One of our airfields is missing…

SO where was the old Thakeham airfield, mentioned in recent recollections of the visit by Sir Alan Cobham Flying Circus in 1933?

A reader called to say he had lived in Thakeham for many years but had never known the village to have an airfield.
          He’s right, of course, if you think of an airfield in today’s terms. But in the terminology of 1933, when there were relatively few restrictions on private flying, an airfield could be anywhere that was more or less flat, where the relatively tiny aircraft of the day could land or take-off.
     What was described in 1933 as old Thakeham airfield was, in fact, a few hundred yards north up the B 2139 – a farmer’s field close to the Danehill Crossroads at Coolham.
     In those days visiting private aircraft, which required only a very short grassy strip for both taking off and landing, often used it.
     The biplanes of Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus, most of which could lift-off from them after a run of only a few yards, often used such privately owned fields as part-time air strips up and down the country.
     During one of his local visits, Cobham even landed what he described as his air liner in the grounds of Courtlands, a large private house that still exists in the middle of Goring!
     Recollections of Cobham’s sometimes hair-raising flying exploits reminded me of a story told to me by John Healey, of Worthing, about his first flight in the 1930s, for which he paid 10 shillings.
     As I bought the ticket, he recalled, I was asked Air liner or two-seater?
     I decided on the two-seater and on being handed the ticket I noticed it read acrobatic flying.
     I found the plane “an old crate” and I climbed up a home-made ladder. In the cockpit were some baby straps, all broken.
     The pilot started off with the plane rocking and bumping up and down. Once we were airborne, I looked over the side and the wind nearly blew my head off!
     Suddenly the pilot decided to loop-the-loop.
I was only able to cling on by putting my hands under the seat and my feet against the side of the cockpit.
After landing, I watched the plane take off again and go through the same aerobatics. I asked a steward, Does he always do the same tricks?
Yes he replied. And last week at Hunstanton the pilot hung on to the loop-the-loop too long and the passenger fell out and was killed.IN her young days, when her father was organising manager of Alan Cobham’s flying circus, June Lester, of Durrington, flew so many times with famous stunt pilots that she was nicknamed The Flying Schoolgirl.
     She recalled that in the 1930s those flying aces were seen by the public in much the same way as today’s daring Grand Prix drivers. But they treated an awe-struck schoolgirl with much fun and kindness.