Exmouth flying sites
Note: This map only gives the location of Exmouth town within the UK.
EXMOUTH see also BUDLEIGH SALTERTON
EXMOUTH: Early bird-man experiment?
NOTES: I simply loved hearing about this newspaper account from Maurice Wickstead. “On the 28th May 1845, on Exmouth sea wall, a man was seen at daybreak in curious apparel and with a series of flapping motions took off over the estuary and landed safely at Dawlish Warren, thereafter never to be seen again!”
I have picked on this to amply demonstrate the often hopeless reliability of eye-witness accounts much beloved by our legal system for example. I’m thinking in this case possibly a late-night reveller somewhat the worse for wear, spotted and disturbed an unusual but big bird, possibly something like an Albatross blown way off course by Atlantic gales?
I think and certainly hope I’m correct in thinking that it has been proved, way beyond any reasonable doubt, that it is impossible for a man to lift his body weight into the air using wings attached to his arms?
EXMOUTH: Early experimental flying site?
NOTES: It is reported that in 1908 a Mr Hayne, a young man employed as a picture framer, constructed a flying machine powered by a 3hp engine which, when towed behind a car, managed a few hops. I’d say this was quite typical of what in those days was going on in the ‘Western’ world at least. Any claim to have been the “first” is highly questionable?
EXMOUTH: Flying display site
NOTES: It appears that during the arrangement of ‘flying exhibitions’ sponsored by the Daily Mail in the summer of 1912, and after Monsieur Fischer had been demonstrating a Farman floatplane at WEYMOUTH (DORSET), later to be joined by Monsieur Hubert, (possibly also flying a Farman floatplane?), these two then flew to EXMOUTH to give further ‘flying exhibitions’.
EXMOUTH: Temporary aerodrome?
NOTES: In 1934 on the 9th August Sir Alan Cobham’s Tour displayed in/near Exmouth. Unlike the previous year this venue was listed as BUDLEIGH SALTERTON/EXMOUTH so presumably another location was used? On the 20th August 1935 EXMOUTH was the venue for Cobham’s No.1 Tour that year, presumably using the same site as in 1934?
Michael Holder
This comment was written on: 2020-06-29 10:38:28From the Devon and Exeter Gazette - Friday 08 August 1934 - Sir Alan Cobham's Great Air Display - Venue Thursday 09 August 1934 - Exmouth, Withycombe Barton. A tiny little hamlet about 2.3 miles NE of Exmouth, Withycombe Barton consists of St John's Farm and a church in position 50 38 32"N 003 22 38"W. Initial research has not revealed the exact field he used but it is probably to the east of the farm.
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