PORTSMOUTH AIRPORT
In 1930 work was started on a conventional airport with grass runways, the site occupied approximately 276 acres, this has since been redeveloped as Anchorage Park.
The land for the airport was purchased by the City in 1930 and the airport officially opened in 1932. However the first aircraft landed at the airport on th 14th December 1930, piloted by Flying Officer Al Mortimer.
At the opening on July 2nd 1932, approximately 50,000 people attended a flying display.
The first services were run by Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Co with services to Ryde, Isle of Wight. This was soon followed by International Airlines ,
Provincial Airlines and Jersey Airlines.
In September 1936 the England to Johannesburg Air Race started from Portsmouth Airport, 9 aircraft started and the race was won by CWA Scott and G Guthrie, the flight took
52 hours and 56 minutes.
Airspeed Ltd moved to Portsmouth Airport from York in 1933 and produced the Courier aircraft in their factory, this was followed by the Envoy and then the Oxford, during the 2nd World War production of the
Oxford continued alongside the production of the Horsa glider. During the war, No 163 Gliding School was based at the airport, this moved to Gosport in 1946.
After the war Airspeed continued production of civilian aircraft, converting Oxfords into the Consul passenger aircraft. Airspeed was merged with De Havilland and production
was downscaled to aircraft components only, the factory was finally closed in the 1960's.
Portsmouth Aviation tried building aircraft at the airport, the Portsmouth Aerocar, but no sales materialised and aircraft production was abandoned, the company still exists producing
various products mainly for the defence industry.
As aircraft grew in size and longer, tarmac runways were required, Portsmouth Airport became more limited to the aircraft that it could accomodate and as a consequence
began to lose money.
On the 15th of August 1967, there were two crashes involving aircraft returning from Jersey, both planes were unable to stop on the wet grass runway.
The first crashed into an embankment at the perimeter of the airport with no major injuries.
The second aircraft, also unable to stop, ended up on the Eastern Road which runs alongside the airport site, luckily only one woman had a leg injury and the plane avoided
a collision with any cars on the busy road. The crash caused chaos to traffic, at that time there were only two roads onto Portsea Island, the Eastern Road, blocked by the crash
and the A3 across Portsbridge.
In 1971 the decision was made by the Council to close the airport and the last official flight took place on 31 December 1973, however although the airport was now closed
the Labour leader Harold Wilson flew into Portsmouth Airport seven weeks later to attend a meeting in the city.
The area was consequently redeveloped for housing and industry, Anchorage Park now occupies some of the land, the rest is occupied by industrial and retail businesses.
