Historic EGBN

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Going a bit senile I cannot remember whether these pictures were ever shown before, but can't find them in the SoH archive and they hadn't been removed from my 'To be posted' file, so here they are (again? maybe). Never mind if they have appeared before, I'm sure you lot won't mind a repeat performance...

Last summer I had to do some work out to the west of Nottingham and drove past this interesting-looking old building:

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6418/egbnbuilding.jpg

Stopped to take a closer look...

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/1010/egbndetail.jpg

This is right by Nottingham Tollerton Airport, Nottingham's municipal airfield first opened in June 1930. Have a book with an aerial view taken about 3 years later:

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/9651/egbnold.jpg

Note the circle with a pointer to indicate wind direction, which they have preserved:

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6303/egbnpointer.jpg

This range of 1930s buildings has also survived, visible to the left in the old photo:

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5133/egbnoldbuilding.jpg

Looks like the building on the left was probably the WW2 RAF Officers' Mess, 1993 book described it as 'a pub and restaurant', but it didn't seem to be that any more by 2010. RAF tarmacced the airfield during the War. Two shots of today's small GA airport:

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/2972/egbnview.jpg

Above: The Tower with that pointer in front.

It has, of course, lost out to EGNX Nottingham East Midland at Castle Donington (actually in Leicestershire), quite a big international airport, base of British Midland, which may soon even have flights to New York. (Unfortunately from one of the shabby bring-your-own-toilet-paper operators like Ryanair). There is also EGCN Doncaster Sheffield Robin Hood - ridiculous, as everyone (except Yorkshire folk) knows that Robin Hood came from Nottingham, NOT South Yorkshire! Anyway, back to EGBN:

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6718/eggnoverview.jpg

Closer look at that preserved WW2 pillbox:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5114/egbnpillbox.jpg

Probably would have been further covered by earth and better camouflaged at the time and there would have been several around the perimeter. It has plaques about the restoration effort, 1941 Wellington crash and RAFVR memorial:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9444/egbnpillboxcloseup.jpg

Although it was flooded last summer:

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2149/egbnpillboxflood.jpg

More soon, including aircraft seen there last summer.

[Moses03]

Interesting. Thanks Ralf.

[lefty]

Never understood why Yorkshire wants to claim Robin Hood.

I love old airfields - one of my favourite movie scenes is the start of 'Twelve O'Clock High'.........

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Some pictures of aircraft that were there... This Tomahawk is in the 1993 book, parked on the disused RAF runway:

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/8230/egbnoats.jpg

Here's a view of that parking last summer, looking the other way from near the Tower:

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5049/egbnaircraft.jpg

This looked interesting by the other hangar:

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/8094/egbnautofriend.jpg

Zoom-in on the autogiro:

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9163/egbnautogiro.jpg

G-OATS is probably still flying, but here's a more recent PA-38 which landed and taxyed over to the blue hangar that day last summer:

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9025/egbnpiper.jpg

[Ralf Roggeveen]

I'm posting this in two sections because my internet connection has been unreliable recently :frown:. Lost the whole lot yesterday morning, Drat and Double Drat! :banghead: (But it seems a bit better today).

Anyway, star of the show last summer was obviously...

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/2923/egbntiger.jpg

G-TIGA which reminded me of G-ANSM that I'd flown in at Sibson earlier that year:

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/1847/egbnextra.jpg

Of course yellow was the old RAF trainer livery, but the dark green is very smart. If you look quickly it could almost be in WW1 (and probably has been in some films!)

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/2579/egbntiga.jpg

I had to take a picture of my Julie with the Tiger Moth beyond:

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/8853/egbnjulie.jpg

The aeroplane is about 25 years older than the car, and the car's approaching her half century...

Well, that was a good lunch hour! ;)

[Ferry_vO]

Nice photos and always fun to explore such locations, but you really need to get your camera cleaned Ralf!