CHURCHILL’S FLIGHTS, PART 2
WINSTON CHURCHILL had aviation adventures galore, including those occurring not long after the dawn of flight. Here, we pick up his air travels during World War II in 1942. Playing … Continue reading
CHURCHILL’S FLIGHTS, PART 1
WINSTON CHURCHILL was successful at a great many things, wartime leader, historian, Nobel Laureate in literature, artist in oils, raconteur, bon mot specialist. However, despite having an enthusiasm for aviation, … Continue reading
CLARA ADAMS—PERSISTENT FIRST FLIGHTER
IN 1914, CLARA Adams née Grabau first flew in an airplane, a Thomas flying boat on Lake Eustis, Florida. In 1917, she followed this with a Wright Flyer piloted by … Continue reading
SIKORSKY’S FLYING CLIPPERS
IGOR SIKORSKY thought big. His 1914 Bolshoi Baltisky was the world’s first four-engine airplane, with a huge wingspan for its time, 88 ft. 7 in. (a modern Boeing 737’s is … Continue reading
VE DAY, 70 YEARS AGO, 20 YEARS AGO
THIS PAST week, May 7, 2015, was the 70th anniversary of VE Day, celebrating the end of World War II on the European Front. And, as I write this, a … Continue reading
BRITISH AERO-LIMOUSINES
AIR TRAVEL got a real boost in Britain directly after World War I. A half-dozen aeroplane designs were more than simply WWI craft with makeshift seats installed for hardy travelers. … Continue reading
AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER MADE OF ICE?
I WAS researching the aircraft of Sir Winston Churchill (a tale that’ll appear anon) when I encountered the story of a proposed World War II aircraft carrier made of ice. … Continue reading
AUTOGYROS IN SONG, LEGEND AND THE NEWS
OUTSPOKEN ENTHUSIASTS of fixed-wing aircraft claim that helicopters don’t really fly, they’re just so ugly that the Earth repels them. I wonder if this same opinion applies to another form … Continue reading
DOMINGUEZ HILL 1910—AMERICA’S FIRST AIR MEET
AIRLINE PASSENGERS using LAX, Los Angeles’s major airport, may not realize it, but they’re near historic ground in pioneer aviation. The first air meet in the U.S. took place January 10 – 20, … Continue reading
BROOKLANDS AERO
IT WAS like having the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk nestled in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brooklands, 25 miles southwest of central London, 12 miles south of Heathrow … Continue reading
