butler flew from Lympne to Darwin
in a Comper Swift
(G-ABRE), beating C.W.A. Scott
's record by 102 minutes.
In October 1932, a Spartan
A.24 Mailplane
(G-ABLI) left Lympne en route for Karachi
from Blackpool
. Karachi was reached in less than six days. On 14 November 1932, Amy Johnson
left Lympne for Cape Town in DH.80a Puss Moth
(G-ACAB). She beat her husband Jim Mollison's
time by 10 hours and 28 minutes, setting a new UK-South Africa record. On the return she also set a new South Africa-UK record. On 11 April 1933, William Newton Lancaster
departed Lympne in an Avro Avian
V (G-ABLK) Southern Cross Minor to beat Amy Johnson's UK-South Africa record. The aircraft crashed in the Sahara
next day and although Lancaster survived he died eight days later when his water ran out. On 2 November 1934, Owen Cathcart Jones and Ken Waller landed at Lympne in a de Havilland Comet
(G-ACSR) after a record breaking flight from Australia to the United Kingdom. Harold Broadbent landed at Lympne in a DH.85 Leopard Moth
(VH-AHB) on arrival from Australia on 27 April 1937, filmed by Gaumont News
, and an Australia-UK record was set. On 24 October 1937 Jean Batten
flew to Lympne in a Percival Gull Six
(G-ADPR), having set a solo Australia-UK record and female Australia-UK record.
In 1947, four national records were set at the Lympne Air Races.
On 8 May 1960, a world record was set for the distance flown by a model aircraft
at 45.75 mi (73.6 km). The 8 in 6 in (2.59 m) wingspan aircraft had taken off from Lympne and was flown by radio control
from cars to Sidcup
.
Flying Club. Lympne was visited by many aviation personalities. Ken Waller learnt to fly at Lympne and became a long-distance and race pilot. W. E. Davis was the secretary/manager of Cinque Ports Flying Club from 1932 until his death in 1938. His wife Ann took over the position in the 18 months leading up to the Second World War. On 22 May 1937 the Duke
and Duchess of Kent
visited Lympne in an Airspeed Envoy
(G-AEXX) of the King's Flight while visiting Shorncliffe Barracks
. From 1938 the club participated in the Civil Air Guard
training programme, giving subsidised flying lessons. The Currie Wot
was designed and built at Lympne. The Cinque Ports Flying Club restarted after the war but folded on 1 October 1948.
aircraft and an aerial car ferry to Le Touquet
started on 13 July 1948. The air ferry
was the idea of Griffith J Powell, who wanted to holiday in France but did not like the ferry. Bristol
lent an aircraft for an experiment on 7 July 1948. The first car was Powell's Armstrong Siddeley 16 which was carried by G-AGVC.The Bristol Freighter Mk.21 could carry two cars. Although only 170 cars were carried in 1948, experience was gained.
The service was initially operated on a charter basis. Having closed down over the winter, the service was resumed as a scheduled service on 13 April 1949. During 1949, two aircraft carried 2,700 cars. By 1950 the figures had risen to 3,850 cars and 1,000 motorcycles and other vehicles with passengers totalling 15,000. In that year, a London driver offered a London-Paris taxi service. Silver City Airways had estimated that they would carry nearly 7,000 cars in 1953, but this figure was reached in 1951. The three aircraft had to be doubled to six to cope. Over 13,000 vehicles were carried, with 42 return flights daily at peak times. The time between Lympne and Le Touquet was 18 minutes.
In February 1953, Lympne was waterlogged and services were temporarily transferred to Southend
. In September waterlogging again stopped the air ferry, which was transferred to RAF West Malling
. Six Bristol Freighter Mk.32s were introduced in March 1953, at a cost of £540,000, which could each carry three cars and a service to Ostend
was started with the aircraft. Skyways remained at Lympne until October 1954 when it moved to Lydd (Ferryfield). On 3 October 1954, the last Silver City flight to Le Touquet was operated by Bristol Freighter G-AIFV. Silver City moved to Lydd because the runway at Lympne was not suitable. Although it had campaigned for improvements to the runway and was Lympne's biggest customer the airfields owners, the Ministry of Civil Aviation
, refused. Silver City said it would build an airport suitable for its needs at Lydd
.
Lympne
Lympne is a village situated on the former sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. It lies approximately west of Folkestone, 2 miles west of Hythe and east of Ashford....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Later designated as a First Class Landing Ground, RAF Lympne
RAF Lympne
RAF Lympne was a Royal Air Force station used during the First and Second World Wars. It opened in 1916 by the Royal Flying Corps as an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returned from, France. It was later designated as a First Class Landing Ground...
became a civil airfield in 1919 and saw the operation of early air mail services after the 1918 armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
. It was one of the first four airfields in the United Kingdom with customs facilities.
Lympne was also involved in the evolution of air traffic control, with facilities developing and improving during the 1920s and 1930s. A number of record-breaking flights originated or ended at Lympne. During the 1920s Lympne was the venue for the Lympne light aircraft trials
Lympne light aircraft trials
The Lympne Light Aircraft Trials were held to encourage the development of practical light aircraft for private ownership, with a strong but not exclusive emphasis on fuel economy. They were held in 1923, 1924 and 1926. Each year saw different restrictions on engine size, framed initially in terms...
from which a number of aircraft types entered production. Air racing was also held at Lympne.
Just before the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Lympne was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. It was named HMS Buzzard and renamed HMS Daedalus II three months later, before being transferred to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in May 1940. During the war Lympne was a front-line fighter base, RAF Lympne. It was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
in 1940 and put out of action for a number of weeks. It was too close to the coast to be used as a squadron base, but squadrons were detached there on a day-to-day basis. Lympne was also to have been the landing place for a German aircraft used in a plot to kidnap Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, with preparations made by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
for his arrival.
Lympne returned to civilian use on 1 January 1946. In 1948, the first air ferry
Air ferry
An air ferry is a ferry service in which cars and passengers are transported by aircraft.-British services:The air ferry service was inaugurated by retired Royal Air Force officer Air Commodore Griffith J. Powell, who founded an airline company called Silver City in 1948. They used Bristol 170...
service was inaugurated at Lympne by Silver City Airways. Problems with waterlogging of the grass runway and the refusal of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to upgrade the airfield led to Silver City transferring operations to Lydd (Ferryfield) in 1954. By 1956, the airport's ownership had passed to Eric Rylands Ltd, the Skyways holding company. Skyways operated a coach-air service
Skyways Coach-Air Limited
Skyways Coach-Air Limited launched the first commercial coach-air operation in late-September 1955, involving a coach trip from Central London to Lympne, a cross-Channel Lympne—Beauvais air sector and another coach journey from Beauvais to the centre of Paris....
between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, flying passengers from Lympne to Beauvais. This service operated until 1974 (1955–1958: the original Skyways; 1958–1971: Skyways Coach-Air; 1971–1972: Skyways International; 1972–1974: Dan-Air Skyways). Following the cessation of commercial operations in October 1974, Lympne continued to be used as a General Aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airfield until about 1984. The site is now an industrial estate.
Establishment
Work began on creating a landing ground at Folks Wood, Lympne, in the autumn of 1915. This site soon proved unsuitable and another site was sought. Lympne was established in March 1916 as an Emergency Landing Ground for the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC) home defence fighters defending London against Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s and Gothas. No. 1 Advanced School of Air Gunnery operated from Lympne during January and February 1917. In January 1917 it was designated as No. 8 Aircraft Acceptance Park for delivery of aircraft to, and reception from, France. On 25 May 1917 Lympne was bombed by Gotha G.IV
Gotha G.IV
|-See also:...
bombers of Kagohl 3 who dropped 19 bombs on the airfield.
In 1918, Lympne was designated a First Class Landing Ground and the Day and Night Bombing Observation School was formed here in May. The RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
(RNAS) were merged to form the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) in April 1918. From 17 July 1919, No. 120 Squadron RAF
No. 120 Squadron RAF
No. 120 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, Scotland until the type's withdrawal in March 2010.-Formation in WWI:...
flew air mail services between Lympne and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany, using de Havilland DH.9 aircraft fitted with Beardmore Halford Pullinger
Beardmore Halford Pullinger
Beardmore-Halford-Pullinger were aircraft engines used in production between 1916 and 1918. The engines were used on many notable First World War aircraft, such as the Airco DH.4, DH.9, DH.10, de Havilland DH.15 and Avro 529 aircraft....
engines. This service ended on 1 September 1919 when 120 squadron moved to RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge was an airfield in Kent, near to the south coast and the closest airfield to the French coast.It took part in the Battle of Britain and it was home to No. 79 Squadron RAF. After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as...
. Hawkinge and Lympne lay within a few miles of each other and as the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
could not justify keeping the two bases open following the end of the war, they decided to retain Hawkinge. In August 1919 the RAF moved out of Lympne and it was turned over to civilian use, although 120 Squadron did not depart until 21 October.
1919–29
In May 1919, Lympne was one of the first four customs and excise "Appointed Aerodromes" in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
; along with Hadleigh in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, Hounslow Heath
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914-1920. It was situated in the London borough of Hounslow, and in 1919 was the location from which the first scheduled daily international commercial air services took place.-1909-1914:...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and New Holland in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Although Lympne had a customs clearance point there was no permanent customs officer there; a telephone call to Folkestone Harbour
Folkestone Harbour
Folkestone Harbour is the main harbour of the town of Folkestone in Kent, England.The harbour is served by the Folkestone Harbour railway station....
was needed to clear customs. On 1 May the ban on civilian flying was lifted and a Sopwith Gnu
Sopwith Gnu
-References:* A.J. Jackson, British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume 3, Putnam, London 1988, ISBN 0 85177 818 6* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , Orbis Publishing....
was flown from Hounslow Heath to Lympne carrying a cargo of newspapers during that first day. In September, Sir Philip Sassoon purchased an Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
aircraft in which he commuted between London and his Lympne residence. In October the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
announced that searchlights would temporarily be displayed to assist aircraft to find certain airfields. Lympne was to be identified by three searchlights arranged in a triangle, their beams shining vertically. In November a Notice to Airmen
NOTAM
NOTAM or NoTAM is the quasi-acronym for a "Notice To Airmen". NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies and airport operators under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the Convention on International Civil Aviation...
was issued advising that radio telephony
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
was in use at Hounslow Heath and Lympne, using the 900-metre wavelength. The practice of using the aircraft registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
as a callsign was instigated. In December 1919 two Westland Limousine
Westland Limousine
- External links : Contemporary initial report on the Limousine I with photographs. Contemporary technical description of the Limousine I with photographs and drawings....
aircraft bound for the Paris Aero Show
Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...
were delayed at Lympne by fog. Conditions later improved so that both aircraft were able to fly to Le Bourget
Le Bourget Airport
Paris – Le Bourget Airport is an airport located in Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, and Dugny, north-northeast of Paris, France. It is now used only for general aviation as well as air shows...
, where G-EAJL was dismantled and transported to the Grand Palais
Grand Palais
This article contains material abridged and translated from the French and Spanish Wikipedia.The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais , is a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France...
where it was exhibited to the public. The other aircraft remained at Le Bourget where it gave pleasure and demonstration flights.
The North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. used a Blackburn Kangaroo
Blackburn Kangaroo
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography...
on its short-lived Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
-Lympne
Lympne
Lympne is a village situated on the former sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. It lies approximately west of Folkestone, 2 miles west of Hythe and east of Ashford....
-Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
service from 6 March 1920. The customs facilities at New Holland had been withdrawn on 28 January, necessitating the roundabout route. It was estimated that the extra costs involved in taking this route amounted to one-third of the total costs. Flight
Flight International
Flight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
called for customs facilities to be established to enable direct flights to be made from the north of England to the continent. Starting from 2 August, hourly weather forecasts
METAR
METAR is a format for reporting weather information. A METAR weather report is predominantly used by pilots in fulfillment of a part of a pre-flight weather briefing, and by meteorologists, who use aggregated METAR information to assist in weather forecasting....
were broadcast from Lympne and other airfields. A system of ground signals advising pilots of the weather conditions at Biggin Hill and Croydon
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
was also introduced about this time. During August, Aircraft Transport and Travel
Aircraft Transport and Travel
Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited was a British airline formed during the First World War, a subsidiary of Airco. It was the first airline to operate a regular international flight .-History:...
took over air mail flights, using DH.9A
Airco DH.9A
The Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial...
aircraft. In November a Notice to Airmen was released announcing that searchlights would be in use at Lympne for two hours after sunset to assist pilots in landing their aircraft. Arrangements could be made in advance for this facility to be made available after the notified hours. In December, it was announced that an "aerial lighthouse
Aerial lighthouse
An aerial lighthouse is a lighthouse used to guide aircraft with lighted beacons at night. A network of aerial lighthouses was established in the United Kingdom and Europe during the 1920's and 1930's. Use of the lighthouses has declined with the advent of Radio Navigation aids such as NDB , VOR ...
" was to be installed at Lympne as the one installed at Croydon had proved to be of benefit to pilots arriving after dark.
In May 1921, it was reported that a waiting room for the use of passengers at Lympne was being planned. In June a Notice to Airmen was release saying that, for cost reasons, lights would no longer be exhibited after sunset without prior arrangement. The system of ground signals was amended with effect from 14 July, and in September an "aerial lighthouse" was reported to be under construction. The system of aerial lighthouses on the "London – Paris Airway" was completed in December 1921.
In January 1922, a 78 feet (23.8 m) high mast for an anemometer
Anemometer
An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any airspeed measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamics...
was being erected at the south west corner of Lympne Aerodrome. On 13 February, the system of ground signals at Lympne was further extended to include information about the Saint-Inglevert Airfield
Saint-Inglevert Airfield
Saint-Inglevert Airfield is a general aviation airfield at Saint-Inglevert, Pas-de-Calais, France. In the First World War an airfield was established near Saint-Inglevert by the Royal Flying Corps, later passing to the Royal Air Force on formation and thus becoming RAF Saint Inglevert...
, just across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in France. In July, a Notice to Airmen said that all aircraft were to make at least one left-hand circuit before landing at Lympne. By November, the Instone Air Line
Instone Air Line
Instone Air Line was an early British airline from 1919 to 1924. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways.-History:...
were operating a service from Croydon to Cologne
Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne/Bonn Airport is an international airport located in the district of Porz in the city of Cologne, Germany, and is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. The airport is centrally located in the Cologne/Bonn Region southeast of Cologne city centre and northeast of Bonn...
using de Havilland DH.18 aircraft, stopping at Lympne to refuel to full capacity. These aircraft then had the necessary range to fly direct from Lympne to Cologne. This arrangement did not last long, with the refuelling stop moved to Tirlemont, Belgium, by the end of the month. On 30 December a Dornier
Dornier Flugzeugwerke
Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claudius Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many notable designs for both the civil and military markets.-History:...
aircraft landed at Lympne. It was the first German aircraft to land on British soil since the end of the First World War. A German airline, Aero-Lloyd was in negotiation with Daimler Airway
Daimler Airway
Daimler Airway was an airline subsidiary of BSA group's Daimler Motor Company created to use some of the assets of the failed ventures Airco and its subsidiary Aircraft Transport and Travel acquired by BSA in February 1920.-History:...
to start a service between London and Berlin.
A Junkers F.13
Junkers F.13
The Junkers F.13 was the world's first all-metal transport aircraft, developed in Germany at the end of World War I. It was an advanced cantilever-wing monoplane, with enclosed accommodation for four passengers. Over 300 were sold...
called at Lympne on 10 January 1923 to clear customs and then flew to Croydon where it was inspected by Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
Sir Samuel Hoare. In February, it was reported that Lympne had taken part in a test of the newly introduced Mayday
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
radio signal used by aircraft to indicate that they were in distress. Georges Barbot won a prize of F.25,000
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
from Le Matin
Le Matin (France)
Le Matin was a French daily newspaper created in 1883 and discontinued in 1944.Le Matin was launched on the initiative of Chamberlain & Co, a group of American financiers, in 1883, on the model of the British daily The Morning News. The direction of the project was entrusted to the French...
when he made a flight from St Inglevert
Saint-Inglevert Airfield
Saint-Inglevert Airfield is a general aviation airfield at Saint-Inglevert, Pas-de-Calais, France. In the First World War an airfield was established near Saint-Inglevert by the Royal Flying Corps, later passing to the Royal Air Force on formation and thus becoming RAF Saint Inglevert...
to Lympne and back again on the same day, 6 May. He flew the route in a Dewoitine
Dewoitine
Constructions Aéronautiques Émile Dewoitine was a French aircraft manufacturer established by Émile Dewoitine at Toulouse in October 1920. The company's initial products were a range of metal parasol-wing fighters which were largely ignored by the French Air Force but purchased in large quantities...
aircraft fitted with a Clerget engine. On landing a bracing wire in the undercarriage of the aircraft broke, but repairs were effected within half an hour. Problems starting the engine then delayed his departure slightly. On 28 October the Light Aircraft Trials were held (see below). In 1923, Air Union
Air Union
Air Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
started a service flying newspapers to Lympne using a Farman F.60 Goliath
Farman F.60 Goliath
The Farman F.60 Goliath was an airliner produced by the Farman Aviation Works from 1919. It was instrumental in the creation of early airlines and commercial routes in Europe after World War I.-Design and development:...
.
From 1–31 May 1924, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
conducted a number of night flying experiments. Pilots were asked to keep an extra lookout whilst the experiments were taking place. On 27 and 28 September, the elimination trials for the Light Aircraft Trials were held. Only eight aircraft passed through to the trials proper. Also in October, it was notified that changes were being made expanding weather information given at Lympne. Amongst the changes were that measurements used were to be changed from imperial to metric
International System of Units
The International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units...
. The addition of weather information at Haren, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Ostend, both in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
was notified. In 1924, Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
-Video:*-References:NotesBibliography*Mondey, David, ed., The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Aircraft: Military and Civil Aviation From the Beginnings to the Present Day. Secaucus, New Jersey: Chartwell Books Inc., 1978, ISBN 0-89009-771-2....
aircraft were operating cross-channel services for Imperial Airways. Lympne was used by aircraft of Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
as a refuelling point. The first stop in France was St Inglevert. When an aircraft departed Lympne for St Inglevert, the destination airfield was advised, and if arrival was not notified within two hours, the Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard is the service of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating air-sea rescue.HM Coastguard is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime Search and Rescue within the UK...
was informed. Communication was by Carmichael Microway
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
UHF transmitters at each airfield. Short Brothers
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
used Lympne for flight testing new aircraft during 1924.
In January 1925, notification that red edge lights had been installed along the runways and taxiways at Lympne was made. In July 1925, a new arrangement was introduced whereby aircraft not fitted with radio, flying across the Channel, could have their departure and arrival reported by radio to the authorities. A circuit of Lympne and St Inglevert had to be flown at a height not exceeding 1000 ft (304.8 m) on departure for, and arrival from, the continent. Between 1–3 August, the Royal Aeronautical Society
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
held a meeting at Lympne. The Grosvenor Challenge Cup, Private Owners' Cup, Light Aeroplane Holiday Handicap and International Handicap were all competed for. Separate Speed Races were held for single and two-seater aircraft. In August 1925, the scheme for non-radio aircraft was extended to cover Ostend. One hour was allowed for the crossing to St Inglevert and two hours for the crossing to Ostend, after which the aircraft would be reported as missing. On 25 September, Lympne was one of a number of airfields which began operating a radio direction finding service. As before the 900-metre wavelength was used.
During the General Strike of 1926, which ran from 3–13 May, the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
was printed in Paris and flown from there to Lympne on Handley Page W.10 Imperial Airways aircraft. Further aircraft chartered by the Daily Mail then flew the newspapers to Birmingham
Castle Bromwich Aerodrome
Castle Bromwich Aerodrome was an early airfield, situated to the north of Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands of England. The site now falls within the City of Birmingham.-History:...
for onward distribution. A fleet of de Havilland DH.60 Moth
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
, de Havilland DH.9 with some Avro and Westland aircraft were used. The distribution of the newspapers by air was co-ordinated by the Royal Aero Club and a total of 33174 mi (53,388.2 km) was flown by aircraft operating under the Royal Aero Club's co-ordination. The Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
(AuxAF) had been formed in 1925. In late August and early September 1926 601 (County of London) Squadron
No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in London. The squadron battle honours most notably include the Battle of Britain and the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of this squadron.-History:...
AuxAF held its inaugural camp at Lympne. The squadron was equipped with Avro 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
and de Havilland DH.9A aircraft. The Light Aircraft Trials were held between 10 and 14 September.
On 1 January 1927, new regulations came into effect which meant that aircraft carrying 10 or more passengers would have to carry a radio operator in addition to the pilot. In February it was reported that a Notice to Airmen had been issued stating that aircraft coming from the Continent in conditions of poor visibility in which the radio was not functioning correctly should land at Lympne, where repair facilities were available. In April it was reported that a new wireless station was being built at Lympne and in May it was notified that the night light was again in operation at Lympne. In July, a new system was introduced for civil aircraft flying in bad visibility between Lympne and Croydon. They were not to follow the normal Lympne–Edenbridge
Edenbridge, Kent
Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The town's name derives from Old English language "Eadhelmsbrigge" . It is located on the Kent/Surrey border on the upper floodplain of the River Medway and gives its name to the latter's tributary, the River Eden...
–Caterham
Caterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...
–Croydon route, but instead follow one of three notified alternate routes. Aircraft were to be notified by radio whenever such conditions were declared to be put into effect, or whenever the weather had improved. This was aimed at preventing mid-air collisions between civil aircraft and those operated by the Royal Air Force. From 7 to 21 August, 600 (City of London) Squadron
No. 600 Squadron RAF
No. 600 Squadron RAuxAF is a squadron of the RAF Reserves. It was formed in 1925 and operated as a night fighter squadron during the Second World War with great distinction. After the war, 600 Squadron went on to operate jet fighters until 1957. Reactivated in 1999, 600 Squadron is the only RAF...
AuxAF and 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF were both at Lympne on their annual camp. The squadrons were flying Avro 504N and de Havilland DH.9A aircraft. In October, a Notice to Airmen announced that the ground signals at Lympne would be displayed in a different arrangement than previously, standardisation of ground signals worldwide required the change which came into effect on 1 October. In December, a Notice to Airmen informed that in foggy weather the position of Lympne would be indicated by flares fired from the ground, to be seen by aircraft flying in the vicinity. Colour was to be at the discretion of the Civil Air Traffic Officer. The Notice to Airmen was quickly amended to state that the firing of red flares would be reserved to indicate that an aircraft was being instructed not to land at the airfield in question. In 1927 a Fokker F.VII
Fokker F.VII
The Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
of SABENA
Sabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
flew newspapers to Lympne.
A meeting was held over the Easter weekend in 1928 by the Cinque Ports Flying Club. Pleasure flights were given for a cost of 5/-
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
. An unverified report stated that one person was dissatisfied with two circuits of the airfield. The pilot is said to have offered to take him up again, which was accepted. On this second flight various aerobatics were flown and the hapless passenger was said to have been left incapable of expressing himself coherently. Among the pilots attending were Geoffrey de Havilland
Geoffrey de Havilland
Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, OM, CBE, AFC, RDI, FRAeS, was a British aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer...
and his son. Other activities included some air racing and a guess the altitude competition. In May a Notice to Airmen said that the scheme for aircraft reporting that they were crossing the Channel was being extended. Lympne was to remain the reporting place on the English side but, in Belgium and France, the Ostend and St Inglevert airfields were joined by semaphore stations at Village de Baracques, Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
and Cap d’Alprech, Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
. On 17 May, Lady Heath landed at Lympne after crossing the Channel during her 10000 mi (16,093.4 km) flight to Croydon from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa. She was flying an Avro Avian III which had been taken out to South Africa by ship. In August, the AuxAF held their annual Air Defence Exercises. Both 600 (City of London) and 601 (County of London) Squadrons AuxAF were based a Lympne for the duration of the exercise. They were operating Avro 504N and de Havilland DH.9A aircraft. Towards the end of the camp Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Under Secretary of State for Air Sir Philip Sassoon inspected both squadrons and were entertained at a dinner. On 18 September, Juan de la Cierva
Juan de la Cierva
Juan de la Cierva y Codorníu, 1st Count of De La Cierva was a Spanish civil engineer, pilot and aeronuatical engineer. His most famous accomplishment was the invention in 1920 of the Autogiro, a single-rotor type of aircraft that came to be called autogyro in the English language...
departed from Lympne in an Autogyro
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
, making the first flight between London and Paris in this type of aircraft and the first flight across the Channel by autogyro in the process. In November, a Handley Page W.10 of Imperial Airways diverted to Lympne in a gale with three passengers suffering from airsickness
Airsickness
Airsickness is a sensation which is induced by air travel. It is a specific form of motion sickness, and is considered a normal response in healthy individuals...
. Once landed the aircraft was briefly lifted from the ground in a gust whilst ground handling staff were taking it to a hangar. Winds of 82 mph (36.7 m/s) were recorded.
In January 1929, a Notice to Airmen said that when visibility was bad any aircraft not fitted with radios were warned against using the Croydon–Edenbridge–Ashford–Lympne route or any of the alternative routes notified in 1927. Later that month it was notified that the aerial lighthouse had been replaced by a 6,000 candlepower
Candlepower
Candlepower is a now-obsolete unit which was used to express levels of light intensity in terms of the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents...
neon light
Neon lighting
Neon lighting is created by brightly glowing, electrified glass tubes or bulbs that contain rarefied neon or other gases. Georges Claude, a French engineer and inventor, presented neon tube lighting in essentially its modern form at the Paris Motor Show from December 3–18, 1910...
which would be visible at a range of 45 mi (72.4 km). In July 1929 a plan was proposed where an amphibious aircraft would be based at Lympne for use in search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
when aircraft were reported missing over the Channel. On 14 August, the 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF arrived for their annual camp. In September 1929 arrangements were notified for the abandonment of a Channel crossing by aircraft flying from England to France. In such cases, the aircraft was to perform a second circuit over Lympne which would be acknowledged. It was also notified that a flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
operated by Compagnie Aérienne Française was to be based at Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
for use in search and rescue work.
1930–39
In February 1930, a Towle T-2 amphibian was a visitor to Lympne. In July 1930, it was notified that aircraft fitted with radio may report their position by radio when crossing the Channel. For non-radio aircraft the earlier arrangements remained in effect, although some changes were made to the methods of acknowledgement of arrival. Search and rescue arrangements now included motorboats permanently available at Boulogne, Calais, Dover and Dunquerque. LifeboatsLifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
were also on standby at the French ports and air patrols were in operation during working hours, operated by Air Union
Air Union
Air Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
. In August 1930, the arrangements for non-radio aircraft flying between Croydon and Lympne in bad weather were amended. Pilots had to notify which route they intended to take and the destination airfield was to be notified of this by telephone once the aircraft had departed. That month 601 (County of London) Squadron held its annual camp a Lympne.
On 1 August 1931, the 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF began its annual camp at Lympne. Croydon Airport took over the responsibility for weather forecasting on air routes from the Air Ministry in October. As part of the changes Biggin Hill, Croydon and Lympne now provided weather information on a 24-hour basis.
In March 1932, the arrangements for flying between Lympne and Croydon in poor visibility were altered. If the cloudbase was less than 1000 ft (304.8 m) above sea level, or the visibility was less than 1000 yd (914.4 m), aircraft were prohibited from using the Croydon–Caterham–Penshurst–Lympne route, but were to use either the Croydon–Merstham–Edenbridge or Croydon–Chelsfield
Chelsfield
Chelsfield is a place in the London Borough of Bromley in London, England.The name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Cillesfelle, meaning land of a man called Cēol....
–Shoreham
Shoreham, Kent
Shoreham is a village and civil parish in the valley of the River Darent six miles north of Sevenoaks in Kent: it is in the District of Sevenoaks. The parish includes the settlements of Badgers Mount and Well Hill....
–Otford
Otford
Otford is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent known for its classically British countryside. The village is located on the River Darent, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs...
–Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
route. Alternatively a rhumb line
Rhumb line
In navigation, a rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing...
course could be flown on the Croydon–Chelsfield–Lympne route. Aircraft not fitted with radios had to notify the officer in charge at their departure airport as to which route they intended to take before departure. Royal Air Force aircraft would avoid these routes as far as practicable in conditions of poor visibility. On 25 August the Folkestone Trophy Race was held at Lympne and was won by a Comper Swift
Comper Swift
-See also:-References:*Boughton, Terence. 1963. The Story of The British Light Aeroplane. John Murray*Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. . The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive . Air-Britain. ISSN 02624923...
. In November, it was reported that new radio equipment was to be installed at Lympne and St Inglevert operating on the 15-cm waveband at 2,000 Megahertz. The new radios were to be used for the announcement of the departure of non-radio aircraft across the Channel. Messages sent by radio were also printed out by a teleprinter
Teleprinter
A teleprinter is a electromechanical typewriter that can be used to communicate typed messages from point to point and point to multipoint over a variety of communication channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the...
, providing a record of the communication. The new equipment was scheduled to come into operation in Spring 1933.
In 1933, Imperial Airway's Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft were replaced by Handley Page H.P.42
Handley Page H.P.42
The Handley Page H.P.42 and H.P.45 were British four-engine long-range biplane airliners designed to a 1928 Imperial Airways specification by Handley Page of Radlett in Hertfordshire....
s. On 7 March 1933, the system for non-radio aircraft proved effective when a de Havilland DH.60 Moth
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
of British Air Transport
British Air Transport
British Air Transport Ltd was a British independent airline from 1932 until 1951.-Prewar operations:BAT was formed during 1932 to perform public charter flights. BAT based its aircraft fleet at Croydon Airport south of London. It was one of the first UK airlines to operate the four-passenger de...
failed to arrive at Lympne. The aircraft had ditched in the channel and both occupants were rescued by a steamship bound for Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In August, the No. 601 (County of London) Squadron again held its annual camp at Lympne. They were visited by the Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
who was the Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
. The squadron was equipped with Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
s. Later that month the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race was held and was won by Ken Waller in a de Havilland DH.60 Moth. In September, a new system was introduced for broadcasting weather forecasts in various areas and on various air routes, including that between Croydon and Lympne. Navigational warnings would also be broadcast. In October, it was notified that the floodlight at Lympne had been put back into operation and the use of flares was therefore discontinued. In November, a squadron of the Egyptian Army Air Force was based at Lympne for a few weeks whilst they trained on their new Avro 626 aircraft. They departed on 18 November for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. By 1933, Lympne was well prepared for handling diversions. Passengers who cleared customs were taken by car to railway station where they boarded trains to London using 1st class tickets. On 2 December, a Fokker F.XX
Fokker F.XX
The Fokker F.XX was a 1930s Dutch three-engined airliner designed and built by Fokker. It was the first Fokker design to use an elliptical-section fuselage instead of the traditional square fuselage and the first Fokker aircraft with retractable landing gear....
, PH-AIZ Zilvermeeuw of KLM, diverted to Lympne following an engine failure. This was the only diversion KLM had during the whole of 1933.
In January 1934, a new radio, telegraph and telephone link was installed at Lympne and St Inglevert which came into operation on 26 January. Sir Philip Sassoon officially declared the installation open. The equipment at Lympne was manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables
Standard Telephones and Cables
Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd was a British telephone, telegraph, radio, telecommunications and related equipment R&D manufacturer. During its history STC invented and developed several groundbreaking new technologies including PCM and optical fibres.The company began life in London as...
and operated on the 17-cm wave band. From 13 to 27 July, 606 (City of Glasgow)
No. 602 Squadron RAF
No 602 Squadron is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron. Originally formed in 1925 as a light bomber squadron, its role changed in 1938 to army co-operation and in 1939 to that of a fighter squadron....
Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne, followed by 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF from 29 July to 12 August. On the weekend of 1–2 September competitions for the Folkestone Aero Trophy and the Wakefield Cup were held. Both competitions were won by pilots flying the de Havilland DH.60 Moth G-AAMU. Later that month a second batch of ten Avro 626s of the Egyptian Army Air Force departed from Lympne for Egypt.
In April 1935, Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
in the United Kingdom was improved by the introduction of a new control zone system. Heston was added as a control zone, relieving Croydon of some traffic. As a result of these changes the wavelength used by Lympne for radiotelegraphy changed from 862 metres to 825 metres. Six new direction finding
Direction finding
Direction finding refers to the establishment of the direction from which a received signal was transmitted. This can refer to radio or other forms of wireless communication...
stations were installed as part of these improvements, including one at Lympne. The improvement meant that Croydon would now be able to communicate by radio with two aircraft at the same time. In August Henri Mignet
Henri Mignet
Henri Mignet, Henri Mignet, Henri Mignet, (October 19, 1893 in Charente-Maritime – August 31, 1965 in Pessac in Gironde, was a French radio engineer who became well-known as an aircraft designer and builder...
flew his Mignet HM.14
Mignet HM.14
The Mignet HM.14 Flying Flea is a single-seat light aircraft first flown in 1933, designed for amateur construction. It was the first of a family of aircraft collectively known as Flying Fleas....
"Flying Flea" across the Channel to Lympne, where the aircraft was demonstrated in front of large crowds. Also that month 601 (County of London) Squadron AuxAF held its annual camp at Lympne after having converted from a bomber squadron to a fighter squadron earlier in the year.
From 2 to 16 August 1936, No. 601 Squadron held their annual camp at Lympne. One aircraft exhibited at the 1936 International Air Rally was a 1912 Caudron G.2. In November, it was reported that 21 Squadron
No. 21 Squadron RAF
No. 21 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1979.The squadron is famous for Operation Jericho: on 18 February 1944, the crews of de Havilland Mosquitoes breached the walls of a Gestapo prison at Amiens, France, allowing members of the French...
and 34 Squadron
No. 34 Squadron RAF
No. 34 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. During the First World War it operated as a reconnaissance and bomber squadron, and in the 1930s operated light bombers...
of the RAF were temporarily relocated to Lympne as hangars at RAF Abbotsinch had been damaged in gales. In October 1936, Lympne was again taken over by the RAF, becoming a base within No. 1 (Bomber) Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
. Although some improvements were carried out Lympne was initially seen as a temporary station. On 3 November 21 Squadron
No. 21 Squadron RAF
No. 21 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1915 and was disbanded for the last time in 1979.The squadron is famous for Operation Jericho: on 18 February 1944, the crews of de Havilland Mosquitoes breached the walls of a Gestapo prison at Amiens, France, allowing members of the French...
and 34 Squadron
No. 34 Squadron RAF
No. 34 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. During the First World War it operated as a reconnaissance and bomber squadron, and in the 1930s operated light bombers...
moved in, equipped with Hawker Hind
Hawker Hind
-See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3....
aircraft.
On 4 June 1937, a British Klemm Swallow made a pilot-less take-off from Lympne and flew for some 35 minutes before crashing into a tree. Its resting place was 200 yd (182.9 m) from RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge was an airfield in Kent, near to the south coast and the closest airfield to the French coast.It took part in the Battle of Britain and it was home to No. 79 Squadron RAF. After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as...
. On 31 July the Folkestone Trophy was competition was held and was won by Alex Henshaw
Alex Henshaw
Alexander Adolphus Dumfries Henshaw MBE was a British air racer in the 1930s and a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong in the Second World War.-Early life:...
in a Percival Mew Gull
Percival Mew Gull
The Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine...
.
On 12 March 1938, Captain Davis, managing director of the Cinque Ports Flying Club, was killed in an accident shortly after take-off from Lympne. On 30 July, the Folkestone Trophy race was held and was won by H Buckingham flying a de Havilland Hornet Moth. 34 Squadron departed Lympne on 12 July, and 21 Squadron departed on 15 August. Lympne was placed under "Care and Maintenance" in October, becoming a Training Command
RAF Training Command
Training Command was the RAF's command responsible for flying and ground training from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1968 to 1977.-History:Training Command was formed from Inland Area on 1 May 1936 and absorbed into RAF Support Command on 13 June 1977...
Administration School.
In May 1939, Lympne was transferred to Fighter Command. It was used by the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
as an outstation for the Air Mechanics School based at HMS Daedalus. On 1 July 1939, Lympne was taken over by the Fleet Air Arm, becoming HMS Buzzard. Aircraft at Buzzard included Blackburn Shark
Blackburn Shark
-Bibliography:* Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.* Shores, Christopher, Brian Cull and Yasuho Izawa. Bloody Shambles:Volume One:The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore. London:Grub Street, 1992. ISBN 0-948817-50-X.*...
s and Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
s. On 5 August, the Folkestone Trophy Race was held and was won by Andrew Dalrymple flying a Chilton D.W.1A.
The Second World War
In September 1939, the base was renamed HMS Daedalus II, but was transferred back to the RAF in May 1940. Early in the war Lympne was home to Army Co-operation and bomber squadrons. During Operation DynamoOperation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
in May 1940 a French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
squadron was based at Lympne. It was equipped with Marcel Bloch
Société des Avions Marcel Bloch
The Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was a French aircraft manufacturer of military and civilian aircraft, that further changed its name in Dassault Aviation, after the end of World War II....
and Potez
Potez
Potez was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved version, the Potez VII...
fighters. On 15 August 1940, during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, Lympne was bombed by Stuka
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
dive-bombers of II Gruppe, StG1
Sturzkampfgeschwader 1
Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was formed in November 1939-History:StG 1 was formed in November 1939 and remained active until October 1943, when all Sturzkampfgeschwader were renamed Schlachtgeschwader 1 .-Norwegian campaign:Fliegerkorps X was the only...
. All the hangars were hit and those aircraft belonging to Cinque Ports Flying Club that had not been evacuated to Sywell
Sywell Aerodrome
Sywell Aerodrome is the local aerodrome serving Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering as it is situated midway between these towns. The airport is located northeast of Northampton and was originally opened in 1928 on the edge of Sywell village....
were destroyed in the fire. Lympne was evacuated and only available as an Emergency Landing Ground until mid-September.
In 1941, Lympne was to be the destination for the landing of an aircraft carrying Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in a daring kidnap plot. A man by the name of Kiroff had given information to the British Military Attaché in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria, that he was the brother-in-law of Hans Baur
Hans Baur
General Hans Baur was German dictator Adolf Hitler's pilot during his political campaigns of the 1920s and 1930s...
, the personal pilot of Hitler. He stated that Baur was planning to defect using Hitler's Focke-Wulf Fw 200
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
with him on board. The RAF made plans to receive the aircraft at Lympne and 25 March was the date that the defection was expected to occur. Baur did not defect and spent the war as Hitler's personal pilot. A few weeks later Rudolph Hess defected to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Also in March 1941, 91 Squadron
No. 91 Squadron RAF
No 91 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force but is no longer operational. The name acknowledges the contribution made by Nigeria to the cost of the squadron's aeroplanes.-World War I:...
moved in, equipped with Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. Additional dispersals and fighter pens as well as three new blister hangars were built during 1941. Typhoons
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
were based at Lympne from March 1942 to February 1944 to counter the threat posed by the Luftwaffe's newly-introduced Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
s and a runway was extended across Otterpool Lane to accommodate the Typhoons. In November 1944, Lympne was downgraded to Emergency Landing Ground status. Consideration was given to building four runways at Lympne, with the longest being 6000 ft (1,828.8 m), but it was noted that serious demolition work would be required and a number of roads would need to be closed.
1946–50
On 1 January 1946, RAF Lympne was handed over to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and became a civil airport once more. The Cinque Ports Flying Club re-established itself in facilities left by the RAF and re-opened on 12 July. The club possessed two Tiger MothsDe Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
and an Auster
Taylorcraft Auster
The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited company during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
. The first post-war air races were the Folkestone Trophy and the Lympne High Speed Handicap held over the weekend of 31 August and 1 September. The Folkestone Trophy was won by John Grierson
John Grierson (pilot)
John Grierson was an English long-distance flier, test pilot, author, and aviation administrator.Grierson started his flying lessons at Brooklands while still a schoolboy, graduated from RAF Cranwell in 1929, and flew out to India in 1930 in his own Gypsy Moth, named Rouge et Noir, to join his RAF...
flying a Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
(G-AHFN). The Lympne High Speed Handicap was won by W Humble
Bill Humble
William Humble MBE was a well-known pre-Second World War aviator, known as an air racer and for his aerobatic displays, he was also an officer in the Royal Air Force Special Reserve, and the Auxiliary Air Force. Although he qualified as a mining engineer the lure of flying proved too strong, and...
flying a Hawker Fury I
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
. Charter airline Air Kruise (Kent) Ltd was established at Lympne by Wing Commander Hugh Kennard
Hugh Kennard
Wing Commander Hugh Charles Kennard, DFC was a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II and later an entrepreneur in civil aviation.-Personal life:...
and in September it was reported that the company had received the first civilian Miles Messenger
Miles Messenger
-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0.* Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-37000-127-3....
aircraft. Air Kruise also operated Dragon Rapides
De Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
.
On 1 December 1946, Group Captain A. Bandit departed Lympne in a Miles Gemini
Miles Gemini
|-See also:-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972:Volume III.London:Putnam, 1988, ISBN 0 85177 818 6....
bound for Wondai, Australia. This was the first solo flight to Australia since the end of the war. Bandit reached Truscott Airfield, Western Australia, on 6 January 1947 to complete the first post-war England–Australia flight. Air races were held at Lympne on 30 and 31 August and four national records were set (see below).
In July 1948, Silver City Airways started an aerial car ferry service from Lympne to Le Touquet
Le Touquet - Côte d'Opale Airport
-Flight school & clubs:*Pig Club is a helicopter piloting school.*Le Touquet Opal Coast Flying Club is a helicopter school and club, owned by leading English school heli flight....
using Bristol Freighter
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
aircraft. At the Lympne Aero Races Lettice Curtis
Lettice Curtis
Lettice Curtis is an English woman aviator, flight test engineer, air racing pilot and sportswoman.Curtis was born and brought up in Devon and was educated at Benenden School and St Hilda's College, Oxford, where in addition to studying Mathematics, she was Captain of the University Women's Lawn...
set a new women's world speed record whilst competing in the High Speed Handicap race flying a Spitfire XI
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. The Cinque Ports Flying Club folded on 1 October, its successor being the Kent Coast Flying Club which was set up by Hugh Kennard and had a Miles Magister
Miles Magister
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter. Miles Aircraft = The early years. Tonbridge: Air-Britain, 2009. ISBN 978 0 85130 410 6...
(G-AKJX). Kent Gliding Club took up residence, and Skyfotos also made Lympne its base for aerial photography. Aircraft operated by Skyfotos included an Auster Autocrat
Auster Autocrat
-External links:*...
(G-AIZZ) and a Piper PA-22 Caribbean
Piper PA-20 Pacer
The PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer are a family of four-place, strut braced, high-wing light aircraft that were built by Piper Aircraft in the post-World War II period....
(G-AREN).
In May 1949, it was reported that Lympne had made a loss of £17,000 and that the Air Ministry was looking to dispose of it, although it was thought that should a sale not materialise it would continue in operation. In August 1950, Air Kruise started a scheduled service between Lympne and Le Touquet using Dragon Rapides. This service was operated under an associate airline agreement with British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
.
1951–60
In December 1951, Lympne was closed to all aircraft exceeding 8000 lb (3,628.7 kg) due to the runway being waterlogged and Silver City Airways transferred their service to Southend Airport until Lympne reopened in February 1952. Blackbushe AirportBlackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport , in the civil parish of Yateley in the north-east corner of the English county of Hampshire, comprises an airfield, much reduced in size since its heyday, a British Car Auctions site, a kart track owned by Camberley Kart Club, and a small business park...
was also used whilst Lympne was closed. On 1 May 1952, a passenger tax was introduced in the United Kingdom. The rate was 5s
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
for passengers arriving from Europe and 7s 6d for those arriving from outside Europe. At the same time landing fees at Government-owned airports were halved where the aircraft was operating an international flight of less than 115 mi (185.1 km). Silver City Airways would benefit from this concession. Also in May it was reported that Air Kruise were extending the Lympne – Le Touquet service to Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, as Ramsgate Airport
Ramsgate Airport
Ramsgate Airport was a civil airfield at Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom which opened in July 1935. It was briefly taken over by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, becoming RAF Ramsgate. The airfield was then closed and obstructed to prevent its use...
was to be re-opened. In July, the members of Folkestone Town Council visited the Ministry of Civil Aviation in London to discuss the purchase of Lympne Airport.
In February 1953, Lympne was again waterlogged and Silver City Airways operated out of Southend and Blackbushe. The company stated that they were willing to purchase Lympne, but the decision of Folkestone Town Council was still awaited for. By May, Folkestone Town Council had decided not to purchase Lympne and Silver City Airways again expressed an interest in purchasing the airport at a reasonable price. In November, it was announced that Air Kruise had been given permission to operate a scheduled service from Lympne and/or Ramsgate to Birmingham. The service was to be seasonal between April and September, with permission to run the service lasting until 1960. Air Kruise moved its operations to Ramsgate Airport in 1953.
In March 1954, Air Kruise applied for permission to operate Dakotas on routes between Lympne and Le Touquet, Calais and Ostend. On 29 April, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation offered Lympne for sale by auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
in London. Bidding reached £88,000 but the reserve was £100,000 and the airport was not sold. On 28 August, Silver City Airways trialled a Westland-Sikorsky WS-51
Westland Dragonfly
|-See also:-External links:* Westland entry in the helis.com database*...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
on cross-Channel flights. Permission had been granted for the use of these aircraft for freight operations and it was intended to introduce them on 1 April 1955. On 3 October, Silver City Airways operated their last flight out of Lympne as operations were being transferred to the new Lydd (Ferryfield) Airport which had opened on 6 July 1954. A total of 33,487 car ferry flights had been made from Lympne since the service had started in 1948. As of 1 November, Lympne closed as a public airport, although private flying was allowed as long as no passengers were carried for hire or reward.
In 1955, Air Kruise moved to Lydd (Ferryfield) and Lympne was re-licensed in 1955. On 30 September 1955, Eric Rylands, a former co-owner and managing director of the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC) who had bought Skyways from the previous owners in March 1952 (together with LAC's other owner, David Brown), started a coach-air service between London and Paris. Passengers were taken by coach from Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London. It serves long distance coach services and is also the departure point for many countryside coach tours originating from London. It should not be confused with the nearby Green Line Coach Station serving Green Line...
to Lympne, flown to Beauvais and then taken by coach to Paris. Check-in and coach departures in Paris were at the Hôtel Moderne Palace on Place de la Republique
Place de la République
The Place de la République is a square in Paris, located on the border between the 3rd, 10th and 11th arrondissements. It is named after the French Republic. The Métro station of République lies beneath the square.-History:...
in Paris 12. Aircraft and coaches each held 36 passengers. Passengers returning to the UK could order duty-free goods at Paris and the orders were telephoned to Beauvais for distribution on the flight. The off-peak fare was £7 14s 0d and 47,000 passengers were carried in the first year. Three Dakotas were used initially and later increasing to four. A trial run took place on 21 September and Skyways holding company, Eric Rylands Ltd, bought Lympne from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in 1956.
In January 1957, Skyways ordered a new Decca
Decca Radar
The Decca Company, a British gramophone manufacturer that, as Decca Records, released records under the Decca label, contributed to the British war effort during the Second World War...
type 424 radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
for installation at Lympne. In summer 1957, a service was started between Lympne and Vichy
Vichy - Charmeil Airport
Vichy - Charmeil Airport is an airport in Charmeil, a commune near Vichy in Allier, France.- References :*French Aeronautical Information Publication for '...
, the first service between the UK and Vichy since Hillman's Airways
Hillman's Airways
Hillman's Airways was a 1930s British airline that later became part of British Airways.The company was formed in November 1931 as Hillman's Saloon Coaches and Airways Limited by Edward Henry Hillman who was a coach operator in Essex. His previous business had been sold to London Transport...
before the war. This was part of Skyways London–Lympne–Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s–Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
route. Valence
Valence-Chabeuil Airport
Valence-Chabeuil Airport . is an airport in France, located about 5 miles east-southeast of Bourg-lès-Valence ; approximately 300 miles south-southeast of Paris....
was also served by air.
In May 1958, a route to Nice via Lyon was introduced. A temporary service to Brussels
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
via Antwerp
Antwerp International Airport
Antwerpen International Airport is located 2 km from the city of Antwerp, Belgium. It is home to a maintenance hangar for CityJet. In 2005 it served about 105,937 passengers . In 2010, the airport served 162,840 passengers...
operated that year to serve the Brussels International Exhibition. In December, it was announced that an experimental scheme to allow British and Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
subjects to make day-trips abroad without needing a passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
was to be introduced on a limited number of routes, including Lympne–Beauvais. An identity card would be issued in lieu of a passport and the experiment was to run from Easter to the end of September 1959.
On 15 March 1959, RAF Detling
RAF Detling
RAF Detling was a station of the Royal Naval Air Service in World War I and the Royal Air Force in World War II. Situated 600 feet above sea level, it is located near Detling, a village about three miles north-east of Maidstone, in Kent....
closed and the land was sold back to its pre-war tenants, who did not wish for any flying to take place. As a consequence the Kent Gliding Club relocated temporarily to Lympne. In June, Skyways signed a letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to purchase a number of Avro 748 aircraft. Flight magazine
Flight International
Flight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
stated that the number involved was "about four". Skyways were the first airline to make a public announcement of support for the then yet-to-fly airliner. In autumn 1960, Lympne was closed for a few days due to waterlogging of the runway.
1961–70
On 3 May 1961, Skyways signed a contract for the purchase of three Avro 748s at a cost of £750,000. On 6 November, the process of final certification of the Avro 748 began. A programme of 160 hours of flying, simulating airline service, took place over the following 19 days and included a break for maintenance on 16 November. The programme also allowed Skyways pilots to gain further experience towards the 50 hours in command they needed before they could fly the aircraft in service. The aircraft was returned to AvroAvro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
at the end of the trials as it was not scheduled to be delivered to Skyways until 1 March 1962.
On 15 March 1962, a bomb disposal officer was killed at Lympne when the pipe mine he was attempting to make safe exploded. The Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
temporarily suspended their bomb disposal operations as a result. Skyways supplemented their Dakotas with an Avro 748 (G-ARMV) which operated its first revenue-earning flight on 17 April 1962. In July, it was reported that Skyways had extended the passenger terminal at Lympne. In November, Skyways was taken over by Euravia
Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways was the largest charter airline in the United Kingdom, rebranded as Thomsonfly in 2005. Its main bases were Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow...
, excluding Skyways Coach-Air which remained a separate company.
In 1963, three Avro 748s were in service and two of Skyways Coach-Air's Dakotas were converted to freighters. During the winter of 1962–63, the 748s continued to operate a normal service out of Lympne. In October 1964, Skyways Coach-Air moved out of its London offices and all operations were now at Lympne, although a sales office was retained in London. The Cinque Ports Flying Club was restarted in 1964 by Barry Damon and had 120 members by 1968. The club aircraft were a Beechcraft Bonanza
Beechcraft Bonanza
The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
, Beechcraft Musketeer
Beechcraft Musketeer
The Beechcraft Musketeer is a family of single-engine, low-wing, light aircraft that was produced by Beechcraft. The line includes the Model 19 Musketeer Sport, the Model 23 Musketeer, Custom and Sundowner, the Model 23-24 Musketeer Super III the retractable gear Model 24-R Sierra and the military...
s and a Bölkow Monsun
MBB Bo 209
|-See also:...
.
In March 1965, a NOTAM
NOTAM
NOTAM or NoTAM is the quasi-acronym for a "Notice To Airmen". NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies and airport operators under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the Convention on International Civil Aviation...
was issued of changes had been made into the arrangements for light aircraft crossing the Channel. These changes were partly to avoid conflict with traffic flying into Lydd (Ferryfield). Non-radio aircraft could use the route between Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
and Ambleteuse
Ambleteuse
Ambleteuse is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-History:Ambleteuse began as a hamlet of a few huts in the middle of the dunes, from which the derisory name of “carcahuttes" was once given to its inhabitants by their neighbors at Audresselles...
. Non-radio aircraft were advised to call at Lympne before crossing. On 11 July, one of Skyways Coach Air's Avro 748s crashed on landing
1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash
The 1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash occurred on 10 July 1965 when Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMV, flown during a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France, crashed on landing at its intended destination of Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom...
at Lympne.
Following the 1965 accident, which had been caused by the nose-wheel of the aircraft digging into soft ground, a 4500 ft (1,372 m) concrete runway was constructed. It was reported in January 1968 that planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
had been granted and the new runway came into use on 11 April 1968. Skyways Coach-Air leased an Avro 748 from Leeward Islands Air Transport in 1968 for a two-year period to replace the aircraft lost in the 1965 accident.
A new terminal building opened in June 1969. Sheila Scott
Sheila Scott
Sheila Scott OBE , was an English aviatrix.Born Sheila Christine Hopkins in Worcester, Worcestershire, England in 1922, educated at the Alice Ottley School, she broke over 100 aviation records through her long distance flight endeavours, which included a "world and a half" flight in 1971...
performed the ceremony, arriving in her record-breaking Piper Comanche
Piper PA-24 Comanche
The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a four-seat, low-wing, all-metal, light aircraft of monocoque construction with retractable landing gear that was first flown in May 1956 according to a Piper Aircraft Company press release...
G-ATOY Myth Too. On 10 June, the airport was renamed Ashford Airport, identifying the airport with the nearby town of Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
which was scheduled for rapid growth. To mark the occasion a plaque was unveiled by Leader of the Opposition Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
.
1971–84
A financial crisis at Skyways Coach-Air in 1970 resulted in a management buy-out in 1971. Under the name Skyways International, services were operated from Lympne to Beauvais, Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier. In 1971, to celebrate the management buyout of Skyways Coach-Air and subsequent renaming as Skyways International, an air rally was held at Lympne. Ray Hanna attended in a SpitfireSupermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. Skyways International was bought by Dan-Air in February 1972, with operations continuing under the [interim] Dan-Air Skyways name.
In October 1974, commercial activities ceased at Lympne and Business Air Travel, Dan-Air and Skyfotos left. In 1982, the airfield was in use by the Ashford Parachute Centre with a Super Cub in residence in July 1983. The Eagle Parachute School also used Lympne before leaving for Headcorn. In 1983, Luscombe Aircraft was based at Lympne producing their Luscombe Rattler, a military version of the Luscombe Vitality. The Cinque Ports Flying Club moved to Lydd in 1984.
Light Aircraft Trials
Light Aviation Trials were held at Lympne in 1923, 1924 and 1926 sponsored by the Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
. The 1923 competition was for aircraft with maximum engine capacity of 750 cc. This increased to 1100 cc in 1924 and was replaced by an engine weight limit of 170 lb (77.1 kg) in 1926. The rules for 1924 and 1926 required two-seat, dual-control aircraft. Aircraft that entered production after competing at the Light Aviation Trials include the Avro Avian
Avro Avian
The Avro Avian was a series of British light aircraft designed and built by Avro in the 1920s and '30s. While the various versions of the Avian were sound aircraft, they were comprehensively outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its descendants....
, Blackburn Bluebird
Blackburn Bluebird
|-See also:...
and Westland Widgeon, although these had larger engines. The 1924 competition was won by the Beardmore
William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company was a Scottish engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active between about 1890 and 1930 and at its peak employed about 40,000 people...
WB XXIV Wee Bee
Beardmore Wee Bee
The Beardmore Wee Bee was a single-engined monoplane that was built specifically for the Lympne two seat light aircraft trials held in the United Kingdom in 1924. It won the major prize, though only one was built.-Design and development:...
powered by a Bristol Cherub
Bristol Cherub
-See also:-Bibliography:* Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling & Co, 1969. ISBN 901319-01-5* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
engine. The 1926 competition was won by a Hawker Cygnet
Hawker Cygnet
-See also:-Bibliography:*Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920. London:Putnam, 1991.ISBN 0 85177 839 9.-External links:*...
.
Pre-war air races
Air racing at Lympne began in 1923. On 25 June 1923 the Grosvenor Cup was held at Lympne. There were ten entrants, of which nine competed. The cup was competed for over a course that started and finished at Lympne. The route being Lympne–Croydon–BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
–Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
–Croydon–Lympne, a total distance of 404 miles (650.2 km). The race was won by Walter Longton, with Fred Raynham second and Bert Hinkler
Bert Hinkler
Herbert John Louis Hinkler AFC DSM , better known as Bert Hinkler, was a pioneer Australian aviator and inventor. He designed and built early aircraft before being the first person to fly solo from England to Australia, and the first person to fly solo across the Southern Atlantic Ocean...
third. Major Foot was killed when his aircraft crashed at Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
, Surrey, on the Bristol–Croydon leg caused by the structural failure of the port wing. Lympne was a checkpoint during the 1928 King's Cup Race
King's Cup Race
The King's Cup Race is an annual British handicapped cross-country air race, first contested on 8 September 1922. The event was open to British pilots only, but that did include members of the Commonwealth....
and two local newspapers, the Folkestone Herald and Kent Evening Echo offered a cup to the fastest private pilot on the leg from Southampton
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
to Lympne. It was won by Sqn Ldr
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
H. Probyn in a Westland Widgeon, who beat Norman Jones in a de Havilland DH.60 Moth by four seconds.
Competitors
| Registration | Type | Pilot | Engine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G-EADA | Avro 504K Avro 504 The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during... |
Harold Hamersley | 100 hp Bristol Lucifer | Finished 4th |
| G-EAGP | Sopwith Gnu Sopwith Gnu -References:* A.J. Jackson, British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume 3, Putnam, London 1988, ISBN 0 85177 818 6* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , Orbis Publishing.... |
Walter Longton | 110 hp Le Rhône Le Rhône Le Rhône was the name given to a series of popular rotary aircraft engines produced in France by Société des Moteurs Le Rhône and the successor company of Gnome et Rhône. They powered a number of military aircraft types of the First World War... |
Winner |
| G-EAUM | Avro Baby Avro Baby -External links:* Contemporary technical description with photographs and drawings.... |
Bert Hinkler Bert Hinkler Herbert John Louis Hinkler AFC DSM , better known as Bert Hinkler, was a pioneer Australian aviator and inventor. He designed and built early aircraft before being the first person to fly solo from England to Australia, and the first person to fly solo across the Southern Atlantic Ocean... |
35 hp Green Green Engine Co The Green Engine Co was an early British aero engine manufacturer. It was founded by Gustavus Green in Bexhill to produce engines of his design during the first two decades of the 20th century. Actual manufacturing was carried out at the Aster Engineering Company of Wembley... |
Finished in 3rd place |
| G-EBCA | RAF SE5a Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S... |
E D Whitehead Reid | 80 hp Renault Renault Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker... |
Retired at Birmingham |
| Avro 504K | H H Perry | 100 hp Bristol Lucifer Bristol Lucifer -See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
Finished 5th | |
| Avro 504K | Fred Raynham | 130 hp Clerget Clerget Clerget was the name given to a series of early rotary aircraft engine types of the World War I era that were designed by Pierre Clerget. Manufactured in both France by Clerget-Blin and Great Britain by Gwynne Limited, they were used on such aircraft as the Sopwith Camel and Vickers Gunbus.In the... |
Finished 2nd | |
| Boulton & Paul P.9 Boulton Paul P.9 -References:NotesBibliography... |
F L Robinson | 90 hp RAF | Retired at Bristol | |
| Bristol Taxiplane | C F Uwins | 100 hp Bristol Lucifer | Retired at Bristol | |
| Bristol Monoplane Bristol M.1 |-See also:-External links:* * * * *... |
E L Foot | 100 hp Bristol Lucifer | Crashed at Chertsey Chertsey Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham... , pilot killed |
The Light Aircraft Trials
Lympne light aircraft trials
The Lympne Light Aircraft Trials were held to encourage the development of practical light aircraft for private ownership, with a strong but not exclusive emphasis on fuel economy. They were held in 1923, 1924 and 1926. Each year saw different restrictions on engine size, framed initially in terms...
included a speed section over a triangular course of Lympne-Postling
Postling
Postling village and civil parish is situated near the Roman road of Stone Street, about south of Canterbury, Kent, in South East England. Postlinges is the spelling used in the Domesday Book where it was part of the lands of Hugo de Montsort; Postlinge is also seen in old records. There is much...
-Brabourne
Brabourne
Brabourne is a village and civil parish in the Ashford district of Kent, England. The village centre is just under five miles east of Ashford town centre.The centre of the modern village of Brabourne is the Five Bells pub, which overlooks the village green...
-Lympne. The Folkestone Aero Trophy was held at Lympne in 1932 and the Wakefield
Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield
Charles Cheers Wakefield, 1st Baron Wakefield , was a British businessman.-Early life:Wakefield was born in Liverpool, in 1859, the son of John Wakefield, and his wife Margaret, née Cheers, and was educated at the Liverpool Institute.-Business career:Wakefield patented the Wakefield lubricator for...
Cup races in 1933. The final air race before the Second World War was the Folkestone Aero Trophy on 5 August 1939. This was won by Andrew Dalrymple in Chilton D.W.1 (G-AFSV).
Races at Lympne:-
- 1923 Grosvenor Cup, Light Aircraft TrialsLympne light aircraft trialsThe Lympne Light Aircraft Trials were held to encourage the development of practical light aircraft for private ownership, with a strong but not exclusive emphasis on fuel economy. They were held in 1923, 1924 and 1926. Each year saw different restrictions on engine size, framed initially in terms...
- 1924 Light Aircraft TrialsLympne light aircraft trialsThe Lympne Light Aircraft Trials were held to encourage the development of practical light aircraft for private ownership, with a strong but not exclusive emphasis on fuel economy. They were held in 1923, 1924 and 1926. Each year saw different restrictions on engine size, framed initially in terms...
, Air League Challenge Cup - 1925 Royal Aero ClubRoyal Aero ClubThe Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
Race Meeting, Light Aeroplane International Holiday Handicap, Private Owners' Race - 1926 Light Aircraft TrialsLympne light aircraft trialsThe Lympne Light Aircraft Trials were held to encourage the development of practical light aircraft for private ownership, with a strong but not exclusive emphasis on fuel economy. They were held in 1923, 1924 and 1926. Each year saw different restrictions on engine size, framed initially in terms...
- 1928 King's Cup RaceKing's Cup RaceThe King's Cup Race is an annual British handicapped cross-country air race, first contested on 8 September 1922. The event was open to British pilots only, but that did include members of the Commonwealth....
(checkpoint), Folkestone Herald and Kent Evening Echo Cup - 1929 King's Cup Race (checkpoint)
- 1930 King's Cup Race
- 1932 Folkestone Aero Trophy Race
- 1933 Cinque PortsCinque PortsThe Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
Wakefield Cup Race - 1937 Wakefield Cup Race
- 1938 Folkestone Aero Trophy Race
- 1939 Wakefield Cup Race, Folkestone Aero Trophy Race
Post-war air races
With the resumption of civil flying in 1946, a number of air races were held. The 1946 Folkestone Aero Trophy was won by John GriersonJohn Grierson (pilot)
John Grierson was an English long-distance flier, test pilot, author, and aviation administrator.Grierson started his flying lessons at Brooklands while still a schoolboy, graduated from RAF Cranwell in 1929, and flew out to India in 1930 in his own Gypsy Moth, named Rouge et Noir, to join his RAF...
in Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
G-AHFN. The 1946 Siddeley Trophy was won by R Pomphret in Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
G-AHNX. The four aircraft in the 1946 High Speed Handicap were a Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
(flown by Geoffrey de Havilland), Hornet
De Havilland Hornet
The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet was a piston engine fighter that further exploited the wooden construction techniques pioneered by de Havilland's classic Mosquito. Entering service at the end of the Second World War, the Hornet equipped postwar RAF Fighter Command day fighter units in the UK and was...
(Geoffrey Pike), Fury
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
(William Humble
Bill Humble
William Humble MBE was a well-known pre-Second World War aviator, known as an air racer and for his aerobatic displays, he was also an officer in the Royal Air Force Special Reserve, and the Auxiliary Air Force. Although he qualified as a mining engineer the lure of flying proved too strong, and...
) and Seafang
Supermarine Seafang
-References:NotesBibliography*Bingham, Victor. Supermarine Fighter Aircraft. Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2004. ISBN 1-86126-649-9.*Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935-1950. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland, 2004. ISBN 1-85780-179-2.* Humphreys, Robert. The...
(Guy Morgan). The race was won by the Fury flown by Humble. John Cunningham
John Cunningham (RAF officer)
Group Captain John "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham CBE, DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar, , was a British Royal Air Force night fighter ace during World War II and a test pilot, both before and after the war...
competed in the 1947 High Speed Handicap in Vampire F1 VZ332
United Kingdom military aircraft serials
In the United Kingdom to identify individual aircraft, all military aircraft are allocated and display a unique serial number. A unified serial number system, maintained by the Air Ministry , and its successor the Ministry of Defence , is used for aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force , Fleet...
, coming sixth. Peter Twiss
Peter Twiss
Lionel Peter Twiss, OBE, DSC and Bar was a British test pilot who held the World Air Speed Record as the first man to fly at a speed greater than 1,000 mph.-Early life:...
flying a Firefly IV
Fairey Firefly
The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm ....
won the high-speed race at 305.93 mph (136.8 m/s). The winner received the Hythe Aero Trophy and £100. The 1948 High Speed Handicap Race was won by Flt Lt
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
J Colquhoun in a two-seat Spitfire. The course was Capel airship hangar, Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
pier and Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
gas holder. In 1950, competitors in the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
South Coast Air Race used Lympne before the race started. This race was won by Nick Charlton in Proctor
Percival Proctor
The Percival Proctor was a British radio trainer and communications aircraft of the Second World War. The Proctor was a single-engine, low-wing monoplane with seating for three or four, depending on the model.-Design and development:...
G-AHUZ.
Races held at Lympne:-
- 1946 Folkestone Aero Trophy, High Speed Handicap Race, Siddeley Trophy Race
- 1947 High Speed Handicap Race (Hythe Aero Trophy), Siddeley Trophy Race
- 1948 High Speed Handicap Race, Siddeley Trophy Race, Tiger Moth Scratch Race
- 1950 Daily Express South Coast Air Race
Record breakers
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. In 1930 the Fokker F VIIA (G-EBTS) The Spider flown by Charles Douglas Barnard and R F Little, with Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford
Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford
Dame Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford, DBE, RRC, FLS was an English aviatrix and ornithologist.-Early and personal life:...
as passenger, left Lympne for Maitland Airport
AFB Ysterplaat
Air Force Base Ysterplaat is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located in Cape Town, on the southwestern coast of South Africa.The name Ysterplaat is Afrikaans; it means Iron Plate in English....
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, which was reached in a record 100 hours. In 1931 C.W.A. Scott
C.W.A. Scott
Flight Lieutenant Charles William Anderson Scott, AFC was a famous English aviator, best known for winning the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934....
set a UK-Australia record in a DH.60
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
The de Havilland DH 60 Moth was a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane...
(G-ABHY). On the return he landed at Lympne in the aircraft which had been re-registered VH-UQA. Also in 1931 Glen Kitson and Owen Cathcart-Jones left Lympne bound for Cape Town in a Lockheed DL-1 Vega Special
Lockheed Vega
|-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Allen, Richard Sanders. Revolution in the Sky: Those Fabulous Lockheeds, The Pilots Who Flew Them. Brattleboro, Vermont: The Stephen Greene Press, 1964....
. Cape Town was reached in 6 days, 10 hours. On 31 October C. Arthur Butler flew from Lympne to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in a Comper Swift
Comper Swift
-See also:-References:*Boughton, Terence. 1963. The Story of The British Light Aeroplane. John Murray*Meaden, Jack & Fillmore, Malcolm. . The Comper Lightplanes. Air-Britain Archive . Air-Britain. ISSN 02624923...
(G-ABRE), beating C.W.A. Scott
C.W.A. Scott
Flight Lieutenant Charles William Anderson Scott, AFC was a famous English aviator, best known for winning the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934....
's record by 102 minutes.
In October 1932, a Spartan
Spartan Aircraft Ltd
Spartan Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1930 to 1935. It was formed by reinvestment in Simmonds Aircraft which had suffered financially.-History:...
A.24 Mailplane
Spartan Cruiser
|-See also:-External links:******...
(G-ABLI) left Lympne en route for Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
from Blackpool
Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool)
Stanley Park Aerodrome was an airfield located in the Stanley Park area of Blackpool, Lancashire England which was in use for civil and military flying from 1929 until closure of the airfield in 1947...
. Karachi was reached in less than six days. On 14 November 1932, Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
left Lympne for Cape Town in DH.80a Puss Moth
De Havilland Puss Moth
|-See also:-References:* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 . London, Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10010-7-External links:*...
(G-ACAB). She beat her husband Jim Mollison's
Jim Mollison
James Allan Mollison was a famous Scottish pioneer aviator who set many records during the rapid development of aviation in the 1930s.-Early years:...
time by 10 hours and 28 minutes, setting a new UK-South Africa record. On the return she also set a new South Africa-UK record. On 11 April 1933, William Newton Lancaster
Bill Lancaster (aviator)
Captain William Newton "Bill" Lancaster was a pioneering British aviator.-Early life:Born in Birmingham, England, Lancaster emigrated to Australia as a child prior to World War I. In 1916, he joined first the Australian Army and later the Australian Flying Corps...
departed Lympne in an Avro Avian
Avro Avian
The Avro Avian was a series of British light aircraft designed and built by Avro in the 1920s and '30s. While the various versions of the Avian were sound aircraft, they were comprehensively outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its descendants....
V (G-ABLK) Southern Cross Minor to beat Amy Johnson's UK-South Africa record. The aircraft crashed in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
next day and although Lancaster survived he died eight days later when his water ran out. On 2 November 1934, Owen Cathcart Jones and Ken Waller landed at Lympne in a de Havilland Comet
De Havilland DH.88
The de Havilland DH.88 Comet was a twin-engined British aircraft that won the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race, a challenge for which it was specifically designed...
(G-ACSR) after a record breaking flight from Australia to the United Kingdom. Harold Broadbent landed at Lympne in a DH.85 Leopard Moth
De Havilland Leopard Moth
-See also:...
(VH-AHB) on arrival from Australia on 27 April 1937, filmed by Gaumont News
Gaumont Film Company
Gaumont Film Company is a French film production company founded in 1895 by the engineer-turned-inventor, Léon Gaumont . Gaumont is the oldest continously operating film company in the world....
, and an Australia-UK record was set. On 24 October 1937 Jean Batten
Jean Batten
Jean Gardner Batten CBE OSC was a New Zealand aviatrix. Born in Rotorua, she became the best-known New Zealander of the 1930s, internationally, by taking a number of record-breaking solo flights across the world....
flew to Lympne in a Percival Gull Six
Percival Gull
The Percival Gull was a British single-engined monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.-Design and development:...
(G-ADPR), having set a solo Australia-UK record and female Australia-UK record.
In 1947, four national records were set at the Lympne Air Races.
| Distance | Class | Speed | Set by | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 km (62.1 mi) closed-circuit | Aircraft of any power | 496.88 mph (222.13 m/s) | John Cunningham John Cunningham (RAF officer) Group Captain John "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham CBE, DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar, , was a British Royal Air Force night fighter ace during World War II and a test pilot, both before and after the war... |
De Havilland Vampire De Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served... |
| 100 km (62.1 mi) closed-circuit | Aircraft fitted with an engine between 6.5 and 9 l (396.3 and 548.8 cuin) | 178.33 mph (79.72 m/s) | Pat Fillingham | De Havilland T.K.2 |
| 100 km (62.1 mi) closed-circuit | Aircraft fitted with an engine between 4 and 6.5 l (243.9 and 396.3 cuin) | 178.33 mph (79.72 m/s) | Pat Fillingham | De Havilland T.K.2 |
| 100 km (62.1 mi) closed-circuit | Aircraft fitted with an engine between 2 and 4 l (122 and 243.9 cuin) | 123.72 mph (55.31 m/s) | R I Porteous | Chilton D.W.1 |
On 8 May 1960, a world record was set for the distance flown by a model aircraft
Model aircraft
Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary aircraft using a variety of materials including plastic, diecast metal, polystyrene, balsa wood, foam and fibreglass...
at 45.75 mi (73.6 km). The 8 in 6 in (2.59 m) wingspan aircraft had taken off from Lympne and was flown by radio control
Radio-controlled aircraft
A radio-controlled aircraft is controlled remotely by a hand-held transmitter and a receiver within the craft...
from cars to Sidcup
Sidcup
Sidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...
.
Cinque Ports Flying Club
Club flying started in November 1927 with the East Kent Flying Club and although membership reached 220 by 1931 the club was struggling financially. On 1 January 1932 it became part of Brooklands Aviation and was renamed as the Cinque PortsCinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
Flying Club. Lympne was visited by many aviation personalities. Ken Waller learnt to fly at Lympne and became a long-distance and race pilot. W. E. Davis was the secretary/manager of Cinque Ports Flying Club from 1932 until his death in 1938. His wife Ann took over the position in the 18 months leading up to the Second World War. On 22 May 1937 the Duke
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
and Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was a member of the British Royal Family; the wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck....
visited Lympne in an Airspeed Envoy
Airspeed Envoy
The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a British light, twin-engined transport aircraft designed and built by Airspeed Ltd. in the 1930s at Portsmouth Aerodrome, Hampshire.-Development and design:...
(G-AEXX) of the King's Flight while visiting Shorncliffe Barracks
Cheriton, Kent
Cheriton is a northern suburb of Folkestone in Kent that is the location of the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel. It is the location of the major army barracks of Shorncliffe Camp.- History :...
. From 1938 the club participated in the Civil Air Guard
Civil Air Guard
The Civil Air Guard was a 1938 scheme in which the UK government subsidized training fees for members of flying clubs, in return for future military call-up commitments.-History:...
training programme, giving subsidised flying lessons. The Currie Wot
Currie Wot
-References:* Severne, J. . Silvered Wings - The Memoirs of Air Vice-Marshall Sir John Severne. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1844155590...
was designed and built at Lympne. The Cinque Ports Flying Club restarted after the war but folded on 1 October 1948.
Silver City Airways
Silver City Airways moved to Lympne in 1948, operating Bristol Freighter Mk.21Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
aircraft and an aerial car ferry to Le Touquet
Le Touquet - Côte d'Opale Airport
-Flight school & clubs:*Pig Club is a helicopter piloting school.*Le Touquet Opal Coast Flying Club is a helicopter school and club, owned by leading English school heli flight....
started on 13 July 1948. The air ferry
Air ferry
An air ferry is a ferry service in which cars and passengers are transported by aircraft.-British services:The air ferry service was inaugurated by retired Royal Air Force officer Air Commodore Griffith J. Powell, who founded an airline company called Silver City in 1948. They used Bristol 170...
was the idea of Griffith J Powell, who wanted to holiday in France but did not like the ferry. Bristol
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
lent an aircraft for an experiment on 7 July 1948. The first car was Powell's Armstrong Siddeley 16 which was carried by G-AGVC.The Bristol Freighter Mk.21 could carry two cars. Although only 170 cars were carried in 1948, experience was gained.
The service was initially operated on a charter basis. Having closed down over the winter, the service was resumed as a scheduled service on 13 April 1949. During 1949, two aircraft carried 2,700 cars. By 1950 the figures had risen to 3,850 cars and 1,000 motorcycles and other vehicles with passengers totalling 15,000. In that year, a London driver offered a London-Paris taxi service. Silver City Airways had estimated that they would carry nearly 7,000 cars in 1953, but this figure was reached in 1951. The three aircraft had to be doubled to six to cope. Over 13,000 vehicles were carried, with 42 return flights daily at peak times. The time between Lympne and Le Touquet was 18 minutes.
In February 1953, Lympne was waterlogged and services were temporarily transferred to Southend
London Southend Airport
London Southend Airport or Southend Airport is a regional airport in the district of Rochford within Essex, England.During the 1960s, Southend was the third-busiest airport in the United Kingdom. It remained London's third-busiest airport in terms of passengers handled until the end of the 1970s,...
. In September waterlogging again stopped the air ferry, which was transferred to RAF West Malling
RAF West Malling
RAF West Malling was a Royal Air Force station near West Malling in Kent, England.Originally used as a landing area during the first World War, the site opened as a private landing ground and in 1930, then known as Kingshill, home to the Maidstone School of Flying, before being renamed West Malling...
. Six Bristol Freighter Mk.32s were introduced in March 1953, at a cost of £540,000, which could each carry three cars and a service to Ostend
Ostend-Bruges International Airport
Ostend-Bruges International Airport is located in Ostend, Belgium, near the coast and about 25 km from the city centre of Bruges. Although an important proportion of the activities focuses on freight transport, it is increasingly used for passenger flights, mainly charter and holiday flights...
was started with the aircraft. Skyways remained at Lympne until October 1954 when it moved to Lydd (Ferryfield). On 3 October 1954, the last Silver City flight to Le Touquet was operated by Bristol Freighter G-AIFV. Silver City moved to Lydd because the runway at Lympne was not suitable. Although it had campaigned for improvements to the runway and was Lympne's biggest customer the airfields owners, the Ministry of Civil Aviation
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
, refused. Silver City said it would build an airport suitable for its needs at Lydd
Lydd
Lydd is a town in Kent, England, lying on the Romney Marsh. It is one of the larger towns on the Marsh, and the most southerly town in Kent. Actually located on Denge Marsh, Lydd was one of the first sandy islands to form as the bay evolved into what is now called the Romney Marsh...
.
Accidents and incidents
- On 29 March 1920, Nieuport Delage 30T F-CGTI of Compagnie Générale Transaérienne crashed at Lympne.
- On 26 April 1921, Salmson 2.A2Salmson 2|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
F-CMAE of Compagnie des Messageries AériennesCompagnie des Messageries AériennesCompagnie des Messageries Aériennes was a pioneering French airline which was in operation form 1919 - 23, when it was merged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union.-History:...
crashed at Lympne. The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service. - On 15 November 1921, a Handley Page O/400Handley Page Type OThe Handley Page Type O was an early biplane bomber used by Britain during the First World War. At the time, it was the largest aircraft that had been built in the UK and one of the largest in the world...
suffered engine failure shortly after passing Lympne on a flight from Paris to Croydon, resulting in the loss of a propeller. The aircraft made a forced landing at Lympne, damaging the undercarriage in the process. - On 24 April 1923, Fokker F.IIIFokker F.III-Bibliography:* de Leeuw, Rene. Fokker Commercial Aircraft: From the F. I of 1918 Up to the Fokker 100 of Today .* Weyl, A.R. Fokker: The Creative Years. London: Putnam, 1965. ISBN 0-85177-817-8....
H-NABS of KLM departed Lympne for RotterdamWaalhaventhumb|right|250px|Waalhaven Airport in 1932, with the [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin|Graf Zeppelin]] in the background.The Waalhaven is one of various harbours in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and used to be home to an airport, Vliegveld Waalhaven . It was the first civilian airport in the...
and AmsterdamAmsterdam Schiphol AirportAmsterdam Airport Schiphol ) is the Netherlands' main international airport, located 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The airport's official English name, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, reflects the original Dutch word order...
. The aircraft was not heard of again. It was presumed to have crashed into the sea, killing the pilot and both passengers. - On 7 May 1923, Farman F.63bis Goliath F-AEGP Flandre was involved in an accident at Lympne.
- On 8 February 1925, Farman Goliath F-GEAB of Air Union crashed whilst attempting to land at Lympne. The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Paris to Croydon when an engine failed over the Channel.
- On 18 August 1926, Blériot 155Blériot 155-References:* * *...
F-AIEB Wilbur Wright of Air UnionAir UnionAir Union was a French airline established 1 January 1923 as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens...
crashedAugust 1926 Air Union Blériot 155 crashThe August 1926 Air Union Blériot 155 crash happened on 18 August 1926 at Hurst, Kent when Blériot 155 F-AIEB of Air Union hit a barn and crashed whilst attempting to make a forced landing in bad weather. Two passengers were killed in the accident, and the pilot died a day later.-Aircraft:The...
2 mi (3.2 km) south of Lympne, killing both crew and two passengers. - On 17 January 1931, Breguet 280T F-AIVU of Air Union crashed whilst attempting to land at Lympne. The aircraft caught the boundary fence and crashed onto the airfield, damaging the forward fuselage and undercarriage. Of the eight people on board, one of the crew was injured.
- On 9 December 1937, Handley Page H.P.45 G-AAXD Horatius of Imperial AirwaysImperial AirwaysImperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
was struck by lightningLightningLightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
whilst flying across the Channel from Paris to Croydon. A precautionary landing was made at Lympne where it was found that minor damage had been done to a wing. - On 12 March 1938, ST25 MonosparGeneral Aircraft Monospar-Bibliography:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . Orbis Publishing, 1985, p. 2158.*Jackson, A.J. 1973. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 2. Putnam ISBN 0370100107....
G-AEJV crashed near Lympne when both engines cut out. Pilot Bill Davis, managing director of the Cinque Ports Flying Club, was among the four people killed. - On 1 June 1938, Fokker F.VIIb/3mFokker F.VIIThe Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
OO-AIL of SABENASabenaSABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
crashed into the grounds of SellindgeSellindgeSellindge is a civil parish and village on the A20 road between Ashford and Folkestone in Kent, South East England. Sellindge is part of North Downs West Ward of Shepway District Council but part of the Elham ward of Kent County Council....
Methodist ChurchMethodist Church of Great BritainThe Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
whilst attempting to land at Lympne during a thunderstorm. - In September 1938, Handley Page H.P.45 G-AAXD Horatius of Imperial Airways suffered damage to its port undercarriage and lower port wing in a forced landing at Lympne. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
- On 11 January 1947, Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
G-AGJX of British Overseas Airways CorporationBritish Overseas Airways CorporationThe British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
crashed1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 crashThe 1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 Crash occurred on 11 January 1947 when Douglas C-47A G-AGJX of British Overseas Airways Corporation crashed into a hill at Stowting, Kent, in southeast England, killing five people outright, with a further three dying from injuries received. The aircraft had been...
at StowtingStowtingStowting lies between Canterbury, Folkestone, Ashford and Hythe. In 1947, a Douglas C-47A crashed on the hillside above the village, killing eight of the 16 people on board.There is a Church of England Primary school.-External links:*...
. Six people were killed and ten injured. The aircraft was attempting to reach Lympne when it ran out of fuel, having aborted an attempt to land at Bordeaux Airport and other French airfields being closed due to fog. The aircraft was operating an international scheduled passenger flight with a final destination in West Africa - On 3 May 1949, Miles AerovanMiles Aerovan-See also:-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
G-AJKM of East Anglian Flying ServicesChannel AirwaysChannel Airways was a private airline formed in the United Kingdom in 1946 as East Anglian Flying Services.The newly formed airline initially operated aerial joy rides with a single, three-seater aircraft from an airstrip on the Kent coast...
Ltd was blown over whilst being refuelled and damaged beyond economic repair. - On 30 June 1950, DH.89 Dragon RapideDe Havilland Dragon RapideThe de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
G-AKME caught fire whilst being refuelled and was burnt out. - On 1 May 1961, DH.89 Dragon Rapide G-AGOJ was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Lympne.
- On 11 July 1965. Avro 748 G-ARMV of Skyways Coach-AirSkyways (British airline)Skyways Limited was an early post-World War II British airline formed in 1946 that soon became established as the largest operator of non-scheduled air services in Europe....
arriving from Beauvais was written off1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crashThe 1965 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crash occurred on 10 July 1965 when Avro 748-101 Series 1 G-ARMV, flown during a scheduled international passenger flight from Beauvais Airport, Oise, France, crashed on landing at its intended destination of Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom...
at Lympne when its nose-wheels dug into soft ground on the grass runway. The aircraft flipped over, losing its port wing in the process.
External links
- Aerial photo of Lympne Airport after closure
- Kent County Council – Exploring Kent's Past – Lympne Airfield
- British Pathé newsreel of Georges Barbot's channel crossing