An exceptionally fine aerial photograph of Prestwick Airport, just along the coast from Heathfield, during the war years. Among the numerous aircraft visible in front of the hangars and on the hardstandings in this and other views taken at the same time are Liberators, Fortresses, Dakotas, Mosquitoes and Lancasters.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Avro Lancaster / Type 683 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941Boeing B-17E / B-17G Flying Fortress - СШАUSA - 1941Consolidated B-24 Liberator - СШАUSA - 1939De Havilland Mosquito B / D.H.98 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1940Douglas DC-3 / C-47 Skytrain/С-53 Skytrooper / Dakota - СШАUSA - 1935

A Consolidated Liberator of the Return Ferry Service off the coast of Scotland. The rugged, mountainous terrain, with peaks shrouded in clouds, is clearly portrayed here. Accidents caused by flights into high ground, were by no means uncommon.
An RAF Ferry Command Liberator approaches the Scottish coast after a long and tiring transatlantic flight. Ferry Command was formed in July 1941 from the RAF's Atlantic Ferry Service, and was tasked with returning ferry pilots to Canada so they could continue the work of delivering American-built aircraft from factory to front line.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Consolidated B-24 Liberator - СШАUSA - 1939

Liberator AM261 runs up its engines at RAF Heathfield on July 28, 1941, in readiness for a special flight to carry the Duke of Kent on a visit to Canada. This was the first time a member of the Royal Family flew the Atlantic.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Consolidated B-24 Liberator - СШАUSA - 1939

A BOAC Return Ferry Service Liberator takes off from Dorval Airport, Quebec, Canada, the airport for Montreal, on a return ferry flight to the UK. Note that the aircraft's nose transparency has been faired over.
A BOAC Liberator takes off from Dorval, Montreal, bound for Prestwick in Scotland. One of the pilots involved in the 1942 Middle East airlifts was Capt Don Bennett (later to lead RAF Bomber Command’s Path Finder Force), who flew AL512 laden with 6,550 lb of materiel to Cairo via Gibraltar on July 15, 1942.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Consolidated B-24 Liberator - СШАUSA - 1939