I recently met up with old friend who lent me some photos taken in 1962 when I worked at Shoreham Airport. They were taken on a Kodak Brownie camera & the quality leaves a lot to be desired. I've scanned a few of the better ones & thought I would post them here. These are some of the photos I woud have liked to have taken if only I'd had a camera.
I worked for the Southern Aero Club at the time. This is one of the Tiger Moths I was responsible for.
Beagle Aircraft Ltd was formed while I was there & the company was based at Shoreham. The club was persuaded to purchase a Beagle Terrier (G-ARLO) which was a revamped Auster AOP.6. The clubhouse is in the background.
The boss didn't like it & after consultation with the manufacturer it was replaced by the Mk2 version. (G-ASAX)
A very rare aeroplane owned by one of the club members. The General Aircraft Cygnet.
This Miles Hawk Trainer was owned & flown by Dick Emery the famous comedian.
Another Miles aeroplane, the Hawk Speed Six.
I had my first flight in one of these. An ex-RAF Miles Marathon. It was eventually broken up for scrap.
Another rare aeroplane. The Edgar Percival EP.9. This one was owned & operated by local crop sprayer Jim Pearce.
This is the beautiful little Beagle M.218 prototype designed by George Miles. It was before its time being constructed from composite materials.
Ken Wallis with the prototype Beagle-Wallis WA116 autogyro.
Yet another rare aeroplane. The one & only Reid & Sigrist Desford which had been converted for prone-pilot trials. The chap at far left is Beagle Aircraft chief test pilot 'Pee Wee' Judge who was sadly killed while demonstrating the WA117 autogyro at the 1970 Farnborough Air Show.
All photos by my friend Pete Godfrey.