1909 Doncaster Flight Meeting

1909.

1909.

1909.

The meeting was held 18th - 23rd of October 1909.

1909 October 18th 'Our First Aviation Meeting. To Mr. Cody, who has carried out his flying experiments at Aldershot, appropriately belongs the honour of making the first flight at the first aviation meeting held on British soil,, and Doncaster enjoys the distinction of having been the scene of this memorable Incident....'

1909 October 20th. 'No prize-winners were announced Doncaster aviation meeting yesterday, the competitions for Leeds and Doncaster Cups not being completed. Mr Cody, who had repaired his biplane, made a trial flight, but was soon compelled to alight. M. Blon covered 14 miles 1395 yards in 20 minutes 37 1/5 seconds, and M. Sommeer made two flights, covering 7 miles 780 yards in 11 minutes 22 seconds, and 5 miles 1495 yards in 9 minutes 3/5 seconds.'

Persons Mentioned in this Article

• Hubert Le Blon
  
• Samuel Cody
  
• Leon Delagrange
  
• Maurice Gifford
  
• Ballin Hinde
  
•  ? Lovelace
  
• Edward M. Maitland
  
• Molon
  
• Roger Sommer
  
• Windham
  

The Opening Day

Friday of last week, which had been announced as the opening day of the Doncaster meeting, provided little excitement, for although several machines had arrived no attempt was made to fly. All that was done in the way of a public performance was the running of the Cody machine along the ground and posing of the others before the camera, and this provided the only entertainment of the afternoon. Three Bleriot monoplanes were brought out to be photographed, and on lining up were joined by the Windham monoplane. Then the old standing joke about "smashing the camera" was reversed, as just at the moment when shutters clicked, Mr. Windham was gently precipitated to the ground, the main frame of his machine snapping about midway of its length. This little incident naturally provoked a good deal of chaff, but it can hardly be said to have been in the interests of flight in Great Britain that such a performance should take place in public.

Saturday, 16th

Mr. Cody opened the proceedings on the second day, but he was unfortunate. After flying down the course, he was returning along the ground when the front wheel sank in a hole which had been filled in with soft sand — described by Cody as a veritable "deathtrap" — and the sudden stop caused the machine to tip over on to its elevating gear. With good luck, Mr. Cody was thrown clear of his machine, and so he sustained nothing worse than the re-opening of the old wound on his forehead, the result of his sudden descent on Laffan's Plain a week or so ago. This incident seemed to affect the other aviators, for none attempted to fly until three o'clock in the afternoon, when Delagrange set the ball rolling again. Thereafter until dusk there was always someone in the air.

Delagrange made four attempts, the longest being for five laps, the 5 miles 750yards being traversed in 10 mins. 48.2 sees., which won for him the Doncaster Town Cup and £60.

Sommer, on his Farman biplane, made the longest flight of 9 miles 1,350 yards in 21 mins. 45 secs., and he also made four other flights of various lengths, including one circuit of the course during which he carried Lieut.-Col. the Hon. Maurice Gifford as a passenger. He, however, was slower than Delagrange, and took the second prize of £32.

The other flyers who took the air for short periods, and who all used Bleriot monoplanes, were Molon, Le Blon, and Prevor, who made three, two, and one rounds of the course respectively.

Summary

• SOMMER.
  • 2 miles 430 yards in 7 minutes and 5 seconds.
    
  • 4 miles 600 yards in 9 minutes and 39 seconds.
    
  • 9 miles 1,350 yards in 21 minutes and 45 seconds.
    
  • 1 miles 100 yards in 2 minutes and 29 seconds.
    
  • 1 miles 0 yards in 2 minutes and 18 seconds.
    
• DELAGRANGE.
  • 5 miles 1,2750 yards in 11 minutes and 25.2 seconds.
    
  • 2 miles 340 yards in 4 minutes and 15.5 seconds.
    
  • 1 miles 150 yards in 72 minutes and 10.6 seconds.
    
  • 3 miles 450 yards in 7 minutes and 45 seconds.
    
• LB BLON.
  • 2 miles 1,140 yards in 5 minutes and 14.4 seconds.
    
• MOLON.
  • 2 miles 40 yards in 4 minutes and 10 seconds.
    
  • 3 miles 50 yards in 6 minutes and 9 seconds.
    

Monday, 18th

As a result of the good flying on Saturday afternoon, a large attendance was attracted to the racecourse on Monday afternoon, when Le Blon secured the honours of the day by his flight of 22 miles 295 yards in 30 mins. 4.2 secs. It was a fine performance from the public point of view, and which reminded one in a way of he spectacular doings of Le Blon as a driver of racing cars. He flew at various heights, ranging from a few feet off the ground to an altitude of about 200 feet.

Sommer was the only other aviator to make a lengthy flight, and he completed 14 miles 1,275 yards in 5 mins. 30.4 secs. Sommer also made three other essays, ranging from a little over 4 miles to 8.5 miles.

Delagrange made several trials, but could only keep going for 1 mile 860 yards in 2 mins. 8.2 secs.

Molon provided a little excitement by charging into one of the mark-posts, while Mr. Windham again amused the crowd by coming out on his repaired monoplane, only to have it fall asunder again from contact with a stationary motor car. It therefore had again to retire into its shed for its second overhauling.

• SOMMER.
  • 5 miles 1,408 yards in 10 minutes and 16 seconds.
    
  • 4 miles 401 yards in 6 minutes and 16.4 seconds.
    
  • 8.3 miles in 13 minutes and 12 seconds.
    
  • 14 miles 1,275 yards in 25 minutes and 30.4 seconds.
    
• DELAGRANGE.
  • 1 miles 860 yards in 2 minutes and 8.5 seconds.
    
• LE BLON
  • 22 miles 295 yards in 30 minutes and 4.2 seconds.
    

Tuesday, 19th

Treacherous winds on Tuesday made flying very hazardous, and so there were no very long flights made although the day was set apart for the competition for the Leeds Cup, in which the winner was to be the one who covered the greatest distance in three-quarters of an hour. Le Blon was the first away, but in his first attempt did not complete one round. Starting afresh, he kept going for 20 mins. 37 secs., and after the third round he was flying in company with Sommer on his biplane for five laps, when Sommer came down because the wind was affecting his eyes.

Delagrange and Cody both made attempts, but nothing very noteworthy was accomplished, the latter going round the course twice, although he was not always clear of the ground. Soon after five, Sommer went up again and flew for nearly six miles, during the first round flying high over the grand stand.

• LE BLON.
  • 14 miles 1,395 yards in 20 minutes and 37 seconds.
    
• SOMMER
  • 7 miles 780 yards in 11 minutes and 22 seconds.
    
  • 5 miles 1495 yards in 9 minutes and 49 seconds.
    

Wednesday, 20th October

In contradistinction to the doings at Blackpool, the strong wind at Doncaster rendered the flying very disappointing. Cody was the only man to leave the ground before noon, and he just made a couple of short flights up and down the course in front of the stands.

In the afternoon Sommer thrice tried to get going, but could only complete one lap.

Le Blon, as well as Delagrange, with his new Gnome-engined Bleriot, met with no better success, and the best performance of the day was made by Sommer when it was almost dark, and the wind had almost died away. He then flew for 5 miles 1,495 yds. in 9 mins. 45.6 secs. He had made a tentative promise to take up General Baden-Powell, but deemed it prudent to persuade the gallant "Chief Scout" to wait until the weather conditions were more certain.

During the day Captain Lovelace tried the Bleriot monoplane purchased by Mr. Ballin Hinde, but he did not succeed in inducing it to leave the ground.

Three Blank Days 21st-23rd October

Thursday, Friday and Saturday saw no flying at Doncaster, and it was therefore decided to continue the meeting over Monday and Tuesday.

Practically the only incident on Thursday was the naturalisation of Mr. S. F. Cody, the actual ceremony taking place in front of the grand stand. After he had taken the oath of allegiance and had signed the certificate of naturalisation on the Town Clerk's back, the band struck up the National Anthem and Mr. Cody stood bareheaded at the salute. Mr. Cody at once sent in his entry for the Daily Mail £1,000 prize for the first British aviator who flies a circular mile on an all-British machine.

Friday was relieved by a challenge from M. Sommer to Mr. Cody for a series of five flights round the Doncaster course for 10,000 frs. a side. This, however, was not accepted by Mr. Cody.

Saturday saw an attempt being made in the early morning by Capt. Lovelace on Mr. Ballin Hinde's Bleriot monoplane, and although he succeeded in rising to a good height, his success was short-lived, for he was unable to counteract the sudden attack of a gust of wind, and the machine came to earth with a shock, but the pilot escaped unhurt.

Capt Maitland brought out Mr. Moreing's Voisin, which has been fitted with gyroscopes, but no flying was essayed; and on returning to its shed the machine tipped on to its elevating plane, without, however, doing any serious damage.

Monday, 25th October

Although there was not very much flying during mid-day, quite a number of short flights were made during the morning and in the twilight, while in the afternoon Le Blon was the centre of a most exciting incident.

Sommer was the first to start in the morning, soon after seven, and he made a couple of circuits. Cody also did ihe same, and Delagrange improved the shining hour by giving instruction to his pupils. Sommer also went round the course once with a friend on his Farman biplane. In the afternoon there was nothing to break the monotony as far as the general public were concerned until Cody made a trip round the course at half-past three. Then Le Bon started off on his Bleriot, but he was caught by the wind and blown out of his course. After the machine apparently had righted itself it suddenly headed for the shilling enclosure, and a catastrophe appeared inevitable. By dexterous and splendid manipulation Le Blon however succeeded in getting his machine to rise just in time, and cleared the crowd as though they were a fence in a steeplechase, although immediately afterwards he fell to the ground. The machine was badly smashed, but Le Blon escaped unhurt.

The chief flights were made by Sommer, who covered 16 miles 30 yards, while Delagrange was second with 7 miles 740 yards, and Cody third with 2 miles 1,560 yards.

Tuesday, 26th October

On the last day most of the flying was done in the forenoon, and Sommer opened the proceedings by making the necessary five circuits for the Chairman's Cup, and as no one else disputed the event, he had a "walk-over." He continued another lap for the Whitworth Cup for the longest distance flown during the day, the total distance of 9 miles 57 yards being completed in 15 mins. 8.2 secs.

Delagrange then tried for the Tradesmen's Cup for the fastest circuit, and on his Gnome-engined Bleriot completed one lap, during a flight of 5 miles 1,695 yards, in 1 min. 47.2 secs., and as this worked out at a speed of 49.9 miles an hour, this was announced as a world's record.

Molon, also on a Bleriot, completed three rounds, but he was considerably slower than Delagrange.

A second essay by Sommer was the best which the meeting produced, for he continued flying for nearly three-quarters of an hour, completing twenty rounds, or 29 miles 1,575 yards in 44 mins. 53 secs. During the afternoon the wind increased, and all prospect of further flying had to be abandoned. This, therefore, concluded the meeting, and later in the evening the Judges announced the following awards:—

• Whitworth Cup (for longest distance of the day).— Sommer, 38 miles 1,580 yards, winner; Delagrange, 5 miles 1,695 yards; Molon, 2 miles 1,435 yards.

• Doncaster Cup (for the greatest aggregate distance of the meeting, complete laps only to count). — Sommer, 136 miles 280 yards, winner; Le Blon, 39 miles 1,745 yards; Delagrange, 29 miles 795 yards; Molon, 17 miles 1,525 yards.

• Tradesmen's Cup (for the fastest circuit).— Delagrange, 1 min. 47.2 sees.

See Also

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Sources of Information

Flight magazine of 23rd and 30th October 1909