Blackpool Hangar Tour Wednesday 17th August 2022

[Deleted]

My beloved was sent for a one night re-hab course at a place near Blackburn following her return to work it consisted of  various things such as exercise, and well being classes following her treatment. We had known about it for a couple of weeks and as I was taking her there -I arranged through a Blackpool Spotter member of LAAS to visit Squires Gate for the first time in over ten years. On our way to the address Jan was attending we went past Bae at Salmesbury where they have the following two BAPC aircraft on the gate.

BAPC-357 Lightning

BAPC-455 F35 Lightning


I then made my way to Blackpool and arrived some hour and a half early -I was meeting another Blackpool Spotter at Westair's for a hangar tour. So following info given by the guy off LAAS. I visited the following hangars:-

Hangar Three- Refused access
High-G Flight Traing- Given escorted tour
High-G Jets- Given escorted tour
Hangar 8 (Old Westair Hangar) no reply
Air Navigation -Hangar Tour given
Blackpool Air Centre -Closed- rarely open- but contains 20plus aircraft

I met my other contact at Westair and went around the hangar and vistited another couple of hangars nearby- he then took me over to Hangar 8 where we gained access - and went into another hangar I was not aware of in addition into viewing from the tarmac the occupants of Hangar three. So endeth a fantastic tour and seen were the following:-

2-MLBU PA-46-350P

G-APTY Beech G35

G-ARAW Cessna 182C

G-ATHV Cessna 150F

G-ATOO PA-28-140

G-AVGE PA-28-140

G-AVUS PA-28-140

G-AWPU R/Cessna F150J

G-AXNZ Pitts S-1C

G-AXSW R/Cessna FA150K

G-AYMK PA-28-140C

G-AZBN AT-16 Harvard IIB/FT391

G-BBXK PA-34-200

G-BCKN DHC-1 Chipmunk/WP811

G-BFNI PA-28-161

G-BFSZ PA-28-161

G-BGCO PA-44-180

G-BGHM Robin R.1180T

G-BGVZ PA28-181

G-BGXD TB.10 Tobago

G-BJWW R/Cessna F172P

G-BJXA Slingsby T.67A

G-BLLP Slingsby T.67B

G-BNOP PA-28-161

G-BOIY Cessna 172N

G-BPGZ Cessna 150G

G-BRBW PA-28-140

G-BRLG PA-28RT-201T

G-BSKW PA-28-181

G-BSTZ PA-28-140

G-BUCT Cessna 150L

G-BVGI Pereira Osprey

G-BWFM Yakovlev Yak-50

G-BWHI DHC-1 Chipmunk/WK624

G-BXHR Stemm ST-10

G-BXIA DHC-1 Chipmunk/WB615

G-BXLT TB.200 Tobago XL

G-CCYG Robinson R44

G-CEFM Cessna 152

G-CIAF TL Sirius

G-CIRW R/Cessna FA150K

G-CJJS PA-28-151

G-CNCN Commander 112TC

G-CVXN F406 Caravan

G-DAWG SA Bulldog/XX522

G-ENEA Cessna 182P

G-FFFF Zenair CH 750

G-FIXX Van's RV-7

G-FMAM PA-28-151

G-GFIB R/Cessna F152

G-HIGA Cessna 172P

G-HIGB Robin R.2120U

G-HMJB PA-34-220T III

G-IHXD R/Cessna F150M

G-IIDD RV8

G-KMTE Sr22

G-NHVD Agusta AW169

G-NHVT Agusta AW169

G-NSTG R/Cessna F150F

G-OBLC Beech 76

G-OWST Cessna 172S

G-PTEK Van's RV-9A

G-RVWJ Van's RV-9A

G-SASX Agusta AW169

G-SHMB L39ZA Albatros

G-SLZT Sling 2

G-SPHU EC135

G-TFUN Valentin Taifun

G-TIII Pitts S-2A

G-UFLY R/Cessna F150H

G-ZINC Cessna 182S

N66MS PA-28RT-201

N322JR Cirrus SR22

N605SR C421

N663CD Cirrus SR22

N949AC Cirrus SR22

BM597/G-MKVBSpitfire Both tyres burst with the heat on Sunday at the airshow was in the High-G Jets hangar waiting for new tyres
BS435/BAPC324Spitfire

PL256/BAPC325Spitfire


So after thanking my guide -I made my way home having added 23 to the log. I then mowed the lawn.

Happy Days

Bob

 

[graham]

What a great haul Bob, never visited Squires gate

[dave]

hi Bob,
great report, always liked Squires Gate, it was here that my aviation spark was lit, and uptill the last 3-4yrs very friendly, hope the good lady went on ok...

regards,
dave...

[zz]

Thanks Bob, always interesting to get a full log from somewhere to work out how many I need there! Despite being semi-regular at Blackpool I need 15 of that lot (12 G and 3 N) so a return visit is obviously needed!
Spent many, many hours there and Warton as a child, as all my relations lived around the Blackpool area. We used to stay at my Grandmothers in Lytham St.Annes, and the house was to the south of the airport, only a half mile from the end of the runway!
Cheers!

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2022 10:18:51 GMT dave said:

hi Bob,
great report, always liked Squires Gate, it was here that my aviation spark was lit, and uptill the last 3-4yrs very friendly, hope the good lady went on ok...

regards,
dave...

Thanks dave- she's fine just an overnighter and she had on her programme Pilates, Tai Chi which I thought you got from the chippy, Meditation and Holistic Treatment- jus got in after picking her up, she said it was ok, but not many people stayed and the ones who did kept themselves to themselves- so she just looked at Net Flix on the I-Pad in her room- with a couple of cocktails she had taken with her- she did say there was a lad in the canteen with an Everton shirt on - I said did you tell him I was an Evertonian- she said didn't bother as her was moaning about the food. Enough said- an Evertonian moaning never!!!! 

Squires gate was a regular haunt of mine from starting spotting in 1963, used to get the Ribble bus from Skelhorn Street in Liverpool and dropped you off at the airport where they had a viewing area. I got to know quite a lot of the Blackpool spotters and I went on a couple of trips out with them to Prestwick to see the RCAF F104's and to Salmesbury to see the Canberra's which were heading to the Argentine Air Force . Must have gone there about once every 5 or 6 weeks. 

Good visit though thanks to the guy at Laas and his mate who works at Westairs- most the people were onside- with only the one lady refusing me access, but I think she was having a bad day.

Happy Days


Bob

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2022 16:05:10 GMT zz said:

Thanks Bob, always interesting to get a full log from somewhere to work out how many I need there! Despite being semi-regular at Blackpool I need 15 of that lot (12 G and 3 N) so a return visit is obviously needed!
Spent many, many hours there and Warton as a child, as all my relations lived around the Blackpool area. We used to stay at my Grandmothers in Lytham St.Annes, and the house was to the south of the airport, only a half mile from the end of the runway!
Cheers!

Phil,

Not forgetting the 20 plus in the Blackpool Air Centre hangar- which is always locked up- but I managed to log one from the door at the top of the steps. But it is rammed. They get a fair amount of Biz jets visiting as well. There are lots of light aviation field's around the area as well which I considered going to- but thought better of it as the weekend is better (I.e Cockerham x 3,  Pilling, St Michaels, Chipping etc Still a good visit, and still a few based needed, which were out and about, and I did not do the helicopter hangar the other side of Morrisons.

Happy Days

Bob

[zz]

Yes done most of those microlight bases over the years. My aunt used to live near Pilling but I think that is one that I’ve not yet done!

[dave]

hi,
2016 was my last visit to Pilling farm and Rossall farm, can't remember which but at one the farmer just said ok the doors are open, shut them when you come out. The other when i asked just wanted the car reg. but both very friendly...
regards,
dave...

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2022 18:01:25 GMT dave said:

hi,
2016 was my last visit to Pilling farm and Rossall farm, can't remember which but at one the farmer just said ok the doors are open, shut them when you come out. The other when i asked just wanted the car reg. but both very friendly...
regards,
dave...

dave, 

Likewise- the last time I went to Pilling and Cockerham and St Michaels was also when I last visited Blackpool- Pilling was down that long farm track and park near to the Portakabin - which had the aircraft owners in and who let me have a look around as well as having a brew with them after a donation to the tea fund  You had to go down all kinds of nooks and crannies of some of the buildings to see the occupants. Have been about three times to all three of those strips.

Cockerham was similar walked down to the big hangar and pull a rope which was inside the door to open and access granted. Still a few micro sites up in the lakes which I have not been too.

Happy Days

Bob