Lichfield 1910
Note: This map only gives the position of Lichfield town within the UK.
LICHFIELD: Temporary Landing Ground / staging post
Location: Just ENE of Lichfield city centre
Period of operation: 27th & 28th April 1910
NOTES: It appears that LICHFIELD, (are the reasons for picking Lichfield now known?), was a staging post in April 1910 for contestants attempting the Daily Mail first London to Manchester flight with a £1000 prize. It is of course impossible to determine what this prize is worth today, (in 2023), but it appears to be worth £150,000.
On the 23rd April Claude Grahame-White (the only other competitor) also flying a Farman with a 50hp Gnome made a forced landing at HADEMORE, (about four miles south-east of Lichfield), due to engine failure – but it seems his aircraft was badly damaged whilst on the ground, when blown over by high winds during the night. He returned to London, with his damaged aircraft which had to be largely rebuilt, to make a second attempt on the 27th.
Then, on the 27th April, Louis Paulhan arrived here with his Farman powered by a 50hp Gnome rotary engine, (the Gnome engined Farman was the Cessna 172 of its day); with Grahame-White about an hour and a half behind. Grahame-White had landed at ROADE in NORTHAMPTONSHIRE on his second attempt as darkness fell. (See ROADE for more info - and the first night flight in the UK).
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for researching this event and providing the maps and articles.
The photograph was published in Flight magazine.
Article One was published in The Scotsman on the 28th April 1910. Article Two, in two parts, was published in the Birmingham Mail, also on the 28th April 1910. Article Three was published, yet again on the 28th April in the Yorkshire Early Bird.
Article Four was published in the Daily Mirror on the 29th April 1910. Article Five was published in the Dundee Courier, also on the 29th April.
Article Six, in four parts, was published in the Lichfield Mercury, also on the 29th April.
Notes: The George Hotel, from Google Street View, was where Paulhan stayed the night. The area view is from my Google Earth © derived database. For a fuller account of this fabulous Air Race, please see my article on the subject.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND?
Can you imagine such circumstances applying today? And yet, in some respects history is perhaps repeating itself. I will certainly accept being proved wrong, but I suspect that a dedicated and highly skilled team could indeed rebuild a modern flexwing microlight within a similar period? Comments are welcomed. Replicating to some extend what the Grahame-White team achieved in 1910.
It also has to be recognised, and applauded, that many enthusiastic microlight pilots, both flying fixed wing and flex-wing types, are in many respects reliving the early days of aviation - albiet with far more reliability and performance.
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