Editing Croydon Airport (section)

===Origin===
In December 1915, [[Beddington]] Aerodrome was established – one of a number of small airfields around London that were created for protection against [[Zeppelin]] airship raids during the [[First World War]]. In January 1916, the first two aircraft, [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2|B.E.2C]]s, arrived at the aerodrome as part of Home Defence. [[Waddon]] Aerodrome opened in 1918 as part of the adjoining [[National Aircraft Factory]] No. 1, to serve aircraft test flights. The two airfields were on each side of Plough Lane, Beddington to the west and Waddon to the east.

Beddington Aerodrome became a large Reserve Aircraft and Training aerodrome for the [[Royal Flying Corps]]. After the end of the [[First World War]] the aerodrome became an important training airfield for the newly formed [[Royal Air Force]]. During 1919, Prince Albert (later [[George VI]]) gained his "[[Aircrew brevet|wings]]" here with No. 29 Training Squadron, the first member of the royal family to learn to fly. His elder brother, the Prince of Wales (later [[Edward VIII]]), also received flying training with No. 29 Training Squadron at Beddington during 1919.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1919/1919%20-%200473.html?search=Prince%20Albert|title=prince {{!}} prince albert {{!}} rome {{!}} 1919 {{!}} 0473 {{!}} Flight Archive|website=Flightglobal.com|access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref>

The following units were also here at some point:<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/croydon-beddington-london-waddon/ |title=Croydon (Beddington) (London) (Waddon) |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=50em|
* No. 17 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron
* No. 17 Reserve Squadron
* No. 17 Training Squadron
* No. 19 Reserve Squadron
* 24th Aero Squadron
* No. 40 Training Squadron
* No. 65 Reserve Squadron
}}

Beddington and Waddon aerodromes were combined to become Croydon Aerodrome, the gateway for all international flights to and from London. The new, single aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920, replacing the temporary civil aerodrome at a Cavalry ground on Hounslow Heath.<ref name="cp-flypast">{{cite news|url=http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Fly-past-mark-50th-anniversary-Croydon-Airport/article-1308837-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505143351/http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Fly-past-mark-50th-anniversary-Croydon-Airport/article-1308837-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2013|title=Fly past to mark 50th anniversary of Croydon Airport|last=Millard|first=Neil|date=3 September 2009|work=The Croydon Post (online and in print)|publisher=[[Northcliffe Media]]|access-date=14 September 2009}}</ref> Plough Lane remained a public road crossing the site. Road traffic was halted when necessary, first by a man with a red flag and later by a gate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/airports.asp|title=Online communities|date=22 January 2016|access-date=9 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131012117/http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/airports.asp|archive-date=31 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The aerodrome stimulated a growth in regular scheduled flights carrying passengers, mail and freight, the first destinations being [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport|Paris]],<ref name="cp-flypast"/> [[Amsterdam]] and [[Rotterdam]]. Two flights daily from Paris were scheduled for ease of communication with London during the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]]. In 1923, flights to [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]] began.

[[Penshurst Airfield]] was an alternative destination for airliners when Croydon was closed on account of fog. One such diversion was on 24 September 1921, when a [[de Havilland DH.18]] aircraft was diverted to Penshurst.<ref name=Flight290921>{{cite magazine|title=London Terminal Aerodrome |magazine=Flight |issue=29 September 1921 |page=649 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1921/1921%20-%200649.html}}</ref> This situation lasted until Penshurst closed on 28 July 1936.<ref name=Flight300736>{{cite magazine|title=Penshurst Closed |magazine=Flight |issue=30 July 1936 |page=141 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%202116.html?search=penshurst}}</ref>

Croydon was the first airport in the world to introduce [[air traffic control]], a [[control tower]],<ref name="croydonairport.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://croydonairport.org.uk/The-Airport/The-History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909054148/http://croydonairport.org.uk/The-Airport/The-History|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 September 2017|title=Historic Croydon Airport|first=Tavis|last=Basing|website=Croydonairport.org.uk|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%201100.html?search=control%20tower |title=Air conference at Waddon: the Vickers "Viking III" Amphibian |website=Flightglobal.com|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref> and radio position-fixing procedures.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1922/1922%20-%200299.html?search=wireless%20position%20findingr |title=Wireless position-finding for aircraft |website=Flightglobal.com|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref> The "aerodrome control tower", {{cvt|15|ft}} high with windows on all four sides, was commissioned on 25 February 1920 and provided basic traffic, weather and location information to pilots.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaminski-Morrow |first1=David |title=Colourised images mark centenary of world's first control tower |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/colourised-images-mark-centenary-of-worlds-first-control-tower/136903.article |work=Flight Global |date=25 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref> There, [[Jimmy Jeffs]] was its first air traffic control officer.<ref name=Hales2020>{{cite book |last1=Hales-Dutton |first1=Bruce |title=Cross-Channel Aviation Pioneers: Blanchard and Bleriot, Vikings and Viscounts |date=2020 |publisher=Pen and Sword |location=Yorkshire |isbn=978-1-52677-559-7 |page=97 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S90SEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA97 |language=en |chapter=8. On silver wings}}</ref>

On the formation of Britain's first national airline, [[Imperial Airways]], on 31 March 1924, Croydon became the new airline's operating base. Imperial Airways was the British Government's chosen instrument to develop connections with the U.K.'s extensive overseas interests. It was therefore from Croydon that Britain first developed its European and longhaul routes to India, Africa, the Middle and Far East, Asia, Africa and Australia (in conjunction with [[Qantas]]).

Following the [[1924 Imperial Airways de Havilland DH.34 crash|Imperial Airways de Havilland DH.34 crash]] of December 1924, Britain's first major civil aviation accident, conditions at Croydon came under criticism from the [[public inquiry]] that investigated the causes.<ref name=Times110225>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Croydon Air Accident. Court of Enquiry's Report |date=11 February 1925 |page=17 |issue=43883 |column=A, B, C, D}}</ref> The inquiry was Britain's first into an aviation accident which led to an [[Act of Parliament]], the Croydon Aerodrome Extension Act 1925. The Croydon Aerodrome Extension Act led to large scale expansion, redevelopment and construction of an improved new airport with airport buildings constructed adjacent to the Purley Way, Croydon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1927/1927%20-%200943.html|title=The Royal Aero Club and Christmas|website=Flightglobal.com|access-date=3 February 2018}}</ref>