Tollerton Aerodrome


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During the early 1960's my mum would often drive past Tollerton Aerodrome- which at that time was the main road to Nottingham from outlying villages Keyworth and Plumtree.

At the end of the building nearest the road is a water tower, still there today, but in the early sixties, there was some sort of domed structure on top of it, which had disappeared by the mid sixties, if not before.My older brother used to climb up to it with his mates and i remember once they rigged up a brush handle poking out of it to look like a gun.

I;ve done some looking around on the web and it would seem that it was some sort of revolving machine gun defence post from the war, does anyone remember it ? it was quite distinctive, but i cant find a pic of it anywhere.

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As Chulla has said it was Fields who did the work on the Daks for the Yanks. My Father was one of those who did the work on them. They also did maintenance work for other airlines including BEA. He ha

I went there in 1969 to a kinda dinner dance with a fella called Aiden Palmereston who lived in a big Mock Tudor House in Tollerton, he bought me a long black slinky dress from the Birdcage Boutique,

A view inside Tollerton's main hangar, showing two DC-3s, a York, two Proctors and a Prince. We talk about missing the old local railway sights and sounds, it is just the same for the local aviation s

Never been to Tollerton Aerodrome, but been under it when I worked at Clifton, 41's face went under it.

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Around 1970 I went there to a disco or gig (can't remember) and had my coat nicked, devastated! Never ventured back until the other year when we went to an Indian Restaurant there, which is probably still trading but have no reason to drive out that way for an Indian when there are plenty of good ones in town.

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5# Lizzie,............that was about the year i went there (and only one)......Dinner Dance,..........i aint got your coat Lizzie....

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Me and my mates used to walk out to the aerodrome in the 50s hoping to see aircraft but it was always the same a Douglas parked near the fence and a couple of trainers.

Best wishes and a happy new year

Peter

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When I was very young in the mid 50s, the father of the family who lived about five doors away was an ex-RAF pilot. Although he was working as a salesman he kept his hand in at flying by going to Tollerton every month and hiring a small plane. He often took me with him to keep his youngest son company. We would all sit on the grass looked after by Mrs watching the planes take off and land. Sometimes we would play in the pill box. I remember the family because they were well-off and always had brand new cars when most people around there were lucky to have a motorcycle combination. Eventually they had to leave the council house because the income was too high. Never saw them again.

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Me and my mates used to walk out to the aerodrome in the 50s hoping to see aircraft but it was always the same a Douglas parked near the fence and a couple of trainers.

Three of them - as well as a collection of other things - on this day at Tollerton in the early 1950s; from "Britain from Above"

tollerton.jpg

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#11. It was Field Aircraft Services that used to convert ex-military Dakotas into DC-3s, and overhaul them and other types of aircraft. Started out as Tollerton Air Services during the war. Fields later moved the Wymeswold.

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One of the companies based there, might have been Trumans, used to convert wartime Dakotas to civil passenger aircraft.

If you drive past there you can still make out the letters 'Truman Aviation' painted on the end of the hangar. Tollerton was discussed on here a while ago and I published my photo's of the Lincoln's parked up there in the late 50's. I also recall Brazilian Airways Constellations being worked on in the large hangar, they couldn't close the hangar doors as the a/c were too big, would have loved to have seen one take of from there, a very graceful aircraft.

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As Chulla has said it was Fields who did the work on the Daks for the Yanks. My Father was one of those who did the work on them. They also did maintenance work for other airlines including BEA. He had his camera in there in 1951. If anyone is interested I will scan the pics and put them on here. Fields are now at EMA

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Good idea, Malc. Let's have some pics of Tollerton. Will see what I have got. Yes, Fields had the contract to service/overhaul the American Air Force C-47s (they didn't call them Dakotas), and they also civilianised old RAF Dakotas and sold them to various airlines. I remember seeing a shiny, colourful DC-3 for Aigle Azur Airlines standing outside.

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#5 and #13

I too remember the club but only went there a few times as it was a bit "out of town"

I think the restaurant was called "Charde" or something like that?

Remember going inside the Lincoln bombers vividly.

On Sundays they had model aeroplanes flying about and we would go around picking up all the bits and pieces that fell off during bad landings.

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Here's a couple to keep you going. BEA reg G-ALXK named RMA Rex Pierson. Tollerton 1950

15879jn.jpg

Same aeroplane same time same place. My Father standing in front of it. As it was named Rex Pierson (Chairman? BEA at that time) my Father probably thought it was named after him as his name was Rex - he did think a lot of himself. I have got the full history of this aeroplane from the day it rolled out of the factory at Oklahoma City to the day it was scrapped but the info is on another HDD out of an old computer and I don't know where it is. But, however here are the bits I remember. It is pictured here in its 1950-51 only colour scheme. It was later repainted with horizontal stripes painted full length without the break and British European Airlines painted above as became normal. It also had an extra cabin window added each side at the front end. When BEA had finished with it it was sold to Dan-Air, London who later leased it to Starways. It was broken up in 1968. I believe it was built in 1942. In these pictures it is actually owned by Fields, not BEA.

4ranlu.jpg

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Malc, Rex Pierson was the Chief Designer at Vickers-Armstrongs. Among the types he designed was the Wellington bomber. The BEA DC-3s were the Pioneer Class aircraft, named after British aviation pioneers. Nice pictures.

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The one pictured is a converted C-47 as most were. They were not Pioneer Class, they were Pionair. The conversions on them was done by Scottish Aviation who also manufactured aircraft called a Pioneer and a Twin Pioneer and because of that the put a block on BEA using the name so it was corrupted to Pionair. Freighters were Leopard.

I have just learnt that Rex Pierson was responsible for the Vickers Vimy too!

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