The 'Introduce yourself' Thread

I live in Peterborough and became interested in the history of my local Airfield and others many years ago when I was playing football in the Grange playing fields with my son. In the corner of the field I spotted in someone's back garden a Pillbox. I went and had a nose and luckily the owner was in his garden so I asked if I could have a look. He told me that it was originally part of the RAF Peterborough/ Westwood perimeter defences and was of RAF design? The owner had painted it white and fitted glass into the loop holes, he also confessed that he kept wine in it. I have read the RAF Peterborough / Westwood thread. Brilliant Stuff.

Welcome to AiX Thunderpants71, I hope that you find other subjects of interest to you within the forum. Peterborough was ringed by many defences such as pillboxes during WW2 and there are a lot still extant. You will find other military airfields around P'Boro too.

Thunderpants71;85639 wrote:

... he also confessed that he kept wine in it.

Hmm - sitting in a pillbox with a glass of fine Burgundy in one hand, and a copy of 'Works -AP 3236' in the other... I can think of worse ways of spending my time

Welcome to AiX TP.

Welcome to the forum

HI all
Joined your group as a result of looking for old ICAO codes. Basically researching Cardiff airport and needed some 1960 ICAO codes which arent used nowadays
Hope to look thru the forums soon to see what else is talked about and if I can add anything to help

thanks for reading
Mike

Welcome Mike, there is a little bit on Welsh airports on the forum, if you have any info to add to the threads I'd be interested in reading it. I hope you enjoy AiX!

Welcome to AiX

We have this list....
/community/showthread.php?2791-UK-Airfields-ICAO-codes

and this list.....
/community/showthread.php?2870-UK-Airfields-pre-ICAO-Codes

Hi Guys and Gals,
I have recently joined this site and thought you would all like to know about a couple of venture’s some groups I belong to are trying to undertake!?
Firstly let’s start with RAF Bicester, it was part of 13 OTU and was never a operation bomber airfield, but was in use until 1992 when the RAF and USAAF moved out and mothballed it, about 4 years ago a small group of like minded people got together, because thought it was appalling that bomber command (and everyone else does) had no lasting memorial for the 55,575 aircrew lost, so we set about to put that straight!, well let’s just say it got out of hand, and we are now very nearly the new owners of the Tech site and airfield, the site its self is the best preserved WW2 bomber airfield in the World, English heritage have given it the same classification as Stonehenge, have made it a site of national importance, and have listed all buildings as Scheduled Ancient Monuments, so no one not even the Govt. can sell it for house's, we just are waiting for the MoD to pull their finger out! Its going t my job to "turn it back to the war" and have events there, even air shows, as there is still flying rights, there is the old RAF glider school still there. We have MP's, Bomber Command Assoc. and even the Royal Family backing us! We have an evening and book signing with Squadron Leader Tony Iveson of 617 (Dambusters fame and Chairman of the Bomber Command Association) on the 22nd Oct.

Now to RAF Enstone
A very good friend of mine Paul Fowler, owns the flying school there, and about a year ago had this mad idea about getting a squadron of 12 Spitfires off the ground, so to speak, he made some enquires and to cut a long story short has almost finished the 1st one, they come in kit form, what Paul wants to do is take them to air shows, small events ect, and do a proper Squadron Scramble, he had an open weekend, which was well attended a couple of weeks ago. The Spitfire’s are made by Supermarine, (Mike bought the name off the 2 ladies that owner it, and they were so pleased with what he wanted it for) and are Mk26b’s, a 2 seater version, and are 90% scale, but when you see them flying you cannot tell, the only reason they are 90% is the engine, you cannot get one so they use the Isuzu supercharged V8 petrol, it sound just like the real thing! A veteran Spitfire pilot flew one and told me when he came down “Give me some guns a want to go to war again”?? Cheers
Keep well
Ian