In 1929 the Club purchased a De Havilland Gypsy Moth as its first aircraft, this was paid for by the President and christened "The Quorn". Its registration was G-AAIF. They also found and rented a 20-acre field (later extended to 43 acres), known as Carts Field at Desford. This was particularly suitable, as it had already been designated as an emergency landing field in the previous war.

By September 1929 the Club was advertising its "Great Air Pageant" at Desford with RAF fighter aircraft giving "Thrilling displays". This was held in front of a crowd of 30,000 spectators and started with the official opening of the airfield.

The local company of En-Tout-Cas made a huge old hen house on the site into a decent clubhouse with a verandah, ideally suited to taking tea on warm summer evenings. The Prince of Wales (later Duke of Windsor), in later years was often to be seen taking tea on the clubhouse verandah, according to Harry Purt, interviewed in 1979. Sir Sefton Brancker, the Director of Civil Aviation in Britain, opened the clubhouse on 21st April 1931. He became a good friend of the Club and was often seen at flying meetings there, unfortunately he was later killed in the airship R 101 disaster.

A second Air Display was held at Easter in 1930, but heavy snow on Easter Saturday meant it being put off until Easter Monday.

On October 1st 1930, the Club became a Limited Company.

The President had bought the first Club aircraft, "The Quorn", a Gypsy Moth for £595 and he now persuaded three of his friends to buy the Club another similar plane, which was G-AAJM and was called "The Fernie". From the Clubs profits in its third year at Desford it purchased a third Moth, G-AAUH, "The Foxhound". Lindsay Everard bought himself a De Havilland "Puss Moth" and employed a personal pilot, this was a four seater with enclosed cabin, and he allowed the club full use of the aircraft whenever he was not using it. This was G-AAXM, known as "The Leicestershire"

In 1930 Mr. Lindsay Everard built his own private airfield at his home, Ratcliffe Hall, to the north of Leicester. At 45 acres it was bigger than Desford and was equipped for night flying as well, naturally much used by club aircraft, for Everard was always extremely generous to the Club. Amy Johnson, a very famous lady pilot, newly returned from an epic solo flight to Australia opened his field on September 30th. Everard soon employed another lady pilot, Winifred Spooner, as his personal pilot. She was a regular air racer and had recently made a record-breaking flight.

Desford was the last turning point in the 1930 Kings Cup Air Race, Programs were sold and a special Bar provided, and a big party was held in the Clubhouse afterwards to celebrate the event, which was won by yet another lady pilot from Manchester. The Royal Aero Club runs the Kings Cup series of races, and the L.A.C. became affiliated to them at about this time, an association continued to this day.

In the summer of 1930 the Club had about 440 members, and the first six pilots to gain their civilian licences were Roy Winn, Hedley-Briggs, Jesse Cobb, Cyril Hurst, J.T.Coltman and G.P.Haylock. In June the Duke of Gloucester flew into Desford on his way to visit the Leicester Agricultural Show, and of course was immediately made an honorary member of the Club. In August a newly married couple used Desford and the Puss Moth to fly off on their honeymoon.

Membership at this time cost 3 guineas, (£1.15), for civilian members and 1 guinea, for serving members of the RAF. A lesser fee was charged for purely passenger members. Fuel was 1s 4½d per gallon, (about 6p), a flying helmet for use in those open cockpits was 18/6d, (about 90p), and goggles 8/6d, (40p ish). Your silver "A" badge, (our PPL), was 3/-, (15p), and L.A.C. diaries the same.

In October 1931 another Gypsy II was bought to replace G-AAIF, this was G-ABRF and it in turn became "The Quorn". The name plaque from this aircraft is still in the possession of the Club. At this time Sir Samuel Faire, one of the two original founder members from 1909 was still a member of the re-formed Club.

This same year the Club finally acquired land at Braunstone for an airport, this was to be the Leicester Municipal Airport and the Club undertook to run it on behalf of the City. Discussions about the land had been going on since 1928 but the Housing Committee of the City Council were very unwilling to let the land go at first.

As soon as possible Roy Winn and Sydney Brown made the first landing there and En-Tout-Cas were commissioned to prepare the land as an airport. Unfortunately this was the time of the great economic Depression in England, and this coupled with a prolonged summer drought somewhat delayed the clearing, & building of the new Clubhouse, which was finally started in 1933. In the meantime,in the summer of 1932 a new Chief Flying Instructor, G.N.P.Stringer, took over at Desford; Tommy Warren was still the Clubs resident Engineer, (indeed he stayed in this post until the War).

In June of 1932 the Prince of Wales (later Duke of Windsor), landed at Desford for the first time - he was promptly made a Life Member. After that, since he had his own aeroplane, he often visited the Club and is remembered sitting on the Clubhouse verandah drinking tea on fine summer evenings.

In July the Puss Moth was sold and a Miles Falcon (G-ADIU) bought instead, this was a four seat cabin type that cruised at 122m.p.h. and cost £609.14.6d new.

Braunstone was 326 feet above sea level and 3 miles from the City centre; to start with 72½ acres of the 154 acres put aside for an Airport by the Council was prepared as a landing field with full facilities. Night flying being facilitated by the installation of an 800,000 candlepower Chance Shadow Bar Floodlight rated at IOKW, this was mounted on top of the Clubhouse and its rotating and tilting beam could be seen for 40 miles. Runways were 1,000 feet in any direction on the totally grass field, one specification was that a car should be able to drive anywhere on the grass at 20 miles an hour with no discomfort to the passengers. To clear the field for flying 3000 yards of hedges and 160 trees had to be removed.

The biggest airliners of the day could land and take off at Braunstone and it became a regular stopping point on the scheduled service from Hull to Southampton. A small charter company, Crilly Airways started up running two eight seat De Havilland Dragon Rapides, these were G-ACCZ and G-ACDN. Apparently Lindsay Everard bought himself a similar Dragon at this time, and the Club had two Puss Moths, G-AAZV and G-ABNS.

Braunstone was licenced by the Air Ministry on March 27th 1935, and the Club moved in, leaving Desford empty, in late June that year. Desford (the following winter), became an RAF Elementary Training School and throughout WW2 was a repair station for aircraft, the field by then being owned by Reid & Sigrist who made and repaired aircraft instruments.

1935 - 6 was the best year yet for the Aero Club, with 276 hours flown, outdone in 1936-7 with 288 hours.

The new Clubhouse was very luxurious, and had a permanent steward and his wife, (well loved and remembered for the hot toast and muffins she served by the open fire on cold winter evenings), hot lunches and dinners were served by white coated waiters. There was a large comfortable lounge, a separate smoke room, card games room and outdoor courts for tennis and badmington in the summer.

A big separate room catered for the Air Traffic Control for the whole field, unfortunately this was a big let down because proper radio frequencies were not available for some reason, pilots had to call Heston first and put up with a telephone link from there to Leicester in all their conversations with the ground!

The Club managed the field for Leicester City Council for a nominal rent of one shilling per annum for the grass field, (5p), but paid proper money for the hangerage, club house and fuel farm. The 60 foot hanger for instance cost the Club £273 per annum, leased for 30 years. Tommy Warren was joined by a young assistant, Harry (Titch) Miller, and they worked in here on the Club aircraft, Tommy earning £21 a month plus bonuses. Landing fees were 1/-, (5p) per aircraft and overnight hangerage the same, with wings folded. To have the Chance shadow bar floodlight put on specially cost an extra ten shillings,(50p).

The Club moved into Braunstone in late June and held a Grand Opening and Flying Display on July 13th 1935, with the Air Minister officiating. Both Club pilots and the RAF gave lavish displays in front of huge crowds in specially erected grandstands.

The RAF used Hawker Furies and Gloucester Gauntlets, both capable of over 230 mph.

The Duchess of Bedford came in her own Moth and won the arrival competition, being 12 seconds after her chosen time of arrival. She had her own pilots licence and already had 200 hours in her log book. Crilly Airways flew 500 joy rides in their 8 seaters at 5/6, (26p), per person.

Within the Club at this time (some of these must be privately owned but probably available to other members), were a DH 60 Moth, (G-ACBX), a Leopard Moth (G-ACSF), as well as a Moth Minor, a BA Swallow and a Hawker Tomtit.

Lt.Com. Phillips, Lindsay Everards personal pilot, won the Grosvenor Cup Air Race on opening day, the triangular course being Braunstone, Old John (a monument to 'Old John' on a local hilltop), and Ratcliffe Airfield.

By this time Capt. Lynch-Blosse (ex Chief Constable of Leicester) was President of the Club, Don Longmore was Secretary and Ft.Lt. "Batchy" Bateman the Chief Flying Instructor.

Many wonderful days flying and many superb events happened during the Clubs time at Braunstone, it could well be called the Golden Years of the Leicestershire Aero Club. Pilots travelled all over England and Europe and as far as Russia in their light aircraft. Superb lunches, Dinners and Balls were held - amongst others the Rotary Club lunches and flights featured in the newspapers, together with full dress dinners to honour local or visiting dignitaries.

Many pilots were both members of the Aero Club and in training for the RAF at Desford, so, as well as much commuting between Braunstone and Ratcliffe, there was an equal amount between Braunstone and Desford. Sometimes the RAF members would fly into Braunstone in formation in aircraft with RAF markings, and this got them and the Club into trouble with the large and vociferous pacifist movement in Leicester, and it had to be stopped. The Club was using the same type of craft as the RAF trainers, (Tiger Moths), by this time. Membership rose to over 600.

In 1937 the Coronation of King George VI was marked by a Coronation Air Display at Braunstone, one of the few in the country as it clashed with Empire Air Day.

In 1938 the Club bought three ex RAF Tomtit aircraft which they used alongside the Tiger Moths and Puss Moth until the war. The RAF Volunteer Reserve was actively recruiting amongst Club members for several years up to the war. They all used the Clubhouse virtually as their Mess, with a lot of these men seeing active service in the RAF during the Second World War. Bob Marks 'an outstanding pilot' became an RAF Test Pilot and was killed testing the first German jet fighter that was captured. S.P.Russell became a Wing Commander D.F.C.; Bill Timms flew a Hawker Hurricane to Malta to aid the defence of the island alongside "Faith","Hope" & "Charity" and was later killed in his Hurricane. Keith Potter became a Squadron Leader. Russell and Potter were still around in the 1990's.

The war soon became quite inevitable and civil flying was finally banned on August 31st 1939, and the RAF VR was called up and mobilised on September 1st. All the best pilots and instructors were swept up gradually into the RAF in the preceding months. The Club continued to function on a purely social basis until 24th October 1940 when the RAF requisitioned the airfield, the remaining assets were sold off and the resulting sum of £3,700 was loaned to the Government on an interest free basis as a patriotic gesture.

In the meantime, in May 1935, the Luftwaffe had been over taking high level vertical photographs of the airfield as a potential future target!

Before the Club was forced to leave Braunstone one interesting thing happened, an Air Defence Corps was started in Leicester, and presumably at the airfield. This was No 1 Founder Squadron, and by September 1939 there were 200 squadrons in Britain altogether - they later developed into todays A.T.C.

The remaining Tomtit aircraft that were sold off with the Clubs assets mostly went to Test Pilots for their personal mounts, and one, G-AFTA is the last of these still flying, believed to be in The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden.

During the war Lindsay Everard was knighted for services to aviation and commerce. All through the war the Clubs engineer (Tommy Warren), helped to keep Britains Spitfires in the air, still working as an aero engineer.

After World War II the Braunstone field was not released for flying, so the Club was homeless, during 1946 Flt.Lt. Roy Winn kept it going using his cafe in the Market Place in Leicester as its address.

Sir Lindsay Everard was still the President of the Club, and generously offered his private field for the Clubs use as soon as it was released from RAF hands. It had somehow acquired a Clubhouse in the intervening years so the Club took up residence in 1947 and hired aircraft to get members flying again.

Immediately there was much to-ing and fro-ing by the various reformed civilian clubs visiting each other in the post war euphoria and we find entries from all over Britain and as far afield as Switzerland in the Visitors Book.

The Leicester Gliding Club also had hangerage on the same field and the old pre-war County Flying Club went into voluntary liquidation and merged with the L.A.C. donating £1000 to Club funds in the process. This must have been very welcome in the hard times just post war.

In 1947 the first flying meeting was held, and was a great success. This was followed in May 1949; by the first post war Air Display at Ratcliffe Aerodrome. Later that year however disaster stuck when Sir Lindsay Everard died, his Estate was sold to non-flyers, and the Club was homeless yet again. At this point Ratcliffe Aerodrome was closed never to re-open.

At very short notice the Club had to find somewhere to put it's aircraft, and much research finally turned up the now abandoned Leicester East airfield which had been built during the war and served mainly as a bomber conversion base. It was built in 1942 and finally abandoned by the RAF in 1947, and there were four empty hangers there. The Club quickly obtained Air Ministry permission to store the aircraft in one of the hangers.

Wing Commander Phillip Russell D.F.C., a pre-war ordinary Club flyer, was the Chairman in 1949, and he got permission for the aeroplane engines to be run regularly to keep them in good order - of course this had to be done outside, not in the hanger. Then they were taxied around a bit, and one thing led to another and very soon circuits were being flown.

So gradually flying was introduced at their new base, and in 1951 a proper lease was agreed with the Air Ministry, which was promptly reduced in monetary value to allow funds for the Aero Club to repair the dilapidated main hanger and the Control Tower for use as a Clubhouse.

The land for the airfield had been requisitioned from the Co-operative Wholesale Society, and was now returned to them, so they became the Clubs new landlords.

The Club was flying Tiger Moths and Austers at the time, and members owned various light aircraft such as an ex RAF Miles Messenger, and a Whitney Straight, in which they flew all round Europe on business, in Rallies and on holiday. Many firms based aircraft at Stoughton to enable their businessmen to move around quickly, and they helped to create the post war boom in business. The Club trained many more pilots for civil and business aviation and for the emerging Airlines and tourism trade.

In 1951 the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leicester came to visit the new facility. The new President was Lt.Col. Sir Robert Martin, who had an energetic team of instructors and management after the war to see the Club through the 1950s. The Chairman was G.G.Grainger and the new C.F.I. Arthur Coltman.

The members themselves put a lot of effort into turning the dirty and dilapidated Control Tower into a pleasant clubhouse with viewing balcony, fully licenced bar, a small kitchen, and air traffic control for the airfield.

A Festival Air Rally (Festival of Britain year), was held in 1951, the first proper event at the new field, and by 1955 Candlelit Dinners and other events were being held. A second Air Day was held in 1952.

In 1954 another crisis loomed, we read in the newspapers of that date that the Government proposed to shut down all civilian Flying Schools, which was a major calamity for aerodrome owners. Although at this time apparently Leicester was not yet an officially recognised flying school it must have been perceived as something of a threat.

In 1958 the Queen and Prince Phillip flew into Leicester East, an occasion which spurred the Leicester City Council to resurface the main runway, all three wartime runways being in full use at the time. This jolted the Club into a whole lot more tidying and refurbishment. Three of the hangers, not in use, had become derelict and were pulled down in 1960.

Things took a turn for the worse again in 1959-60 when the Ministry of Transport decided to reinstate the road, which had run across the land before the airfield was built. This they proposed to put down the main runway! They were persuaded to use the northern perimeter track instead, but demanded a payment of £2,000 for the diversion. Money which unfortunately the Club didn't have, and it went "into the red". No money was available to keep the airfield and buildings in repair after this.

By 1966 Frank Lazenby was the Chairman when the next big crisis came and the Club nearly disappeared for good.

Things seemed to be going well, Fox's Glacier Mints company had been keeping a four engined Heron aircraft in the hanger for business flights, and had only recently given up the plane when their Irish factory had closed. A twin engined Dove was still kept by another company, the Pollard Ball and Roller Bearing Company Ltd., which flew executives all over England and the continent. Many other businessmen kept single engined aircraft too, and the Club had Auster, Terrier, Tripacer and Cessna aircraft for training. Many privately owned aircraft were also housed at the Club.

In September 1966 the Landlord, The Co-operative Society, issued a possible death blow. With five years of a seven year lease left the Club was told that they were in contravention of their lease, and if £3,000 was not immediately spent on hanger refurbishment the whole airfield would be returned to agriculture forthwith. They also felt that the bigger business aircraft were too big, and they were to stop flying immediately. This alone represented a loss to the Club of £2,000 per year.

The Club was still very short of money and appealed to its members to pay up their arrears of membership dues. This met with very little response. The Co-op issued notice to quit and rejected an appeal for clemency. There was an immediate uproar in the local press, and firms appealed for the airfield to be kept open, they relied upon quick and easy mobility for they executives and anyway, what would Leicester be without a General Aviation field, it was indispensable.

The engineer in the hanger who looked after the Clubs aircraft was one of those owed money, and he flew the two Austers he had been working on to Nottingham airfield and immobilised and impounded them until he was paid. That left the Club with only one aircraft to generate income - things were desperate indeed.

There were 15 creditors who were offered about half the money owed if they forced the Club into liquidation. Leicester City Council joined in the fight to keep the Club and the airfield open, and a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce was held in November 1966. The Club was only seeking backing with their representations to the Co-op, not asking for money.

The Co-op fought back with shattering proposals to stop all business and executive flying from the airfield. It seems they refused to negotiate with a syndicate of four businessmen who said that they had "taken over the Club", and were proposing amongst other things to close two of the runways according to the local press. The Co-op said they were only prepared to accept private flying, anything else was a violation of the lease.

The consortium of businessmen then managed to persuade the creditors to accept a long term full settlement for the £2000 owed instead of forcing the Club into liquidation, and secretly tried to sell the Club as a going concern, which of course they were not entitled to do since they did not own the Club.

In April 1967 a Bank Loan was negotiated and paid off all the outstanding money. The Club then took on John Baxter as full time Airport Manager and Secretary, and had two full time and one part time flying instructors, and three Cessna 150 aircraft for training. These were leased from VicAir Ltd.; a firm set up by one of the four businessmen mentioned before.

The flying school set up by the Club was seeking C.A.A. approval and there were 20 student pilots. Tuition cost £7.50p for an hours flying and 15 minutes debriefing afterwards, gaining a private pilots licence, (PPL), cost about £300 and 40 hours tuition. David Campbell was Chief Flying Instructor and commuted from Luton in his own aircraft, a Fournier RF4.

Very soon the Club was in difficulties again, seemingly with debts of £7000, only 88 members (this was 1968), and an airfield badly in need of repair, with only one runway for daylight use in operation. Rental of the aircraft could no longer be met, and the Club faced insolvency again. The consortium of four businessmen meanwhile had put the Club up for sale in the Times newspaper, which was still illegal of course.

At this stage Michael Goddard a local businessman of Wadkin & Co; who had the Clubs interests very much to heart and flew his own aircraft out of Leicester East, took legal advice. With the help of Bill Ford of Ford & Slater (a local firm) and also a pilot they threw out the four businessmen and took the finances of the Club in hand. Michael Turnor became Secretary. The constitution of the Club was changed and a Council of Management elected, they guaranteed the overdraft, inherited the deficit and the hire purchase of four Cessna aircraft. Flying training and management was placed completely in the hands of the charismatic CFI Joe Sharps, and between the end of 1968 and 1969 the situation changed from having four aircraft rented, to four owned, a loss of £1,247 was turned into a profit of £3,003, flying membership went up to 150, and the deficit came back to £3,490.

So 1969 was a year of stabilisation, a more satisfactory lease was negotiated with the Co-op and a much better business relationship established with them.

Two grass runways were prepared and brought into use, but were only really viable in dry summer weather due to waterlogging. Members themselves formed working parties to do any manual labour needed, including painting and refurbishment, keeping the hanger in good condition.

One member, David Nowill, was responsible for building and installing full night lighting on the main runway including glide slope indicators and an airfield location beacon on the Clubhouse roof. This system quickly gained full C.A.A. approval to the extent that they persuaded other small fields to install the same lighting!

In spring 1971, the Leicestershire Aero Club was awarded the Lennox Boyd Trophy, for the Organisation which having achieved the most to further the cause of light civil aviation in this country.

The new prosperity of the Club was based on two key factors, the formation of a C.A.A. approved flying school set up as a business and producing a profit, out of which airfield expenses could be met. The second was a very popular annual Flying Display with a massive voluntary effort from the members organising and staging the event. Their continued enthusiasm has also carried out most of the physical work necessary to maintain and improve the airfield, the club receiving no financial help or subsidies whatsoever from anyone outside the club membership.

In 1974 the airfields designation was changed to "Leicester Airport", fully reflecting its new status.

The other two runways of the wartime triangle have now got tarmac landing strips on them and serve as useful alternatives when the wind is not favouring the main runway. Proper taxiways have been built and lit along with a brand new fuelling facility. There are now two additional private hangers, with a third planned, to take the engineers out of the big cold wartime hanger.

The Clubhouse is still in the old wartime control tower, which is regularly refurbished, with a comfortable lounge, clubroom and bar. A full time steward offers a full menu six days a week, and there is a comfortable and warm covered viewing balcony.

The club has full and part-time office and reception staff on duty seven days a week 364 days a year. Full briefing facilities for local and visiting pilots are provided with the Clubhouse and airfield open every day of the week.

The Club is still, as ever, totally independent and self supporting with no Council or Government subsidies or grants whatsoever, maybe the only small aero club in this country still running its own airfield its own way, a proud boast.

Angela Nowill.