INTRODUCTION –
The following documented extract is of my late father’s earliest memories of flying activities in and around Southport, Lancashire here in the UK where he grew up, and witnessing the first up-side in the world, while on holiday in Bournemouth before the First World War.
IN HIS OWN WORDS in 1976 –
‘ My golden memories of youth are those connected with the early days of flying, by the golf links where one of the early fliers had his hanger. He was called John Gaunt, but I do not think he ever made the grade, and rather faded out.
The sands of Southport, when the tide was out, extended for about seven miles of hard sand, and like the Pendine sands, used for car tests, so Southport attracted all the early fliers with their ‘string-bag’ machines. I used to spend many hours going to the hangers to help, or more probably hinder, handing tools, etc. I must have seen most of the men who afterwards became famous. My favourite ‘customer’ was Claude Graham-White, who was one of the best, and started flying in 1909.
The early efforts were rather amusing, compared with present flying. They used to ‘taxi’ for about half a mile along the flat sands, then would take off for a few feet. One day, one actually flew over Southport Pier, a great achievement in those days, and one which obtained much press coverage.
He took rather a fancy to me, and jokingly asked ‘would you like to flip up with me’. This was impossible as the plane was a single-seater (I fancy it was a Farman ‘pusher’ type). Anyway I fell for it and rushed home on my bike, simply breathless with excitement and told my mother. The motion was vetoed promptly. Not on account of the possible danger to her little darling. That aspect did not seem to have entered her head, but because THAT MAN was known to be going out with a notorious actress, and not nice to know. Thus youthful hopes were shattered by Edwardian morality.
Strangely enough I saw the first up-side flying in the world. It was performed at Bournemouth, when we were on holiday, and must have been a few days before the 4th of August, as we had to leave in a hurry. A man called Gustaf Hamel did it, and went missing shortly afterwards, probably into the sea, which gave rise to his being called a German spy. This was probably the usual rumour of those days, as his father was an eminent Consultant Physician at Barts Hospital London, whatever his nationality.
I distinctly remember the terrible protracted train journey home, when we were shunted around to allow the troop trains to get through, for the emergency call-up. I was naturally thrilled’.
Well there it is. Does any one know anything more about flying in Southport in those very early days? Has anybody heard of Claude Graham-White or Gustaf Hamel, and could he really have achieved the very first ‘up-side’ flying demonstration in the world? Has anyone else been left with old family memories of the early years of flight they would like to add to this thread?
By: Flying High - 13th August 2007 at 16:51
My late Father’s aviation memories.
Many thanks to you all for your contributions to this thread. For me this is what makes aviation history so interesting. What a time it was then to have been around to have the courage and desire to experience flight for it’s own sake, before aeriel warfare’s contribution.
The last flight my father took was as a guest (in 1971 I think), to fly in Concorde, before the commercial flights had begun. Apparently inside it was full of scientific test instruments, and the flight lasted for about 30 minutes over Wiltshire and the south west with about twenty people on board. I thought that Concorde must have taken off from kemble, but recently have been told it’s runway would not have been long enough. So can only guess it must have been Hullavington.
Anyway, in adult life my father lived in Malmesbury Wiltshire where it is recorded that a monk called Elmer made himself some wings an jumped off the tower spire of the town’s Abbey in the year 1010, and it is said glided for about 400 ft before breaking both legs in the fall. Later he wanted to try a second time, but the abbot refused. So it took another 800 years before the likes of Sir George Cayley to take to the air and fly again !
By: Dave Homewood - 12th August 2007 at 14:08
Isn’t the hangar at RAF hendon with their WWI collection named after Graheme-White?
Gustaf Hamel did a long distance flight in a Bleriot XI which later became New Zealand’s first military aircraft. The Bleirot became known as Britannia. The flight Hamel did was flown a distance of 347km non-stop from Dover to Cologne taking 4 hours 18 minutes on April 17, 1913.
By: Scouse - 12th August 2007 at 11:57
My father recalled as a child seeing Gustav Hamel flying up the Mersey, presumably about 1910-plus (dad was born 1904). A family friend who was a press photographer in those days also remembered Claude Grahame-White, with a string of lady friends.
My dad’s sister was about eight years older, and she could remember seeing Samuel Franklin Cody flying his kites from Birkenhead Park in 1902. She retained a lively interest in aviation to the end of her days. Her inlaws were Channel islanders, and even in her 90s she would get special service on the Aurigny inter-island services by gently reminding the crew that her first flight was on a ‘dear old Rumpity’, ie a Maurice Farman Shorthorn, in her RFC days when she drove a Crossley staff car in France.
By: David Layne - 12th August 2007 at 00:09
Gustav Hamel was the first English pilot to loop, according to “Who’s Who in Aviation History” by William H Longyard. His father was a German doctor who attended to the cream of British society. Gustav was educated at Westminster and Cambridge before learning to fly in 1910. Hamel disappeared over the English Channel in 1914. Fishermen found a mangled body later that was not positively identified but probably was his.
The same source says that Claude Grahame-White bought a Bleriot after meeting Louis at Rheims in 1909, and taught himself to fly, gaining British aviation certificate no. 6. He later joined the RNAS and participated in a raid on German bases in Belgium.
Thanks “Gingerbread” man.
By: Papa Lima - 11th August 2007 at 23:06
Gustav Hamel was the first English pilot to loop, according to “Who’s Who in Aviation History” by William H Longyard. His father was a German doctor who attended to the cream of British society. Gustav was educated at Westminster and Cambridge before learning to fly in 1910. Hamel disappeared over the English Channel in 1914. Fishermen found a mangled body later that was not positively identified but probably was his.
The same source says that Claude Grahame-White bought a Bleriot after meeting Louis at Rheims in 1909, and taught himself to fly, gaining British aviation certificate no. 6. He later joined the RNAS and participated in a raid on German bases in Belgium.
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August 11, 2007 at 8:45 pm