Redcar Airfield, Redcar and Cleveland: Pilots Showing Off

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The area in front of Redcar Racecourse was where navy pilots were trained during WW1. Many of them were in their early twenties and started to earn themselves a reputation for showing off. The local council wrote letters to the station commander complaining about aeroplanes flying low over the beach. Local postcard makers saw this as a benefit to tourism and displayed images of this happening. Despite being ordered not to fly beyond the confines of the aerodrome one trainee pilot Christopher Bliney said: “Me being a naughty boy I went to look at Saltburn one morning”. He describes engine problems on the way back to Redcar and crashed into a hedge, fortunately he was unharmed. On one occasion a navy pilot was delivering a love letter by aeroplane to a woman at Redcar. After a few aerial stunts he attempted to land only to crash his aircraft into the latrines. He survived although his pride may have been somewhat damaged. Location: Redcar Airfield, Redcar and Cleveland TS10 2BY Image: Aeroplane used in Redcar, courtesy of IWM