A big anniversary today for the COdy Flyer, which took off (or should i say hovered) on Farnborough Common On 16 October 1908.

It made it to a height of 16-20 feet above the ground, flew over a clump of trees before crash landing after being hit by a gust of wind. He had been in the air for just 30 seconds but it is credited as being the first powered, controlled flight ever in the UK.

More info for those interested here

Wowaaaa, let's not get carried away !!

From the linked blog...

"American-born kite developer and aviator Samuel Franklin Cody, built the British Army Aeroplane No.1 in 1908 and with it, on this day (16 October) 100 years ago Cody performed the first powered flight."........ IN BRITAIN

Surely the headline should be "British powered Aviation 100 years old today", but then again I guess the Cody Flyer wasn't a 'flyer' until a century ago today

Shame the next hundred years will probably see the complete constriction of aviation prowess here in Britain and probably the extinction of world aviation.

Now, to which tree did I tie my Gossamer Condor to? 

100 years ago Cody performed the first powered flight."........ IN BRITAIN:

There's always one!! 

If you read those Flight archives you'll know that it occured in Britain anyway.