ENGLAND 16 October 2008 Centenary of first powered sustained flight in Britain - by an American 

Samuel Cody, an American, is to Britain what the Wright brothers are to the United States. On Oct 16 in 1908 the man known as the father of British aviation flew the Cody Flyer almost 1,400 feet in 27 seconds to an altitude of 30-40 feet. His feat in what was then the largest plane in existence is recognized as the first powered sustained flight in Britain.

There will be special events throughout the year to mark the centenary, particularly at Farnborough, the site of most of his exploits. An historic fly-by is being arranged, and a replica of the plane in which Cody made history above the airfield will be on display. His route will be marked out so visitors can share the history. A simulator, to provide insight for modern pilots and enthusiasts into how Cody's aircraft took to the skies, is under construction.

There will also be many Cody anniversary events and exhibits at the 2008 Farnborough International Air Show in Jul 2008.

Cody designed and built the large aircraft of wood, metal, fabric, and a 50 hp French engine. Over the next five years, with much experimentation and numerous crashes, he developed additional planes including a biplane, a monoplane, and a seaplane. His biplane, Cody's Flying Cathedral, was then the largest plane in existence. He taught himself to pilot all of his planes, and he set a world record of forty miles for a cross-country flight, won the British Empire Michelin Cup contest in 1910, and won both the British and International divisions in the military airplane trials in 1913, in spite of the fact that he wrecked the plane he was planning to fly four weeks before the trials. Undaunted, he built a new plane from the parts of former planes.

His background remains something of a mystery, but he is said to have ridden the same cattle trails as Buffalo Bill, played the same roulette tables in Dodge City as Wyatt Earp and competed with Annie Oakley at sharp shooting. For all that, he is virtually unknown outside Farnborough.

Cody continued flying in spite of many accidents, always aware of the dangers and risks involved. In August 1913 his Cathedral VI broke up in the air and crashed. More than 50,000 people attended his funeral and burial in the Military Cemetery southeast of London. His work stimulated public interest in aviation and led to the formation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Sep/07

RELATED READING:

Cody's kites and flying machines (Hampshire Museum)
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/museum/aldershot-museum/local-history-aldershot/samuel-franklin-cody/kites-and-flying-machines.htm

Cody biography (Hampshire Museums)
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/museum/aldershot-museum/local-history-aldershot/samuel-franklin-cody.htm

BIBLIOGRAPHY: G. A. Broomfield, Pioneer of the Air: The Life and Times of Colonel S. F. Cody (Aldershot, Hampshire: Gale and Polden, 1953). Arthur S. G. Lee, The Flying Cathedral (London: Methuen, 1965).