1914
Gustav Hamel Loops the Loop
as George
V watches
Gustav Hamel loops the loop over
the George IV Gateway, Windsor Castle
From the book, 'Flying', by Gustav Hamel and Charles Turner.
1914
In his diaries, George V writes:
Monday February 2nd. Windsor
Castle.
Beautiful bright day, mild and hardly any wind.
Gustav Hamel, the German aviator, flew here at 12.15 from Hendon.
He went up and looped the loop fourteen times. Most interesting
and wonderful to see with what ease he did it, and it was most
graceful. All the Eton boys and many others were on the terrace
and were delighted.
(With acknowledgements
to Robert
Lacey from a broadcast
'Book of the Week' 26th - 30th July 2004)
In the book, 'Flying', by Gustav Hamel
and Charles Turner, the event is reported.
His Majesty King George
V, who from the days when flying became possible, manifested
keen interest in it - as, indeed, he does in every branch of
science - expressed a wish to see this development of the art
and on February 2nd 1914 an exhibition was given at Windsor Castle
by an aviator who 'looped the loop' fourteen times on that occasion,
observed by the king and queen and other members of the Royal
Family. Afterwards their majesties conversed with the aviator
for some time on the subject of flying.
The aviator, Gustav Hamel
From the book, 'Flying', by Gustav Hamel and Charles Turner.
1914
A little less than three years earlier,
in September 1911, Gustav Hamel had been the first to fly 'Aerial
Post' from Hendon to Windsor. See Aerial
Post but the very first aircraft to land at Windsor is believed
to have been Thomas 'Tommy' Sopwith on Wednesday 1st February
1911 at the invitation of George V. Tommy
Sopwith at Windsor
See also
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