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Elmdon Airport

Sheldontony, If you mean the flying club, yes, I took a few flying lessons there in a Piper Tomahawk around early 90's, rather expensive at £70 a lesson, you would need 40 lessons before taking your test, that's £2,800 !! enjoyable though and managed a couple of take offs, I should add I was working there at the time and obtained a small discount. I think it's true name was Warwickshire Aero Centre. My Dad worked for Bryant's the builders who built the airport 1934 - 39 where the flying club is based. Eric
 
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When was the existing terminal opened. My first holiday flight from the airport was 1977, cannot remember whether it was the old terminal or the new ? Eric
 
Thanks David, we must have used the 'old' terminal for our first few holidays then, funny, I cannot remember it, put it down to age. After I took early retirement in the 80's and living close to the airport I worked a season down there, cleaning a/c between flights. Eric
 
I used the old terminal in 1977 starting a journey to Moscow, and in 1982 for a flight to direct to Sweden. It was a nice little terminal in the good old days of air travel.
 
Good point, it wasn't actually finished at the time of the article.

Wonder if the despatch put its sports reviews on the front page!
 
The innovation at Templehof copied at Elmdon was the cantelevered roof on the "front" of the terminal allowing planes to taxi right up to the building so that passengers could be under cover going between the terminal and the planes. The viewing gallery was also copied at Elmdon.
 
I lived in Sheldon and often took the trollybus to the boundary and walked to Elmdon airport . There was a pillbox directly opposite the Coventry Road end of the runway and it was here that I spent many hours watching the planes. I can't be exact about the dates but these are some memories.
Air shows with Spitfires and Hurricanes flying low and fast over the crowds.
A red Tiger Moth which landed and immediately flipped over ending upside down on the runway.
The autogyro (yellow I believe).
Dragon Rapides, Dakotas .
Before all of this I remember as very small child seeing Tiger moths flying over my home during the war years.
Added 14/10/2016
The location of the pillbox is marked on Google Earth as 2 Air Raid Shelters which are located in the hedge alonside the A45.
 
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oldsheldonian said:
I lived in Sheldon and often took the trollybus to the boundary and walked to Elmdon airport . There was a pillbox directly opposite the Coventry Road end of the runway and it was here that I spent many hours watching the planes. I can't be exact about the dates but these are some memories.
Air shows with Spitfires and Hurricanes flying low and fast over the crowds.
A red Tiger Moth which landed and immediately flipped over ending upside down on the runway.
The autogyro (yellow I believe).
Dragon Rapides, Dakotas .
Before all of this I remember as very small child seeing Tiger moths flying over my home during the war years.
Click to expand...
YELLOW ONES TO!!!! ME TO John Crump
 
As kids, we spent most Sunday afternoons walking all the way up to Elmdon airport to watch the planes, and then went on to Bluebell Woods. Im talking about early 1960s. The planes used to fly quite low over our house on Bembridge Rd
 
Morning
Love this site....
....just remembering when our day out was to dress up in our Sunday best..take a picnic and watch the planes....simple pleasures in th 50's with four children and not much money.

Does anyone know if Elmdon was a military airport?
Thanks
 
Suze said:
Morning
Love this site....
....just remembering when our day out was to dress up in our Sunday best..take a picnic and watch the planes....simple pleasures in th 50's with four children and not much money.

Does anyone know if Elmdon was a military airport?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Hi All,
Yes. Elmdon was an RAF station which trained pilots for RAF and Fleet Air Arm
Old Boy
 
there is a battle head quarters on the other side of the road sometimes mistaken for an air aid shelter that is in bad condition but still there and accessible.there where two ain't aircraft guns on each corner of the turn in to the small row of shops. The one on the left the concert pit and steel pip is still there aswell but hidden in the hedge.
 
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