Early Days of the Barbados
Light Airplane Club
Barbados Light Airplane Club fly-in approx. 1963
My father had done a little flying while living in the USA at the end of the war and got back into it at The Barbados Light Airplane Club in about 1961.
This was when the club was a building made with telephone poles and galvanise sheets on the North side of the tarmac about where the current arrival terminal is now - actually tried lining it up with Google maps and Police Training School using this photo for alignment - probably quite a ways west of current main terminal.
On many afternoons of the week we would be at the flying club – it was great getting to go up with many of the pilots flying during those days - Stan Toppin, Arthur Carrington, Charlie Peterkin, Leroy Alleyne, Dr. 'No' Ralph Malone, Gordon Butcher, Maurice Jones, 'Sam' Sampson, Dr. George Emtage, Gotch Atwell and so many more.
The flying club was really the first properly integrated group that I experienced (apart from secondary school which was fully integrated). Of course it was kind of the more successful people - doctors like Ralph Malone and business owners like Gordon Butcher, Maurice Jones and Leroy Alleyne.
Barbados Light Airplane Club fly-in approx. 1963 club house
On a ride with Stan Toppin the CFI (chief flying instructor and I think he had flown in the war) I remember him coming over the end of the runway at about 10 feet at full speed and cutting the power right as we crossed the threshold and we just coasted all the way up the runway until finally the plane set down - pretty cool.
The Cessna 140 VQ-BAB at the top of the page was one of the club's first planes and had a storied history. Barbados' most famous weatherman was Evelyn “Bob” Reece who was the factory manager of Three Houses and warned the island of the approach of Hurricane Janet in 1955 saving numerous lives.
Mr. Reece (or old man Reece as many knew him) was a pilot and loved to fly - one day he was flying and must have had a heart attack - he saved the plane by landing but died as the plane coasted off into the grass at the side of the runway.
The Flying Club had a large 'fly-in' in approx. 1963 with many planes coming from the other Caribbean islands, the USA, Venezuela and other locations.
I photographed this 'my first special event' with the box brownie.
One of the events held was a 'round the island' air race and I was able to photograph from the top of South Point Lighthouse as the planes banked around this last pylon before the finish line.
1963 fly-in round island race shot from south point lighthouse - last pylon before finish
1963 flying club fly-in - my mother poses with the old Seawell Airport tower in the background
During the fly-in The US Air Force aerobatic team 'Thunderbirds' came down to Barbados and that was pretty special to get to watch real aerobatic jets - they were flying F100 Sabers at the time. I do remember the guys were staying at the Hotel Royal and we gave a few of them a ride back home after the event.
The photo here shows the previous modern airport - built in the late 50s replacing the original wooden buildings. All of this was replaced in the early 80s with the current modern airport.
I remember getting 'jacked up' in that tower one afternoon for walking across the runway when the red light was on - got called up into the tower and cussed out properly!
The new flying club building and the Aero Services hanger at left. These were a bit west from Seawell Plantation house which was just west of the Police Training School.
I remember swinging a pick-axe digging the foundation around 1965. The lady who ran the bar at the club was Velda and she had worked at the club from the early days on the other side of the runway.
This photo from Jan 1973 is of the Piper 140 8P-BAF doing circuits and bumps. I got to solo in this plane in early 1970, but never got my licence as I left for photo school in England and continuing to fly wasn't practical.
The new flying club built on the south side of the runway with the Piper 140 practicing circuits and bumps 1973 mp29 730109 0010
I started my flying career in January 1981, and acquired a few hours in the Cherokee 140. Great times.
So I soloed in the 140 and then the club got the Cessna 150 – I remember one of the first time I was solo in that I got egg on my face! On the downwind I had pulled power back to 15% or so but forgot to pull it all the way off turning final – so I have some flaps on and airspeed at 85 and the thing would not come down – finally saw the power and pulled it off – had to backtrack to get into the flying club parking apron!
I remember those early flying club days well. My friend, Bob Gibbs was one of the station engineers with BOAC. He was just learning to fly and would take me up as he was doing his solo hours. He’d practise his stalls and spins. Oh to be young. Wouldn’t’ have the guts to do it now. I did get to land a couple of times so that was exciting.. on another trip, with another novice pilot we flew to St. Lucia but ended up near Martinique so we had to make a left until we found St. Lucia. It seems we were flying too low for the VOR to be effective.
Jim – I am right that you worked ground crew at Seawell Air Services with my brother John? I never did get to do the cross country to St. Vincent, but did go to Martinique with my Dad and an American friend of his for a quick day trip.
Do you know about the ditching of the 172 – Gordon Butcher, Maurice Jones and Arthur Carrington had done the St. Vincent trip and got lost on the way back – ditched next to a ship and got picked up – stories fuh days! I expect it’s pretty easy coming that way to miss tiny and flat Barbados.