Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of

Hounslow Hounslow () is a large suburban district of West London, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in ...

, and hosted the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main remaining part of

Hounslow Heath Hounslow Heath is a local nature reserve in the London Borough of Hounslow and at a point borders Richmond upon Thames. The public open space, which covers , is all that remains of the historic Hounslow Heath which covered more than . The pre ...

. The last commercial flights took place in 1920, after which services moved to

Croydon Airport Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main airp ...

. Hounslow Heath Aerodrome is not to be confused with Great West Aerodrome, which opened nearby in 1929, and which is now

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

Earlier use of the site

A British army cavalry unit had been based since 1793 at

Hounslow Barracks Cavalry Barracks is a former British Army installation located north of Hounslow Heath in Hounslow, west London. Hounslow was one of 40 new barracks established around the country in the wake of the French Revolution, to guard against the dual t ...

, centred 500 metres north of the site, regularly using most of Hounslow Heath for training exercises. Nine years before for the first precision mapmaking and surveying it saw General Roy's Baseline measured from one end of the heath to the other. The act marked a key stage in the

Principal Triangulation of Great Britain The Principal Triangulation of Britain was the first high-precision triangulation survey of the whole of Great Britain (including Ireland), carried out between 1791 and 1853 under the auspices of the Board of Ordnance. The aim of the survey was ...

and was repeated with greater precision on later occasions.

1910-1920

* 1909: First reported landing by aircraft on the heath. * Early 1910: A hangar was built, to support proposed flying training for army officers. * Up to 1914: Several landings and departures were reported.

World War I

*14 October 1914: Ten days after the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

(RFC) delivered two

B.E.2 The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including establish ...

c aircraft by air from

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields ...

aerodrome to what remained of the historic heath. The RFC progressively increased its presence on the heath. *March 1915: About 200 military personnel were receiving intensive training there. From then, the aerodrome was used for home defence, primarily against the threat of

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

military airships, combined with development of pilots, aircraft and squadrons ready for transfer to battlefronts in France. *30 March 1915: 10 Squadron RFC moved in from

Farnborough Airfield Farnborough Airport (previously called: TAG Farnborough Airport, RAE Farnborough, ICAO Code EGLF) is an operational business/executive general aviation airport in Farnborough, Rushmoor, Hampshire, England. The airport covers about 8% of Rush ...

. *May 1915: 10 Squadron RFC was replaced by 14 Squadron. *August 1915: 14 Squadron RFC was replaced by 15 Squadron. All three squadrons were equipped with B.E.2cs. *1 September 1915: 24 Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath, commanded by Major

Lanoe Hawker Lanoe George Hawker, (30 December 1890 – 23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of the First World War. Having seven credited victories, he was the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry awar ...

VC. It was the first single-seat fighter RFC squadron, first equipped with various types such as

Bristol Scout The Bristol Scout was a single-seat rotary-engined biplane originally designed as a racing aircraft. Like similar fast, light aircraft of the period it was used by the RNAS and the RFC as a " scout", or fast reconnaissance type. It was one o ...

and

Vickers F.B.5 The Vickers F.B.5 (Fighting Biplane 5) (known as the "Gunbus") was a British two-seat pusher military biplane of the First World War. Armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun operated by the observer in the front of the ...

, then it standardised on Airco D.H.2s. *29 January 1916: No. 19 Training Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath - the station's first dedicated training unit. *February 1916: 24 Squadron departed to France. *5 November 1915: 27 Squadron was formed, using

Martinsyde Elephant The Martinsyde G.100 "Elephant" and the G.102 were British fighter bomber aircraft of the First World War built by Martinsyde. The type gained the name "Elephant" from its relatively large size and lack of manoeuvrability. The G.102 differed fro ...

fighters. *15 April 1916: 39 Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath from No. 19 Training Squadron, starting with B.E.2cs. *15 May 1916: 52 Squadron was formed at Hounslow Heath, starting with B.E.2cs. * November 1917: 85 Squadron commanded by

Billy Bishop Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, and a ...

was briefly based there, equipped with

S.E.5A The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the ...

s. *December 1917: 87 Squadron was briefly based there, equipped with

s.Sherwood (1999)Halley (1988)Halpenny (1993) *1 April 1918: The RFC and the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

were merged to form the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. The buildings at Hounslow Heath included four permanent

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

s and several Bessonneau canvas hangars, and based aircraft included

Sopwith Dolphin The Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin was a British fighter aircraft manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It was used by the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force, during the First World War. The Dolphin entered service on t ...

Sopwith Snipe The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of th ...

s and

Avro 504 The Avro 504 was a First World War biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the war totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind tha ...

s. Training and communications squadrons of the RAF continued to use Hounslow Heath.

Civilian activities 1919-1920

Aerial travel for Business or Pleasure - Thos Cook & Son - 1919 - pp 16+ (map)

*1 May 1919: The ban on non-military flying was lifted. One incoming flight to Hounslow Heath from Bristol, plus one outgoing flight to Lympne Airport, both charters, became the first UK commercial flying journeys between 'appointed' aerodromes. *1 June 1919: The RAF vacated the airfield, and handed it over to civilian control. *1919: During that first year of civilian operations, several thousand passengers were carried on 'joy flights'. Those flights often employed de-mobbed and modified Avro 504s, operated in military markings but with the name of the owners, e.g. Avro, added in large lettering. Two of the former RFC permanent hangars were used to house civilian aircraft. The third hangar, nearest to the entrance road from Staines Road, was converted into a

customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

hall, with prominent external lettering 'Douane' and 'Customs' visible to air and ground visitors.Bluffield (2009) *14 July 1919: The first international commercial flight arrived in the form of a

Caudron The Société des Avions Caudron was a French aircraft company founded in 1909 as the Association Aéroplanes Caudron Frères by brothers Gaston and René Caudron. It was one of the earliest aircraft manufacturers in France and produced planes for ...

aircraft piloted by Etienne Poulet, carrying photos from Paris – Le Bourget Airport, in accordance with inter-government agreements celebrating the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1 ...

. At that time, Hounslow Heath was the only approved aerodrome in the London area with customs facilities. In the following five weeks, various proving flights took place, sometimes without customs clearances or passports. *25 August 1919: Several flights inaugurated scheduled international commercial flights. The first was by an

Airco DH.4A The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Air ...

(G-EAJC) owned by

Aircraft Transport and Travel Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited was a British airline formed during the First World War, a subsidiary of Airco. It was the first airline to operate a regular international flight (between London and Paris). History On 5 October 1916, Air ...

(AT&T) and piloted by E.H. 'Bill' Lawford. That flight carried journalists, newspapers and various goods to Paris. The same day, incoming and outgoing proving flights were operated by Handley Page, typically using O/400 aircraft. The first daily international service departed later in the day to Le Bourget, with an Airco DH.16 (K-130) of AT&T, piloted by Cyril Patterson. *30 September 1919: North Sea Aerial Navigation Co Ltd started a regular passenger service between Roundhay Park (Leeds) and Hounslow Heath, using Blackburn Kangaroos. Services were later extended to Amsterdam.Jackson, A.J. Aeroplane Monthly August 1979, pp. 398–400 *Afterwards:

Handley Page Handley Page Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer. Founded by Frederick Handley Page (later Sir Frederick) in 1909, it was the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidatio ...

continued to operate London-Paris passenger services from its private Cricklewood Aerodrome, in competition with AT&T from Hounslow Heath. Handley Page had to land its aircraft at Hounslow Heath to embark or disembark passengers for customs clearance, until:- *17 February 1920: Customs facilities were provided at Cricklewood. *7 October 1919:

British Aerial Transport British Aerial Transport Company Limited (BAT) was a British aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1917 to its closure in 1919. The company was based at Willesden, London. History The company was formed in 1917 by Samuel Waring around th ...

Company (BAT) started a Hendon-Hounslow-Amsterdam service using

BAT F.K.26 The BAT F.K.26 was a British single-engined four-passenger biplane transport aircraft produced by British Aerial Transport Company Limited of London at the end of World War I. Design and development As the First World War drew to a close the a ...

s, then on 13 October

Instone Air Line Instone Air Line was an early British airline from 1919 to 1924. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways. This airline is not to be confused with Instone Air Line (1981) of Stansted, which operated ...

started a Cardiff-Hounslow-Paris service, using

Airco DH.4 The Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited (Airco) was an early British aircraft manufacturer. Established during 1912, it grew rapidly during the First World War, referring to itself as the largest aircraft company in the world by 1918. Ai ...

s. Services were also operated by

Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes ''Compagnie des messageries aériennes'' was a pioneering French airline which was in operation from 1919–23, when it was merged with Grands Express Aériens to form Air Union. History Compagnie des messageries aériennes was established Febr ...

(CMA) and Compagnie Générale Transaériennes (CGT) using Breguet 14.A2s.

England to Australia flight

In 1919 the Australian government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first Australians in a British aircraft to fly from Great Britain to Australia.

Decline

*27 March 1920: The last commercial flights took place at the heath, and AT&T moved its operations to

. *28 March 1920:

supplanted Hounslow Heath to become the approved airport serving London. The army then repossessed the land for use as a repair depot and training school. * A few aircraft demonstrations and occasional landings took place on the heath into the mid-1930s

Today

Hounslow Heath has largely reverted to an undeveloped public open space and nature reserve. There are also several memorials to the aerodrome.

Notes

References

*Bluffield, Robert. 2009. Imperial Airways - The Birth of the British Airline Industry 1914–1940. Ian Allan *Chorlton, Martyn. 2014. Forgotten Aerodromes of World War 1 - British military aerodromes, seaplane stations, flying-boat and airship stations to 1920. Crecy Publishing Ltd, Manchester. *Halley, James J. 1988. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988.

Air-Britain Air-Britain, traditionally sub-titled "The International Association of Aviation Enthusiasts", is a non-profit aviation society founded in July 1948. As from 2015, it is constituted as a British charitable trust and book publisher. History Air-Brit ...

*Halpenny, Bruce B. 1993. Action Stations Vol.8: Military Airfields of Greater London. PSL *Lewis, Peter. 1970. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. Putnam *Sherwood, Tim. 1999. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911–1946
Heritage Publications (Hounslow Library)

External links

{{Defunct airports in the United Kingdom Airports in the London region Defunct airports in England Transport in the London Borough of Hounslow Former buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hounslow Airports established in 1914 History of Middlesex 1914 establishments in England