Images are shown as thumbnails, linked to the full image. Thumbnails are generally around 5k, full images usually under 30k; none are more than 45k.

It has become apparent that this area will never actually be completed - as research continues more and more material is being discovered, and so it is intended to incorporate it into the collection on an on-going basis. If you are interested in aviation history then it will be worth checking back here regularly.

Cambrian Airways Vickers Viscount 700, G-AMNZ, Ronaldsway Airport, September 1965.

Cambrian were the main scheduled airline operator at this time, and this photo was supplied by a newly married couple who were about to embark on the aircraft for their honeymoon. It was often the case that such couples had their 'silver service' wedding reception in the airport's restaurant. There was also a local photographer who had obtained the airport's contract, and would wait at the aircraft steps, offering to take pictures of passengers, for a fee. The refuelling vehicle on the right is operated by Shell, who long had the contract for refuelling at the airport. The other ground handling equipment belongs to Cambrian Airways, and airlines did their own handling and baggage loading, up until Britiah Airways withdrew from the Island in the 1970's, and the loading staff were kept in employment as government workers.

 
British European Airways Vickers Vanguard, G-APER, Ronaldsway, circa 1970.

This photo shows the first visit of the large Vanguard airliner, replacing the normal Viscount airliner on the Sunday evening scheduled service from London. The Vanguard only appeared on Sunday evenings, to provide more seating capacity. BEA were the main scheduled airline operator in the early 1970s, eventually withdrawing when the routes became uneconomic for them, due to their higher cost-base, rather than any lack of demand to and from the Island. This photo also shows that there was a large 'reception committee' watching from the ATC visual control room, quite possibly the full Airport's Board Committee. Another figure can be seen watching from a lower window in the Control Tower, and this room was the overnight 'bedroom' for the night-time duty controller, still a staffing feature at that time. The two side extensions have still not been added to the top floor of the 1944 HMS Urley control tower, and neither had the departure pier yet been added to contect the 1953 Terminal building to the Control Tower, thus this Vanguard could still taxi through the gap.

 
Hangar 'H' was used by the Station Flight of Royal Naval Air Station Ronaldsway, otherwise HMS Urley, from 1944-46. The housing of Castletown and Janet's Corner can be seen in the background. Hangar 'H' was one of 14 large hangars erected around the airfield, to house some 90 aircraft of this large Operational Training Unit, composed of three separate training squadrons, plus the Station Flight. The main Douglas to Castletown road is in the foreground, and sadly this photograph was taken for a Coroner's Inquest into the tragic death of a 16 year old Castletown youth.

A landing Fleet Air Arm Barracuda aircraft suddenly lost height on its final approach to one of the four Navy runways, and crashed through the hedge on the left, hitting the pedestrian. The gap in the hedging can still be seen to this day.

The hangar is a standard Fleet Air Arm 'Pentad' design, as identified by its slightly sloping sides that were designed to give the building greater strength in exposed coastal locations.

Also visible in the photo are, from the left, the Station Flight's Tiger Moth biplane; one of the Avro Anson twin engined communications aircraft; and to the right is a visiting Airspeed Oxford, displaying the 'yellow triangle' markings of a Blind Landing Inspection Unit. They were responsible for checking and testing landing aids.

Just visible in the photo, to the left of the Tiger Moth, is the photographic darkroom building with a 'blast wall' in front of the entrance. The Station Flight was responsible for photographing the training torpedo 'attacks' on dummy shipping targets, and for this the Station Flight used several Fairey Swordfish biplanes.

Most of the site in the photo was demolished soon after 1946, primarily for the valuable scrap metal, but the darkroom building survived and was converted and enlarged to become a residential bungalow for the Airport's Senior Electrician, who was required to live on site. His daughter recalls being allowed to tether and graze her pony on the adjacent airfield grass. Later, the bungalow was let to a married couple who were the airport's cleaners, and in the year 2000 the tenancy of the empty bungalow was given to the new Manx Aviation & Military Museum, a registered charity, who continue to occupy and improve the site, as the premier privately run visitor attraction on the Island.

Vickers Viking, VL246 of the Queen's Flight, seen in 1955 for a visit of HRH Duchess of Kent.