Woodford photos - mid eighties.

[avro748]

Hello Folks

Recently I have been looking through some old 35mm film and scanning the stuff that hadn’t rotted away! Regretably my record keeping got a bit slack between 1984 and 1992. So I am looking for some help in nailing down the dates I took these shots. There are some clues but not enough for me to even come up with the exact year..

All the photos below are from the same film and are all at Woodford.

Clues:

The hangared ‘748 in the background on the photo of XZ138 is TJ-CCD, this was at Woodford from December 1985 to January 1989.

The first ATP can be seen in the background of the PC-9 photo. The ATP first flight was August 6th 1986. So, I think the photo date wouldn’t be much before the first flight date, but could have been anytime after.

The photo of G-BGEL shows the hangar roof immediately behind the Tomahawk fin to be intact, this hangar roof collapsed during maintenace work on August 8th 1987.

So, from the above ‘clues’ I reckon they were taken between mid 1986 and August 1987. But if anyone can tie the particular photos to specific dates I would be grateful.

Scanned photos from the film.


XZ578:501 Sea King HAS5 810 Squadron – Sea Kings visited in connection with a locally designed/built Sea King simulator, Ferranti I think?



45+32 Tornado IDS MFG-2 West German Navy – Not sure why this was in but night stopped, so possibly visiting for a local aviation society talk?



G-BGEL Piper Tomahawk Avro Flying Club – Based from early 1985.



HB-HPB Pilatus PC-9 British Aerospace Brough – The Brough test pilots used this to commute to Woodford on work associated with the Buccaneer upgrade programme. It was a frequent visitor so virtually impossible to nail the date for this photo.



XZ129:09 Harrier GR3 1 Squadron and XZ138:K Harrier GR3 233 OCU – Visited together. Not an airshow.





I am hoping that some of you guys have kept better logs than I and can give me an idea of the dates these were taken.

All help much appreciated

Shaun

[qsyonroute]

Hi Shaun

I'm afraid I can't be of much help with the dates etc, but I can certainly say that it's an interesting collection of images!

Cheers,

[avro748]

Cheers Stephen

I think the best solution to the query would be to have access to the Woodford ATC movements books. I wonder what has happened to them now its closed?

Cheers

Shaun

[ian531]

Had a quick look at Woodford yesterday, looks very desolate

Ian

[wadoki]

Over the years I did a number of Woodford factory tours.One during this period sticks in the memory..........29/3/88
This was THE time to visit the factory as there were no less than FOUR types being worked upon.
The last four new-build 748s were present alongside the ATP,production of which was reaching its peak with no less than 11 on the line.
146 production had just begun with the first three not to be produced at Hatfield present.
As if that wasn`t enough one end of the factory was full of Buccaneers!They were in for some sort of modification.....................can anyone remember what it was? This enabled the Buc to soldier on for another six years.

I passed the old airfield recently,it is now an upmarket housing estate.Lots of Jags and beemers.All very nice but a bit soulless.

[mw5]