from Tom Singfield a link to a video of Gatwick ATC in the mid 1990s
2KK01 Mike Eaton Gatwick Tower
Dave Smith has sent in a pdf file of a 1950 article discussing using Gatwick as a diversion aerodrome for the new airport at Heathrow.
2KK02 from Barry Davidson, the 1958 tower under construction
2KK03 Tom Singfield sent in this photo of Jane Sawyer in Gatwick APC, obviously some significant movement. Possibly her last controlled aircraft prior to a move to TCR.
Tom would like to get in touch with Jane so – Jane, if you’re reading this please reply using the comment tab. Atchistory will intercept it before its posted on line and we’ll pass on your info to Tom. If anyone else can help please check with Jane before passing on her info.
2KK04 a view of the Beehive pre-war tower and terminal
2KK05 Here is the interior of the newest tower
2KKO6 and another interior shot. Approach and Approach radar is within London Terminal Control at the en-route centre at Swanwick,
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2KK10 TASSA DC-6 EC-AVA at Gatwick
2KK11 Gatwick old GMC hut and 9th floor BAA Apron Control (Marcus Eavis via OTA 1970)
2KK12 Gatwick CAA Control van 1984
atchistory 
Barbara Hamer
Does anyone remember Barbara who was BAs only female Concorde pilot but started her career in aviation with Gatwick ATC? For more info see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Harmer
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On the basis of that article, it is difficult to understand why Gatwick was chosen as the ‘main’ alternate for Heathrow.
Blackbushe was traditionally used as No 1 div by many airlines and as a training base by BOAC and BEA. Its weather record was far better than Gatwick; it was equipped with FIDO and already had a 2,000 yd hard runway as well as 2 hard subsidiaries of about 1,500 yds compared to the steel mesh runways at Gatwick. The US military, having built a base for the US Navy there, proposed extending the main runway to 10,000ft with a second runway of 7,000ft and there were about a dozen independent airlines based there. A new VCR was fitted to the control tower in the late ’50s not long before it was closed; I think this ended up at Edinburgh.
There was such reluctance by the independents to move to Gatwick when it opened that the government summarily closed Blackbushe at very short notice in order to force them to move, then ensured they could not return by allowing part of the airfield to be returned to ‘common’ land by the local authority who failed to maintain it, this area now being a wilderness of wasteland still littered with lumps of concrete sticking out of the ground; it shoudn’t be classed as common land at all.
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