Aeronca Club of Great Britain

Aeronca Fly-in Defford Air Day, Croft Farm September 22, 2007

Croft Farm’s Defford Air Day is a summer highlight, drawing big crowds year after year. Today marked a first, with the Aeronca Club of Great Britain landing on the farm strip as part of their annual programme of fly-ins. Showers, low cloud and gusty winds offered little encouragement, but by midday the Aeroncas were arriving nonetheless, flying in from Cornwall, mid and south Wales, and Wolverhampton. Pete White Hon. Club Secretary of the Aeronca Club of Great Britain was one of the first to arrive from Bodmin in one (the other is G-IVOR) of his yellow and blue Aeronca 11AC Chiefs (NC33884), see right. Aeronca History Founded in 1928, the Aeronautical Corporation of America was originally based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Production of the Aeronca C-2 monoplane began in 1929, followed by the C-3 in 1931 and the Scout in 1937. After a devastating flood in 1937, manufacturing was relocated to Middletown, Ohio, where production resumed in 1940. The company was renamed Aeronca Aircraft Corporation in 1941. During the Second World War, Aeronca produced approximately 1,400 light observation and liaison aircraft—including the L-3, L-16, and O-58—for the U.S. Army. By 1945, the highly successful 7AC Champion and 11AC Chief were in full production, sharing around 80 percent of their components. By 1951, sales had reached 8,000 Champions and 2,000 Chiefs. Aeronca ceased aircraft manufacturing in 1951 and, in 1954, sold the design rights to the Champion Aircraft Corporation, which later developed the Citabria. Over its 23 years of operation, Aeronca produced 17,408 aircraft across 55 models.

Aeronca line-up

Photography at Croft Farm Croft Farm lies between the Cotswold Edge and the Malvern Hills, beneath Bredon Hill. Next to the strip is the now-disused Defford airfield, which during the Second World War was home to the Blind Landing Evaluation Unit (BLEU), instrumental in the development of radar. Visitors receive a warm welcome at this busy and aircraft-filled farm strip. Several small hangars line the field, while a converted caravan serves as the control tower. With owner Clive Porter away, my guide for the day was Giles Herbert. Rarely seen inside the “C”-marked caravan, Giles preferred to roam the field with a handheld VHF radio, using it to guide and encourage arriving aircraft. The friendly informal atmosphere makes photography all the more enjoyable here. With manoeuvring aircraft the safety of visitors is paramount, so make yourself known on arrival and check where the safe areas are, so everyone is comfortable with the situation. I was able to move around the strip, but spent most of my time at the mid-point and very close to the 570 metre x 18 metre grass runway.

Pete White's Aeronca 11AC Chief (NC33884).

Left to right: Aeronca 11AC Chief (NC33884).

Left to right: Aeronca 11AC Chief (G-BRCW).

Left to right: Aeronca 7AC Champion (G-BPGK), inscribed s/n 7187 USAAC, Aeronca Aircraft Corporation, Middletown, Ohio

At the end of the day three Aeronca's took to the air for a special formation fly-by specially for us.  The run and break that followed was too difficult to photograph.

Left to right: Aeronca 7AC Champion (G-BPFM).

Left to right: Aeronca 11AC Chief (G-BRWR) and Stinson 108 Voyager (G-BPTA).