Sponsored by
Robert Blackburn: Memorial to Leeds flying pioneer
PROUD FAMILY: Relatives of Robert Blackburn with the Royal Aeronautical Society plaque on Filey seafront, from left, Amy Blackburn, Robert Blackburn, Damian Rayne and Janie Rayne.
A memorial to a pioneering Leeds aviator has been unveiled at the spot where he took a historic flight.
Robert Blackburn, who was from Kirkstall, is widely recognised as one of the most important figures in the history of aviation.
Now the Royal Aeronautical Society has installed a plaque celebrating his life at Filey, where he successfully flew a monoplane in 1911.
The society’s Heritage Award plaque, which also marks the fact that he ran a flying school in the town, reads: “He conducted extensive flight trials from this beach with aircraft of his own design from a dedicated hangar and slipway.”
Mr Blackburn’s successful flight at Filey – at a time when few took the idea of engine-powered flying machines seriously – saw him pilot his monoplane at 50mph, at a height of 50ft. It came shortly after a previous aircraft he designed was damaged beyond repair when he crash-landed in Marske, North Yorkshire.
Speaking after that attempt, he said the one minute he had spent in the air seemed like “ages when I eventually pulled myself together and looked at the wreckage.”
Mr Blackburn went on to found the Blackburn Aircraft Company at Roundhay Road in Leeds – on the site of what is now a Tesco supermarket.
There is a blue plaque at the site commemorating the company, which designed and built more than 80 aircraft, including army and navy biplanes as well as Kangaroo, Swift and Sopwith Baby planes.
He gave regular demonstration flights to huge crowds at Roundhay Park before flying over to Bradford and back.
He went on to operate passenger flights to London and Amsterdam once the First World War had ended.
Legend has it that Blackburn even once landed a plane on the 18th fairway at Scarcroft golf course, a club that he founded.
Mr Blackburn’s company became part of Hawker Siddeley and later British Aerospace.
Today, Hull University’s engineering department is called the Robert Blackburn Building in his honour.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
brianh1131
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 06:05 PMGreat. I think Blackburns built more than 80 aircraft!. 80 different types of aircraft more like; in Leeds, then Brough (now British Aerospace and under threat), and I believe Sherburn in Elmet. Apart from the Blackburn Skua and numerous other Naval Aircraft they also produce Fairy Swordfish during the war. Skuas were probably the first British planes in action during the second world war, and Swordfish became more famous, in particular by topedoing the Bismark and disabling her, for the Fleet to sink a day or two later.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.