The official opening ceremony was performed by the Mayor of Ramsgate, who was then flown to Belgium in a de Havilland Dragon by Neville Stack.

[10] Mignet HM.14 "Flying Flea" aircraft had been grounded following a crash at Penshurst in May 1936,[11][12] The ban had been lifted following wind tunnel tests which resulted in modifications to the wings.

[17] On 3 July 1937, the official opening of Ramsgate Airport was performed by Director-General of Civil Aviation Sir Francis Shelmerdine.

[2] The airport terminal/clubhouse was designed by art deco architect David Playdell-Bouverie[18] and incorporated the control tower at its centre.

[19] From 17 to 31 July, 611 (West Lancashire) (Bomber) Squadron, Royal Air Force held a camp at Ramsgate.

[22] In July, Southern Airways Ltd, another Straight Corporation company, started a twice-daily service between Ilford, Essex and Ramsgate.

Fire and rescue were provided by a red painted ex army Willys Jeep equipped with a huge foam generating extinguisher, asbestos suits and various axes and tools.

[18] A 1,000 yards (910 m) grass runway running 04/22 was available marked out with parallel concrete slabs set into the grass which were sometimes painted white, suitable to operate Avro Anson, de Havilland Dragon Rapide and de Havilland Heron aircraft.

[32] Between 1954 and 1957, summer seasons, pleasure flights were provided in various De Havilland Dragon Rapides including G-AGUF and subsequently G-AKIF (still carrying the logo of Manx Airlines) and often piloted by Ron Pullinger.

Ron later flew for another of Hugh Kennard's companies Air Ferry and died 1967 in a DC4, G-APYK crash at Perpignan after carbon monoxide leaked into the flight deck.

Punters were rounded up from kiosks at Ramsgate Harbour and Margate seafront near Dreamland and conveyed to the airport in a Morris "J" type minibus and a Dormobile.

The average flight lasted 8 minutes flying along the coast via Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate, reversed dependant on wind direction.

Off season, Jim assembled and refurbished Ex RAF Tiger Moths of which Rollasons had purchased a considerable number for conversion to civilian use.

The wing rib jigs for the first Rollason built Druine Turbulent were constructed at Ramsgate for Norman Jones.

In March of 1959, Jock Maitland, recently retired from RAF and later to become Commandant of Biggin Hill, began offering pleasure flights in his Percival Proctor G-AKYB while his wife rounded up passengers from Ramsgate harbour.

As the summer season approached he registered as Maitland Air Charter and bought 2 Percival Prentice aircraft from Freddy Laker's Aviation Traders at Southend, G-APIY and G-AOKF.

In 1962 Cormorant Aviation began offering pleasure flights in a Piper PA22 Tri-Pacer G-ARCB often piloted by Paul Horsting who later became Cathay Pacific's international operations manager, piloting the record-breaking inaugural trans polar flight non stop from New York to Hong Kong in 1998.

[1] Hangar queens at Ramsgate included Hugh Kennard's personal Miles Messenger G-AHZS and Wing Commander Presland's Auster Autocrat G-AGXV "Pamela"

Originally steel framed, the building was clad with asbestos sheeting and Henderson sliding wooden doors at the front.