Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool)

Stanley Park Aerodrome
1930s club house (centre), offices (right) and observation/control tower (top) taken from the airfield site in June 2009. Now used as part of the elephant enclosure.
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Civil aerodrome
Owner/Operator	Blackpool Corporation
Location	Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Elevation AMSL	45 ft / 14 m
Coordinates	53°48′56″N 003°00′46″W / 53.81556°N 3.01278°W / 53.81556; -3.01278Coordinates: 53°48′56″N 003°00′46″W / 53.81556°N 3.01278°W / 53.81556; -3.01278
Map
Stanley Park Aerodrome Former location in Blackpool
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m NW - SE 2,100 640 Grass

Stanley Park Aerodrome was an airfield located in the Stanley Park area of Blackpool, Lancashire, England which was in use for civil and military flying from 1929 until closure of the airfield in 1947. The site is now used by Blackpool Zoo.

Despite the existence of the Squires Gate site, now Blackpool Airport, which had been used intermittently for flying since October 1909, Blackpool Corporation decided in 1928 to build a new airfield close to Stanley Park. The aerodrome was located 1.7 mi (2.7 km) east south east of North Pier at an elevation of 45 ft (14 m) above sea level.

It occupied 120 acres (49 ha) of a 400 acres (160 ha) site acquired by the Corporation for aviation and sports use under the Blackpool Improvement Act 1928. The aerodrome was completed, licensed and opened for use in August 1929. After the erection in early 1931 of a hangar and a clubhouse and offices with an observation/control tower on top, the aerodrome was officially opened on 2 June 1931 by the Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. The all-grass airfield's surface was small with the longest landing run available (NW/SE) being 2,100 ft (640 m) in length.

For the first few years the airfield was used aircraft owned by private individuals and flying clubs. These were housed in an art deco hangar and terminal building, parts of which still survive in use within Blackpool Zoo. On 15 June 1932, T. Neville Stack departed from the aerodrome at the controls of Spartan Mailplane G-ABLI on the first leg of a flight to Karachi, India, carrying two passengers. After being named Blackpool, the aircraft was given a civic send-off and reached Drigh Road aerodrome 5 days 23 hours 50 minutes later.

A public Air Pageant was held at Stanley Park on 26 June 1932. Another public event was held on 7 September 1935 during which Alan Cobhams National Aviation Day Circus performed. Pleasure flights were available to the public, but tragedy ensued when an Avro 504 biplane of Air Travel Ltd collided over the outskirts of Blackpool, with Cobham's Westland Wessex monoplane. The pilot and two sisters from Blackpool were killed in the Avro, but the pilot of the Wessex skillfully brought his aircraft and four passengers to a non-fatal crash-landing.