Silverstone

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Whilst watching the British Grand Prix the other night I heard the ITV commentators James Allan and Martin Brundell mention that the famous Silverstone racetrack was in fact an Air Force base during the Second World War. Does anyone know more about it? Was it RAF? or USAAF? Was it a bomber base? Or Fighters? or other?

On a similar note, in Top Gear, is the track where they test the cars and do the celebrity time trials also an ex-RAF station? It looks very much like a runway, and there are large hangar-like buildings in the background often. Is it perhaps Brooklands?

Cheers
Dave

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Top Gear is (or was) filmed at Dunsfold

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Thanks Yak11.

I hope what you infer ("or was") doesn't mean the show's been cancelled, the new Top Gear is brilliant, so much funnier than the old stodgy version.

Jeremy Clarkson is brilliant, plus he has an EE Lightning in his backyard!

Cheers
Dave

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Thanks Yak11.
Jeremy Clarkson is brilliant, plus he has an EE Lightning in his backyard!

Not quite.......that was a stunt for a particular show, and the Lightning was promtly removed after the filming was finished......... :rolleyes:

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As far as I know it's still being made, however I've not seen any of the new series hence why I didn't know whether they had moved location or not. Seems that Dunsfold is ideal for such a programme.

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Does anyone know more about it? Was it RAF? or USAAF? Was it a bomber base? Or Fighters? or other?

I've been Googling around looking for something on this and the best I've gotten so far is that it was a RAF Bomber training base. I'm sure someone with a lot more knowledge/books handy will come up with the goods though.

Always a bit of a give away when watching the race is where they keep referring to 'hanger straight'! :)

Cheers

Tank

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Dave,

Silverstone, and a number of other nearby bases, were used by the RAF as training bases for Bomber Command crews. I think they mainly used Wellingtons for training.

I've noticed that part of the original runway is still visible when cycling around the race circuit on charity days.

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Here's an aerial pic of silverstone as it is today,with the old airfield layout still clearly visible.

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Snetterton was also an 8th Airforce bomber base as was the Lotus track at Hethel.

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Thanks all,

I guess there may well have been a TV documentary made at some point about the track's history or even books but i haven't found much at all.

I wonder if many other F1 tracks around the world are built upon former-air force stations.

Few people these days might know that Ardmore airport, Auckland, home of the New Zealand Warbirds, was once a Formula One track. Dad has some photos he took inside the McLaren pitts. Amazing - you could simply stroll through the pitt and what they now refer to as 'the paddock' literally was in those days!! He also got to have a sit in one of the Mclaren cars - lucky git. And he met Bruce and his team mate (can't recall his name).

They used to race cars and bikes at RNZAF Station Wigram when I lived there, including Formula 3 and Formula Ford, and I often saw the awesome Britten Superbike race there too. It is infrequently used as a race track nowadays.

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SIlverstone was...
Base to Wellingtons of No 17 OTU part of 92 group.
Opened March 1943
Closed November 1946
There is a small memorial near the gate... Also the original tower is still there.
Info from various sources...
OAW

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Snetterton was also an 8th Airforce bomber base as was the Lotus track at Hethel.

Other race track/test tracks that were former RAF/USAAF bases include:-
Goodwood (Westhamptnet)
Pembury (Pembury :rolleyes: )
Gaydon (Gaydon - V bomber base)
Croft (?)
Boreham - Ford test track and old rally team HQ (B-26 base)

Over the past 20 or so years, I've also competed in many motorsports events (mostly rallying and sprinting) at Debdon, North Weald, Thorney Island, Oakington, Watton, Bovingdon and Enstone to name a few.... :)

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Cheers guys, very interesting. I don't know what would be better to hear, the roar of Wellingtons or the scream of F1 cars. Hmmm. Both I think :)

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Few people these days might know that Ardmore airport, Auckland, home of the New Zealand Warbirds, was once a Formula One track. Dad has some photos he took inside the McLaren pitts. Amazing - you could simply stroll through the pitt and what they now refer to as 'the paddock' literally was in those days!! He also got to have a sit in one of the Mclaren cars - lucky git. And he met Bruce and his team mate (can't recall his name).

-----

When they set F1 up they went to the horse racing people for help and a lot of terms from the gee-gees have come accross with it.

Tank

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During Grand Prix weekend, Silverstone also temporarily becomes the busiest airport in the world apparently. I forget exactly how many movements they have per hour, but it's hugely impressive. And all rotary wing, too.

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And he met Bruce and his team mate (can't recall his name)

Team mate was Denny Hulme.

The TV progs Top Gear and 5th Gear still use Kemble a lot, especially 5th Gear. Occasionally, in some shots, you can see the Brittania. Clarkson's solo series of programmes (Apocolypse Clarkson, etc) were filmed at Kemble.

Glen should be able to tell you more if necessary.

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Steve...
The air movements at Silverstone for the G.P. over the last few years is not even a patch on what it was back in the eighties and early nineties...
The number of transfers and direct flights has dropped so much... We help at Turweston for the G.P. weekend and apart from the year when Silverstone was closed for most of the morning through fog (the year Bernie complained that HE couldn't fly into the circuit - as if HE was the only one!!!) every year the numbers are getting less and less...
I remember waking to hear the constant flow of helicopters at 7 in the morning at my mum & dad's...
OAW

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do fixed wing aircraft land there anymore, very handy i would imagine if they are allowed to still. Anyone with a picture of the tower, wartime or recent?

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Hatton
No all Fixed wing go into TW... Only Rotary go in but there was some talk a year or so ago of even stopping that except for "special" people...
I remember in 1988/89 seeing Dash 7's fly in for the G.P.
For a picture of the tower try this link
http://www.controltowers.co.uk/S/Silverstone.htm
OAW

Edit for spelling

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excuse my ignorance but TW is the designation for which airport/aerodrome?

thanks for the link, Id always imagined that the tower would have gone long ago.

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Bruce McLaren's team mate was Denny Hulme.
Silverstone held the first World Championship Grand Prix event.
In the 1980's the runway still prominent in that aerial photo was used by fixed wing aircraft even during GP meetings. I remember seeing Trilanders flying in there. Now days Tuwestone takes all the suitable fixed wing traffic and some helicopters. There is a cross country route by 4X4s to Silverstone and helios also use the Silverstone runway as a heli pad. Over the GP weekend in past years around 2000 helicopter movements are recorded.
The Hangar straight did indeed have a large hangar on the in field just after Abbey curve. I saw it filled up and emptied with Coco cola and the like one year in the 70's :)
mmitch