Railway Air Services - Belfast

RAS flew from Aldegrove airport which much to most people’s surprise at the time became Belfast International Airport in 1963 rather than Newtonards which appeared the obvious choice. Aldegrove was Belfast’s first airport opening in 1917 and known as Crumlin. Aldergrove was selected to be the Royal Flying Corps training establishment during the First World War. After World War I, Aldergrove remained open for Royal Air Force aircraft and for the fledgling civil traffic to and from Northern Ireland. It was used in 1918 for the test flying of Handley page V/1500 four engine bombers built at Harland and Wolff. The aerodrome was closed in 1919 but retained by the RAF for annual use and in 1925 became a night bomber station. This year saw Northern Ireland’s own Special Reserve unit No 502 (Ulster) Squadron RAF formed at Aldergrove. Northern Ireland’s first regular civil air service started in 1933 with a Glasgow to Aldergrove route operated by Midland and Scottish Air Ferries. By 1934, Aldergrove was Northern Ireland’s civil airport and this year saw RAS start the first London. Belfast was the second leg in the Glasgow to London route. On the 21st the plane Delphinius which carrying the mail landed successfully from Glasgow. Glasgow to Belfast mail was unloaded and mail for the rest of route loaded. After the plane left Belfast it met bad weather and at Manchester it was decided to abort the flight. The only mail that was carried from Belfast that day was to Manchester, the Isle of Man mail being overflown. See RAS Update: The Manx Connection. The return plane never made it past Birmingham, so no mail was received apart from Glasgow. On the 21st there was a full service both ways. Flown 20th - Manchester. Field says Douglas but this was overflown to Manchester. Part flown - Cardiff, Teignmouth, Plymouth, Bristol, Southampton, Cowes, London, Birmingham Flown 21st - Glasgow, Cardiff, Plymouth, Bristol, Southampton, Cowes, London, Birmingham (21st postmarks) Surface 20th - Liverpool, Glasgow