100 Years
Centenary
A Brief Year by Year History of Shoreham Airport
For a more detailed account of the airport’s history see
'Shoreham Airport a Brief History' available from the Visitor Centre
1910
Harold Piffard, an amateur aviator, arrives from London with the remains of his experimental flying machine. He liked the ‘capital ground’ and strong hangar at the site adjoining New Salts Farm, Shoreham. Negotiations had begun the previous year between George Wingfield’s Aviators Finance Company and the Mayors of Brighton, Hove and Worthing to put Shoreham on the map as a centre of early aviation and it was George Wingfield, a solicitor and businessman, who provided the link between the amateur efforts of Piffard and the more serious intentions of the local mayors.
1911
This was a big year for the airport. Mr O. C. Morison was the first aviator to actually fly in to Shoreham on March 7th in his Bleriot, al the way from Brighton. The first Brooklands to Shoreham air race also took place this year, on May 6th, and was won by Gustav Hamel in another Bleriot. By June of 1911, ten wooden hangars and a grandstand for spectators had been built, together with rail access, known as ‘Bungalow Town Halt’ and on 20th June the Brighton (Shoreham) Aerodrome was officially opened. On July 4th 1911, Horatio Barber made the earliest recorded cargo flight when he took a box of Osram lightbulbs to Hove.
1912
Many illustrious names of early aviation came to use the aerodrome around about this time. A.V. Rose, Claude Graham-White, Gordon England, Horatio Barber, Graham Gilmour, John Alcock and the aforementioned Gustav Hamel and Mr O C Morison. Also arriving at Shoreham were some aviation experimenters, including G.M. Dyott with his red monoplane, A.V. Roe, Tsoe K Wong, one of the earliest Chinese aviators, and Cedric Lee and Tilghman Richards with their “flying doughnut”.
1913
Cecil Pashley and his brother Eric (who was later killed in the 1914-1918 war) moved from Brooklands to Shoreham to start the Brighton (Shoreham) Flying Club. Sadly, this was the year that saw Shoreham’s first flying fatality when, on June 29th, Richard N Wright stalled his Avro 500 and crashed into New Salts Farm garden.
1914-1918
In August 1914, a Marine Major Gerrard requisitioned the aerodrome and all its assets. Because of this, George Wingfield began a costly action against the government, which didn’t end until 1916 when he received £25,000 in compensation from them. The Pashley brothers continued with their flying school until December of 1914 and then stored their machines in one of the hangars when they left; Cecil to the Northern Lakes and Eric Vickers before joining 24 squadron in France. Cecil later moved to Hendon where he trained many for the Royal Flying Corps. The airfield was used during the 1914-18 war as a RFC training base with 3 Training Squadron using Farmans, FE2s and later, Avro 504s. During this time, the famous RFC/RAF 14 Squadron was formed (February 1915) prior to its departure for the Middle East. In the latter part of the war, the South East Area Flying Instructors School was located here to evaluate enemy aircraft. More hangars were needed at this time and were erected to the west of the original sheds built by Wingfield.
1919-1925
In May 1919 numbers 1 (Canadian Fighter Squadron) and 2 (Canadian Bomber Squadron) arrived at Shoreham to accept their Sopwith Dolphins, SE5s and DH9s.
George Wingfield tried to revive the Sussex County Aero Club but, because of the economic climate, found that there was little support. In 1921 there was an attempt to sell the aerodrome freehold but this was withdrawn as there were no bidders. Immediately after the war, a social and economic depression had set in and the once lively centre of aviation reverted back to grazing land for cattle.
1926-1927
Things had at last started to improve. Fred and George Miles, brothers from Portslade, had joined forces with Cecil Pashley (who had returned from instructing at Hendon) to form the Gnat Aero Company, which operated from south of the present railway line. By 1926 they had expanded to the north and west of New Salts Farm Road and become Southern Aircraft Ltd and the Southern Aero Club. Pashley taught Fred and George to fly and they then used their Avro 504s not just for their own enjoyment but also for tuition. Also in this year, Sir Alan Cobham came to Shoreham and, with Sir Sefton Brancker, worked very hard to revive local municipal interest in Shoreham as an airport.
1928
Lancing College organised a flying meeting at Shoreham in May 1928, which included RAF Tangmere’s Siskins. By mid 1928 the Mayor of Worthing had approached Mr Miles senior, the brothers’ father and source of much of their financing, to discuss acquiring the land for a municipal airport. This was followed by a joint conference involving Brighton, Hove and Worthing.
1929
By this time, the Miles brothers had started to produce their own aircraft designs and on July 10th 1929, the Southern Martlet took off from Shoreham. In October of this same year, another company on the airfield flew the Hendy Hobo.
1930
Sir Alan Cobham was engaged by the local authorities in 1930 to survey possible airfield sites in the area and he chose the original Shoreham field that had been used until 1921. A sum of £31,000.00 was allocated for the construction of a terminal building and hangars.
1931
On May 9th 1931, George Wingfield was an honoured guest at the Southern Aero Club’s luncheon and took the opportunity of commending the local authorities for their vision in returning to Shoreham. Later that same day, there was a flying programme which included Fred Miles in his Metal Martlet, and a flypast of Martlets, Moths and Avians, a Bluebird, Cutty Sark, Desoutter, Widgeon, Redwing, Spartan and an autogiro (a forerunner of the helicopter).
1932
Sir Alan Cobham again returned to Shoreham on August 6th and 7th 1932 with his National Aviation Day Display. In October 1932, the Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Company started their first scheduled services with four flights a day, using Monospar ST4 and Wessex aircraft.
1933
Shoreham’s first recorded opportunity to entertain royalty took place on July 4th 1933 when the then Price of Wales (later Kind Edward VIII) flew his aircraft in to land.
1934
By the end of this year, work had started on the new Terminal building although only one of the planned four hangars was to be built.
1935
By 1935, Olley Air Services of Croydon had been appointed to manage the airport, Railway Air Services had included Shoreham in its schedules and the Southern Railway had re-opened the old “Bungalow Town Halt” as “Shoreham Airport”. The new airport was ready for use by 1st September 1935 – less than a year from the start of building. Also in September of this year, the old Southern Aero Club came under the auspices of the Brooklands Aviation and was renamed the South Coast Flying Club, retaining Cecil Pashley as its Chief Flying Instructor.
1936
The official opening of the airport took place on 13th June 1936 and was attended by the Mayors of Brighton, Hove and Worthing. It was a two-day event which included an air display and, on the second day, the first South Coast Air Trophy Race.
1937 - 1938
There was an impending sign of conflict in 1937 when the Air Ministry initiated the Martin School of Air Navigation at Shoreham to train RAF Volunteer Reserve personnel. Martins later officially became 16 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School and had Bellman hangars erected to house their Tiger Moths, Harts, Hinds and later, Ansons and Battles.
1939-1945
The last Empire Air Day was held at Shoreham on 20th May 1939. After the outbreak of World War Two on September 3rd 1939, all club and private flying ceased. Soon, however, Croydon’s airport traffic was re-routed to Shoreham and foreign airliners came into the airfield. Albatrosses, Ensigns and old HP42s flew out to North Africa and Egypt, India and Europe. The airport terminal building and hangars were given a coat of “heavy green” paint. During 1940 Shoreham was requisitioned by the RAF and used for anti-invasion patrols by 225 Squadron’s Lysanders and through the Battle of Britain period, the field was used as an emergency landing ground for damaged Spitfires, Hurricanes and Blenheims. In 1941 the airfield was extended and other improvements installed. Throughout the war Shoreham received its share of emergency landings from combat-damaged or malfunctioning aircraft as well as serving as a re-fuelling point.
1946-1949
Shoreham was made available for civil flying on 1st January 1946 and in May of that year Cecil Pashley landed in an Auster. Within weeks, the South Coast Flying Club was re-animated and the airport was officially re-opened to the public with an air display on 29th June. During these years, there were attempts at scheduled services and airshows, which failed mainly due to the condition of the buildings and the airfield with flooding and the lack of a tarmac runway mainly to blame.
1950s
In the early 1950s Shoreham started to become well-known again as an air racing and air display venue and also because the Miles brothers had got back together again and leased the airfield for work on aviation contracts.
On 14th December 1953 Shoreham was the venue for the first flight of the Miles Sparrowjet, the first British light aircraft to use jet power. Also in the early 1950s, Chelsea College of Aero Engineering set up their premises here (now known as Northbrook College). East Anglian Flying Services employed a Rapide to fly services to the Channel Islands and Meridian Air Maps (another company with Miles involvement) used an Aerovan, Austers and Consul for its work here. The Miles Student/Centurion flew from Shoreham on May 15th 1957. The re-formed South Coast Flying Club transformed into the earlier Southern Aero Club with Cecil Pashley still involved.
1960s
In 1964 South Coast Air Taxis requested a 1500-yard east-west runway suitable for Bristol Freighters and Short Skyvans. Local opposition led to public enquiries being held.
F.G. Miles Ltd followed up on the Sparrowjet with a design aimed at the military market – the Miles M.100 Student jet-trainer. This design failed to win them a government contract and eventually led them to consider a merger with Auster in May 1962 to become the Shoreham end of Beagle Aircraft Ltd under Sir Peter Masefield. The prototype Beagle Pup had its first flight on April 8th 1967. Under the auspices of Beagle, the Pup, B.206, Bulldog and M.218 flew from Shoreham.
In 1969, although rejected, a north east-south west runway was advised as a suitable possibility.
1970s
Beagle Aircraft Ltd suffered a financial collapse in February 1970 and the tenancy of the airfield was handed back to the Joint Airport Committee and Shoreham reverted to its status as a municipal airport on May 15th 1971.
1980s
A third public enquiry in 1980 supported the creation of a hard runway and allocated £250,000.00 for it on the understanding that it would only be used between 7am and 9pm. It was officially opened on September 18th 1982. In 1986 the Air Traffic Control tower was rebuilt to give it greater height and a new taxiway from the airport apron also enabled a three-way operational option.
1990s and into the new millennium
In 1998 the hard runway was extended towards the south west and Shoreham is now a busy, thriving general aviation airport with flying schools and air taxi companies that use both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. It is also host to the resident Police Helicopter Air Support Unit, an aeronautical engineering college as well as many aviation and engineering related companies.
