Bus skid pan at Gatwick site?

[MotCO]

My boss today related a story that there used to be a bus skid pan on the site of Gatwick Airport, but it had to close because it used to get too foggy.

Does anyone know if there is any truth to this story?

 

[Eyersey468]

I know there was a skidpan at Chiswick which must have been fun to go on, I'm not aware of one anywhere near Gatwick

 

[James101]

It was too foggy for a skid pan so they built an airport instead?

 

[AndyW33]

Thing is, Gatwick has existed as a commercial airport since 1933. Admittedly it now occupies very much more land than it did in 1933. There was originally a racecourse (horses) on the site, the first aerodrome for light aircraft was built alongside it in the late 1920s. I doubt anyone would have bothered with a bus skid pan pre 1933, and after that the airport was already there, gradually expanding as the years went by, eventually absorbing the racecourse in the 1950s.
When London Country buses were split off from London Transport in 1970 and given to the state-owned National Bus Company an overhaul works was set up at Tinsley Green near the airport to replace the LT facilities used previously, but since London Country was split into 4 parts on privatisation, the works only lasted 15 years in bus company use and was sold separately. A vague memory of this very shortlived facility, which as far as I know never had a skid pan, may have given rise to the story.

 

[MotCO]

It was too foggy for a skid pan so they built an airport instead?

That was meant to be the ironic part of it.

 

[MotCO]

Thing is, Gatwick has existed as a commercial airport since 1933. Admittedly it now occupies very much more land than it did in 1933. There was originally a racecourse (horses) on the site, the first aerodrome for light aircraft was built alongside it in the late 1920s. I doubt anyone would have bothered with a bus skid pan pre 1933, and after that the airport was already there, gradually expanding as the years went by, eventually absorbing the racecourse in the 1950s.
When London Country buses were split off from London Transport in 1970 and given to the state-owned National Bus Company an overhaul works was set up at Tinsley Green near the airport to replace the LT facilities used previously, but since London Country was split into 4 parts on privatisation, the works only lasted 15 years in bus company use and was sold separately. A vague memory of this very shortlived facility, which as far as I know never had a skid pan, may have given rise to the story.

That was more or less my thinking. My only other thought was was it created in pre-London General days - maybe by someone like East Surrey? Then when London Transport came along, it was all centralised at Chiswick - coincidentally around the time Gatwick had commercial flights.

 

[AndyW33]

Bus skid pans were incredibly rare in Britain. Most operators other than London Transport simply didn't regard them as a necessary part of driver training at all, (and now they aren't used anywhere), and in particular private companies saw no need to invest in either the infrastructure of a skid pan or the extra time taken in training courses by using one. Even the very largest municipalities such as Birmingham didn't bother either.
In my time as a bus manager, I found no greater likelihood for drivers who had never seen a skid pan compared to ones who had been through Chiswick to get into difficulties in slippery conditions.

 

[CatfordCat]

Another vote for 'never heard of it' - and all things London Transport are fairly well documented...

Possible thoughts -

Reigate (country bus) garage did have some engineering functions which moved to Chiswick after LT was formed, and some functions were moved back there during (and for a short while after) WW2. Not aware that driver training was one of them but could be possible. There would have been some driver training during the war (to replace men who joined up, some tram drivers got bus driver training for more flexibility when tram lines were damaged by bombing)

It's possible that a skid pan in the area may have been for emergency services driver training - I have had a go on a police driver training skid pan (smaller scale than Chiswick - but not anywhere near Gatwick)

 

[Busaholic]

Brooklands was an aerodrome, amongst other things. I've seen mention of a skidpan in more recent times on the site that now occupies part of the aerodrome, but that puts the cart before the horse, as it were, as well as being in the wrong area!

 

[Robertj21a]

He's just confused Gatwick with Chiswick.

 

[MotCO]

He's just confused Gatwick with Chiswick.

"He's" actually a "She"
I don't recall an airport at Chiswick

 

[Robertj21a]

"He's" actually a "She"
I don't recall an airport at Chiswick

Well there's never been a skidpan at Gatwick either.

 

[Busaholic]

"He's" actually a "She"
I don't recall an airport at Chiswick

If Ryanair flew to Heathrow, it might miraculously become Chiswick