Sir Alan Cobham and his flying circus.

Australia and Back

Great Info and interesting stuff Tower Mate,
and yes B-17 Buff! a MUST get book,

I’m working on my list of next book’s to start to find :rolleyes: , AND IT’S GETTING BLOODY BIG!!! 😮 😮

How about ” Australia and Back ” by Sir Alan 😉 , about his trip out here in 1926.

He even came right here to Melbourne 😮 ,
I am alway’s finding out just how much Aviation history happened in Oz and it’s HEAP’S!!! 😮 :p , and some real close by to me next door at the Essendon Drome!!! 😎

See Picture, of Sir Alan, putting the wheel’s back on his plane at Darwin(no longer needed the float’s for now).

forgot where I got em, in rush now will add link later 🙂 .

Stormbird.. I know a couple of people have mentioned this already.. I’ve just been given by a friend Sir Alan Cobhams autobiography ‘A TIME TO FLY’ looking forward to reading it.. looks like a great read! The ISBN no. if your interested is 0 85683 037 2. Think you’ll learn all you want to know in the book!

Martin Hearn told me that he became a wingwalker because the original guy had got drunk one lunchtime and he volunteered to stand in for the afternoon show! Mrs Hearn told me that Martin referred to his activities as “dicing with Jesus”. No cissy pylons and harnesses then; just wander about on an Avro 504 and even sit on the axle. Another Hearn tale told of a Cobham show in Ireland when a passenger fell out of an Avro. It was actually a dummy but the crowd were not pre-warned. A priest ran out of the crowd to administer the last rites and a pregnant woman went into labour. They decided not to repeat it!

Most interesting stuff Guy’s, Thank’s for the great link’s.

I was sort of hopeing that someone’s Parent’s or Grand parent’s might have seen the circus, sound’s like it was very well done, and drew big crowd’s.

So we have one, do we have any other’s out there!!!!.

with some connection or more info

There is another excellent book that covers this by Air-Britain entitled “Those Fabulous Flying Years” which is currently available.

I have a copy of his book ‘ A Time to Fly’ that charts all his flights and proving adventures etc etc. Its a bl**dy good read

I’d had my copy a couple of years before I got round to reading it – shouldn’t have waited.

Roger Smith.

I have come across mention of Sir Alan and his flying circus, many time’s over the year’s in different book’s 🙂 .

But never really looked in to really who Sir Alan Cobham was, or much about his flying circus :confused: .

So do we have any person’s out there in cyberspace, who know much about these two subject’s :rolleyes: .

Any info is most welcome Lady’s and Gent’s 🙂 , even some pic’s if you have em please 😉 .

Stormbird (and others)
A few Alan Cobham links you might like:

http://www.nevilshute.org/Aero/aerobiography.php
Brief Bio of Sir Alan on the Nevil Shute site. I didn’t know Cobham (a) was at one time a (or the) test pilot for De Havilland and (b) delivered the very first DH.60 Moth to a flying club!

http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp00938&role=sit&page=1
Some portraits of Sir Alan at the National Portrait Gallery, London

http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Australia%20&%20Back%20Cobham%201926.htm
Australia and Back – 1926.

http://www.findonvillage.com/0390_flying_over_findon.htm
Vists Flindon, West Sussex in 1933 – a really nice contemporary shot (from the ground) of the flying circus in formation over Sussex

http://www.tarrant-rushton.ndirect.co.uk/AlanCobhamGrave.htm
Almost directly under the 13/31 runway, Tarrant Rushton’s 12th century village church is where Sir Alan and Lady Cobham are buried.

Rob / Kansan

I have a copy of his book ‘ A Time to Fly’ that charts all his flights and proving adventures etc etc. Its a bl**dy good read, well written and full of surprises. I’m at that place I go to during the day (some people call it work !) so cant give you details of the book, but will post them up later this evening. Funny thing is, I was thinking of putting it on e-bay as I’m in the process of thinning out my aviation library…allready moved on a number of Putnams…

Alan Cobham operated a ‘Flying circus’ which travelled the country giving air displays and joy rides to promote ‘Air mindness’ My mum and dad had a flight in an open cockpit biplane at one of these ‘Air Days’ at our local airfield. He pioneered air refuelling and the firm that bears his name is still a World leader in it. See:- http://www.cobham.com/index.asp?pageID=27&menuID=2_1_3
mmitch.