|
Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport, also known as Whitchurch Airport, was a municipal airport in Bristol, England, three miles (5 km) south of the city centre, from 1930 to 1957. It was the main airport for Bristol and area. During World War II, it was one of the few civil airports that remained operational, enabling air connections to Lisbon and Shannon and from there to the United States. The airport closed in 1957, with services transferred to the former RAF Lulsgate Bottom. The former airfield is now occupied by a sports centre, trading estates and retail parks. Part of the site is earmarked for development of the South Bristol Community Hospital. ==Early history== In 1929 the Corporation of the City of Bristol bought of farmland to the south of the city, near Whitchurch, for a new municipal airport.〔 〕 On 31 May 1930, the airport was officially opened by HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent. In its first year of operation, the airport handled 915 passengers, and by 1939 it handled 4,000 passengers.〔 The Wessex Aeroplane Club relocated from Filton Airfield, and together with Bristol Corporation, managed the facilities.〔Wakefield, 1-3〕 The first buildings were a hangar, a club house for the flying club, and an aircraft showroom.〔Wakefield, 11〕 Early services offered by "air ferry" were to Cardiff, Torquay and Teignmouth. By 1932, two air taxi firms were based at the airport.〔Wakefield, 33〕 By 1934, Bristol Air Taxis had become Western Airways, and it was soon joined by Railway Air Services, a subsidiary of Imperial Airways, offering connections to Plymouth, Birmingham, London, Southampton and Liverpool.〔Wakefield, 49-51〕 On 18 October 1938, the Straight Corporation, headed by Whitney Straight purchased control of Norman Edgar (Western Airways), Ltd. and renamed it Western Airways, Ltd.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Air Commodore W W Straight (90680) )〕 In July 1935, a new terminal building was opened, and regular international services started with flights on the Cardiff-Whitchurch-Le Touquet-Paris Le Bourget route.〔Wakefield, 55〕 In 1937, Irish Sea Airways (precursor of Aer Lingus), and Great Western and Southern Airlines commenced operations from Whitchurch.〔Wakefield, 62-65〕 In July 1938, the British Government formed a Civil Air Guard to train pilots for what was widely seen as the forthcoming war.〔 〕 The Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club was one of the training organisations enlisted in this effort,〔 and in addition No. 33 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School was established at Whitchurch to prepare RAFVR pilots.〔Wakefield, 74〕 In August 1938, Frank Barnwell, the chief designer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, died when an ultra light monoplane he had designed and built himself, the Barnwell B.S.W., struck a bump when taking off and stalled, crashing onto a nearby road.〔(Flight 11 August 1938 (Obituary Frank Barnwell) )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|