Rick Purnell, Press Officer writes about our March meeting - The First Aerodrome in Devon

A Teignmouth businessman William (Bill) Parkhouse, set up his Motor dealership – Agra Engineering Co. in Bank Street Teignmouth following demob from WWI. Having been a leading engineer and pilot in the Royal Navy Air Service, he applied to De Havilland for an agency but as that had been awarded elsewhere he was successful with Avro and in 1928 rented 80 acres of heathland on Haldon Moor near the present day Golf Club for an airstrip for his first purchase Avro Avian III. Bill was the first and only motor dealer of his time to sell aeroplanes as well as automobiles. Having no hanger, he folded the Avro’s wings and towed it to his car showroom. When the De Havilland agency became available in 1929, he took this and purchased 2 gypsy moths forming the first airfield in Devon and from his wartime experience grew the business provided aviation engineering services, fuelling and a pilot training school.  He formed an association with a wealthy American, Whitney Straight, owner of Dartington Hall who purchased aircraft to fly out of Haldon Aerodrome. Hangarage developed and services continued to grow.  In 1929, the aerodrome was host to Haldon Air Rallye a competitive air race which was repeated as an annual event in 1930/31 with the Teignmouth Air Trophy being hotly contested. (now in Teign Heritage Museum).  By 1933, the aerodrome worked with Great Western Railway Air Services with integrated land/air services and with others provided regular daily commercial passenger flights. Also in 1933 the South Devon Flying Club was formed for private aviation facilities and later a gliding club. By 1937 the Straight Corporation (Whitney Straight) took over the management from Bill Parkhouse and started the Haldon Airport Ltd. Bill moved on to manage services at Exeter Airport and other enterprises. All of these activities were interrupted by WWII requisitioned for the war effort and saw running down and cessation of the facility being too small for commercial use. The only remaining evidence today is a topographic plaque placed there in 1998 by Teign Heritage Museum.

For more information go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haldon_Aerodrome

After an interesting question time, the speaker, Ian Handforth of Torbay Civic Society was thanked by member Brian Portch.