Predannack Airfield
Predannack Airfield was established in 1941 and reached its peak personnel level of 3,600 by 1944 in the midst of the second World War. It's evolved over the years but remains owned my the Ministry of Defence, used as a satellite of RNAS Culdrose and the base of RAF 626 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. The Royal Navy operate the runways and use the more remote end for crash rescue practice. It's adorned with a changing roster of retired airframes for this purpose.
I was keen to see this and the weather was perfect for such an excursion, though its MoD connection made me slightly nervous. That aside, if you can locate it along the south west coastal path you can pretty much walk straight in. If I wasn't looking for it, I could easily have ended up there inadvertently as it turned out.
The first thing I saw on rounding the gorse was a Sea King I recognised from previous reports - looking pretty much the worse for wear it has to be said. I'd barely got the camera out when a car came hurtling down the runway closest to me so I crouched down and carried on, fully expecting it to be doing a tour of the alcoves that house these bits of aviation history. After such a hike to get to the place it'd be pretty bad luck to be turned back so soon...
Thankfully it didn't pan out like that. The car never reappeared, and the next thing I saw was a guy about my age and his young son doing the same as me. This relaxed me and paved the way for the most chilled out wide open explore in the beating sun since the last days of Thorpe Marsh Power Station, and it was just as enjoyable.
A bit of post-exploring research would suggest the occupants of the car lived at Jellytown, a pair of cottages on the west of the airfield whose only access is through the main gates and along the perimeter road. No wonder they weren't too fussed about us being there.
It seems that a number of the aircraft pictured here over the years have been removed of late, and some new ones have arrived...
This pair of British Army Westland Lynxes were built in 1991 and appear to be new additions.
This plane wreck has been here much longer...
Another newer one...
More Sea Kings...
There are also a couple of Hawker Siddeley Harriers...
And finally some of the fire training rigs...
And with that I strolled out the way I'd come in search of a well earned drink.
Definitely worth the bit of effort it takes to get there.
Thanks for stopping by!
Predannack Airfield was established in 1941 and reached its peak personnel level of 3,600 by 1944 in the midst of the second World War. It's evolved over the years but remains owned my the Ministry of Defence, used as a satellite of RNAS Culdrose and the base of RAF 626 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. The Royal Navy operate the runways and use the more remote end for crash rescue practice. It's adorned with a changing roster of retired airframes for this purpose.
I was keen to see this and the weather was perfect for such an excursion, though its MoD connection made me slightly nervous. That aside, if you can locate it along the south west coastal path you can pretty much walk straight in. If I wasn't looking for it, I could easily have ended up there inadvertently as it turned out.
The first thing I saw on rounding the gorse was a Sea King I recognised from previous reports - looking pretty much the worse for wear it has to be said. I'd barely got the camera out when a car came hurtling down the runway closest to me so I crouched down and carried on, fully expecting it to be doing a tour of the alcoves that house these bits of aviation history. After such a hike to get to the place it'd be pretty bad luck to be turned back so soon...
Thankfully it didn't pan out like that. The car never reappeared, and the next thing I saw was a guy about my age and his young son doing the same as me. This relaxed me and paved the way for the most chilled out wide open explore in the beating sun since the last days of Thorpe Marsh Power Station, and it was just as enjoyable.
A bit of post-exploring research would suggest the occupants of the car lived at Jellytown, a pair of cottages on the west of the airfield whose only access is through the main gates and along the perimeter road. No wonder they weren't too fussed about us being there.
It seems that a number of the aircraft pictured here over the years have been removed of late, and some new ones have arrived...
This pair of British Army Westland Lynxes were built in 1991 and appear to be new additions.
This plane wreck has been here much longer...
Another newer one...
More Sea Kings...
There are also a couple of Hawker Siddeley Harriers...
And finally some of the fire training rigs...
And with that I strolled out the way I'd come in search of a well earned drink.
Definitely worth the bit of effort it takes to get there.
Thanks for stopping by!
