Newtownards Airport
By the 1920’s aviation technology had advanced to the stage
where passenger flights were possible. Newtownards Airport was the
first civil commercial airport in Ulster as Aldergrove was still
wholly an RAF station. It was opened on 31st August 1934
by the Governor of Northern Ireland, the Duke of Abercorn. Also in
attendance at the ceremony were the seventh Marquis of Londonderry
and his wife Lady Maire Bury. The ground, a former racecourse, was
leased from Lord Londonderry for one shilling per year a figure
that was raised to £6 in 1949. When established,
Newtownards Airport comprised about 50
acres of prepared and levelled grassland, together with a hangar
and a temporary clubhouse accommodating a radio station, general
offices and catering facilities. The airport was “designed to
meet the terminal needs of airline companies today, while providing
for rapid expansion to satisfy the requirements of years to
come”. Because the airport was located at the top of
Strangford Lough and the runway was only 18 feet above sea level,
landings could take place in thick fog. Apparently in stormy
weather one person would grab each wing and another, the tail until
the plane came to a standstill! Ards was in fact preferred by the
airline operators of the 1930s and from 1934-1938 it served as the
civil airport for Belfast under the management of
Airwork Limited of Heston. In 1935 the airport became the customs
airport for Northern Ireland and all foreign traffic had to land
here. The services were soon running at a profit. Planes flew to
all the major cities in the British Isles. Airline companies
operating out of Ards in the 1930s included Isle of Man Air
Services, Blackpool and West Coast Airways, and Northern and
Scottish Airways.
The
Royal Mail was also brought to Ards. Passengers travelling from
Belfast to London were collected at 8.00am at the Midland Hotel at
York Road and driven to Ards Airport. The flight began at 9.00am
sharp. There was a fifteen minute stop at Liverpool where
passengers could get off. The plane then flew south to Croydon
where it landed at noon. The passengers were driven to Victoria
Station. Ards Airport flourished from 1934 to 1938. It was
considered to be the seventh busiest in the British Isles. Perhaps
its most famous visitor was Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hitler’s
Ambassador to Britain, who landed there in 1937 in a Junkers JU52
on his way to visit the Londonderrys at Mountstewart
House.
During the Second World War the airfield was used both by the Army
as a training base and as a relief landing ground for Sydenham. It
had a significant role in gunnery training with target towing
aircraft on ground to air and air to air tasks. In 1940 it had been
taken over by 231 Squadron of the RAF as a reserve for Sydenham.
Two tarmac runways were constructed for Westland Lysanders on
patrolling duties. Ards Airport was the only specifically military
target outside Belfast. The airfield was bombed with explosives and
incendiaries by the Luftwaffe on Tuesday 15th April 1941
killing 13 personnel.
Prior to the bombing incendiaries were dropped on Scrabo
Hill.
After the war the airfield was opened again for commercial flying
with Silver City Airways operating a car ferry service to and from
Stranraer’s Castle Kennedy airfield. Each plane carried two
cars and the service began with in 1965 with daily flights to
Scotland and lasted for around 18 months. Two factors led to its
demise: the fuel shortage following the Suez Crisis and the fact
the Vauxhall car company began to fly stocks of cars into
Nutt’s Corner Airport. With the development of two airports
in Belfast, the aerodrome was initially closed, but the
establishment of the Ulster Flying Club, supported by Short
Brothers the aircraft builders as well as the Civil Aviation
Authority, secured its future.
The
Ulster Flying Club (UFC) was founded in 1961 and over this period
has grown to become Northern Ireland's largest flying school and
one of the largest, non commercial training, flying organizations
in Ireland. Since commencing operations from Newtownards aerodrome
the UFC has established itself as a leading provider of aviation
services, ranging from trial lessons to Private Pilot’s
License training.
Good views of the airfield and the planes taking off and landing
can be had from along the flood barrier footpath accessible from
the car park just down the Portaferry road from here. Pay special
heed to the warning signs of low flying aircraft on the barrier
path.
The cache is a magnetic nano. It is not on the airfield or in the
grounds of the club. Please take care in crossing the roads to the
site as the roads around it can be quite busy at times, keep a
close eye on children too. As this is an extremely public
area ensure that you are very discrete in retrieving and replacing
the cache. Also please put it back exactly where you got
it from. You may want to move elsewhere to sign the log and then
return to replace it. Parking is available nearby just through the
gates and on the street. Please take note of any parking
restrictions in force. Also nearby is the Sky's Café which
is now open for business! Located behind Aero-Heli with a fantastic
view of the airfield it is open to club members and the
public.