Never-before-seen: Heathrow unveils archive images to help celebrate 100 years of the RAF
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, Heathrow has released never seen before images of hangars, aircraft and engineers at what was formerly known as 'Heath Row Aerodrome'.
The release celebrates what was a historic day for the Royal Air Force as the service’s 100th anniversary celebrations came to a head across greater London. Up to 100 aircraft created a once-in-a-lifetime display across the skies of London and Heathrow, before exiting their formations and returning to base. The event was particularly special for Heathrow as the airport originated in 1929 as a small airfield,
Great West Aerodrome, on land south-east of the hamlet of
Heath Row from which the airport takes its name.
Development of Heathrow began in 1944 as a long-distance military aircraft base for the RAF, holding aircraft bound for the Far East. By the time the airfield was nearing completion,
World War II had ended and the airport was no longer required as a defence base. Beginning with RAF roots, the government continued to develop Heathrow as a civil airport opening as London Airport in 1946 and was renamed Heathrow Airport in 1966.
Publisher St James’s House is also hosting a book presentation for the commemorative album that it has produced in association with the RAF100 Appeal, entitled
100 Years of the RAF. Heathrow has a double page in the book, sharing the rich history of Europe’s largest international airport, its connections to the royal family and the hubs vision for the future.
Tens of thousands of spectators filled the Royal Parks and the Mall as 100 RAF aircraft from the past century came together in a flypast over Buckingham Palace. Heathrow worked closely with the RAF teams as many of the aircraft flew directly over the airport, a nod to the origins of the UK’s only hub airport.
This was the first time since the Second World War victory celebrations of 1946 that such a vast number of aircraft have gathered over London, and the event, which was broadcast live on the BBC, was the highlight of the RAF100 celebrations. Heathrow’s operations were paused for 20 minutes to manage the fly past.
Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye, said:
“Heathrow was proud to be part of this historic British event, and it paused to pay our respects and reflect on our own RAF roots. The first aircraft to take off from Heathrow was a concerted Lancaster bomber called
Starlight that flew to Buenos Aires, and thanks to RAF’s establishment, Heathrow is now a gateway to the world.”
Speaking about the event, Richard Freed, St James’s House CEO, said:
“For the past six months, the RAF’s centenary celebrations have been in the public consciousness and building up to this momentous occasion. London which came to a standstill for the flypast, and it was an honour for St James’s House to have worked on the RAF100 Appeal’s commemorative album to mark this occasion.”
The full collection of photographs from 'Heath Row Aerodrome' will go on display at Heathrow's archive - 'Heathrow: The Journey' - hosted by the University of West London.
