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North Coates night illumination & other grass airfields

BeauBrummie

BeauBrummie

Home for tea and tiffin!
Having used NC for the first time with the Beau wing missions, I have a night take off and it suddenly occurred to me whether they had any landing lights as did the concrete runways? I've got the RAF caravan_green in position, but did they have any other night time take off aids?

Beau
 
"Every course of pupil pilots had to do night flying. When mechanics or riggers were detailed for night flying duties you would often have to lay out the flare path with Goose Neck flares. Goose Neck flares were shaped like a large coffee pot, the spout being shaped like a goose neck. It was filled with paraffin and had a wick down the spout. After being ignited a round sheet metal cover about 3 feet in diameter on short legs was positioned over the flares allowing the light to shine out onto the ground and the flares were not visible from height. There was no radio in the Oxfords and night flying was dangerous in the blackout with no contact with the ground and the flare path could easily be lost to view. To give the pilot guidance about 2 miles from the airfield a bonfire was kept burning to indicate to the pilot where to turn in and line up. The bonfire was known as Lead in Lights."

The Lead in Lights were sometimes searchlights flashing the airfield pundit code. A Chance Light (trailer based searchlight) would mark the threshold of the runway in use. The Chance Light had it's own shed usually near the watch office and, in later years, a hard pad just off the side of the runway.
 
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