EGPK Prestwick Airport

Barry Davidson sent in this print and photo of the original 1935 Civil Tower, a colour shot of the Orangefield Tower and several others inserted further down the post dated between 1942 and 1960

PK0_1

PK0_1a  The Tiger Moths appear to be G-ADWO, G-ADWJ and G-ADWA

PK0_1b from Barry Davidson and dated 1941. Still flying the civil air ensign and civil registered aircraft are present,

PK0_2 from Dave Smith Prestwick, RAF Volunteer Reserve Flying Centre. Blenheim Mk1 K-7557/5

PK0_2a

PK02b USAF C-69 Constellation

PK02c USAF Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter

PK02d XL497/041 Fairey Gannet AEW.3, Gate Guardian HMS Gannet

PK0_3

Thanks to Malcolm Hemming for this photo of the original RAF Watch room on the old Orangefield house 1943-62

In the control tower at Prestwick. The Royal Air Force controllers in the tower had an American visitor at the time of the photograph. White Coastal Command Liberators can be seen in the background. 1944

PK0_4 and from Dave Smith

Prestwick in 1944. An American visitor is in the background and two Coastal Command Liberators can be seen. I note that the windows are angled, quite an innovation at that time even though the Beehive at Gatwick had them in the 1930s. The only other one from WWII in the UK that I know of was Langford Lodge where they even had angled windows on the loos!

PK0_5 from Dave Smith, Prestwick C-47

also from Dave two film showing Transatlantic Air Control and Prestwick tower

Atlantic Air Control and Prestwick

and the 1944 expansion of Prestwick showing some ATC

Prestwick Airport Expansion 1944

Dave quotes from Air Britain’s RAF Training and Support Units….

 

“Transatlantic Aircraft Control (TAC) – Formed 15.8.1941 in No 44 Group at Powbank Mill, Prestwick to assume control of the local area, being located in the Air Defence HQ; 21.10.41 to Redbrae House; Control of TAC, Approach and Tower handed over to Min of Civil Aviation 1.5.46.”

 

PK0-7 dated 1943, at least 48 aircraft visible

 

an article on Ferry Command ATC

 

PK1

three more photos, this time from Ray Draper

PK1a

PK1b inside the RAF Prestwick watch room above. Looks like a USAAF visitor on the right.

PK1bb from Barry Davidson

PK1c 1942

PK1d 1950

PK1e (postcard from Barry Davidson)

PK1f lastly and sadly, Dave Smith sent in this photo of the remains of “the old Orangefield terminal tower” destroyed by fire. However Ray Draper commented that the building more closely resembles the original tower/terminal building.

PK1g from Barry Davidson. SAS Cloudmaster landing. Note GCA radar trucks in the centre of the image.

PK1h EGPK GCA Bill Bain closest to camera photo Heather Bain

On the back it has “Talking Down” an aircraft at Prestwick. In a caravan parked ..of the main runway, this controller is watching on a radar screen the progress of an aircraft landing in fog ad direct … over the radio telephone. This is the Ground Control. “

Part of it unclear. The Picture is Bill Bain and Morris Bennett and was sent to Bill from George Mundell Oct 1967 who found it after the NATCS display at the air show. Georges comment in a letter to Bill “taken in the old federal truck when you had a little more hair than you have now.”

More historic photos came in from Barry Davidson, a set of commemorative postcards, issued by Scottish Aviation, of Prestwick Airport 1935 – 85.

PK1g  the new tower

PK1h

Layout plan of Prestwick Tower  egpk-tower-drawing-1958

PK2

PK3

PK3a

PK4

 PK5

PK6

from Tim Marshall

The controller in PK6 is Tony Riome, who worked at Croydon (really!!) in his early years! Alive and well living in Ayrshire (2016)

PK6a

PK6b

PK6c

PK7

PK8

on the left is supervisor John Rogers, who was a keen aviation photographer. If anyone has a contact for him he probably has plenty of Prestwick pictures. Jon Wornham

ATSA on far right (sitting) is Mick Land John A Baker

PK8a is this the met observers post? (Barry Davidson)

PK9

PK9a this seems to be taken just before the new terminal and apron opened. The initial home of ScOATCC, at Redbrae, seems to be still standing

PK10

PK10a Air Atlantique’s G-AMHJ in service with the DoT pollution control service with Apron Control in the background.

PK10_1

PK10_2 Viscount G-AMOG

PK11

 

PK12

three photos from Jon Wornham in the late 90s

PK12a

PK12b

PK12c

PK12d (via Colin McKeeman)

a series of photos just entitled Prestwick and dated 22nd March 1963

PK13

PK14

PK15

PK16

PK17

PK18

SOME AERIAL VIEWS OF THE BRITISH AEROSPACE TRAINING COLLEGE

PK19 by Barry Davidson