1867-1913 |
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March 17, 1909 from the Library of Congress Collection, 12-12-06 |
via email from Bill Evans, 8-14-08 I am a retired commercial pilot living in Houston Texas. My father a captain in the 21st Lancers cavalry regiment was stationed in Aldershot prior to World War one. He knew Cody and after an evening in the officer's mess, Cody arranged for my father to meet him at Farnborough airbase to fly the next morning. My father had never flown before, being more used to horses than flying machines. There is a deep railroad cutting near the airbase crossed by a road bridge. Much to my father's dismay and terror the gallant Colonel flew under the bridge missing the structure by only a few feet. My Dad died at the age of 92 and never flew in an airplane again. Bill Evans Houston Texas |
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from the S. F. Cody website Courtesy of Jean Roberts |
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BY JEAN ROBERTS |
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at the House of Commons, 1909. (HC/LB/1/111/20/88) Back row, left to right: Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe, George Renwick (MP), John Martin (Daily Telegraph), Mr Robins (press), Dr Macnamara, Mr Renwick Jnr, Sir Reginald Ambrose Cave-Browne-Cave, T P O'Connor (MP), Hon Charles S Rolls, Hon William Lygon, Dr Lockyer. Front row, left to right: Edward Purkis Frost, Louis Bleriot, Samuel Cody, William Du Cros (MP), Frank Hedges Butler and Colonel Massy. Louis Bleriot (1872-1936) is probably the most well known person in this picture. He was an aviator who made the world's first over-the-ocean flight in a heavier-than-air craft in July 1909 when he crossed the English Channel in a monoplane. Also featured are: Frank Hedges Butler (1855-1928), who was a balloonist and pioneer of flying; Charles S Rolls (1877-1910), who was an engineer and aviator; and Samuel Cody (1861-1913), who was a cowboy, showman and areonautical pioneer. the Licensing Division of Her Majesty's Stationery Office |
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from the Ash Vale & Aldershot Web Site. (Link broken, 7-31-04) |
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COLONEL CODY FLYING CATHEDRAL The Adventures of the Cowboy Who Conquered the Sky by Garry Jenkins Product Details Hard Cover: 276 pages; Publisher: St. Martin's Press (June 1, 2000) Out of Print: Used from $0.70 ISBN: 0312241801 |
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Description: You can find a complete description of the book on the Amazon website. At this writing, (4-15-05), there are 40 used copies available, priced from $0.70! |
via email from Terry Flinders, 12-11-06 I hope you will not mind my writing to you. I have a family interest in S F Cody, being a retired aircraft engineer myself (Vickers Supermarine Scimitar and Concorde). Brief family records suggest that my grandfather's brother Henry (Harry) Flinders (1870 to 1951) was a mechanic for Cody but I have found no other references to this. Can you suggest any archive where my great uncle's name may be mentioned? As the family genealogist (after my cousin Keith Flinders in NZ !) I am dealing with a query from a Kelly Selcher who is a direct descendent of Harry's wife and if anything exists in print re the names of Cody's mechanics, or their activities, I would very much like to know. Obviously, as a one-time aircraft design engineer, I am also interested for myself. After leaving Cody's employment, Harry lived for some time as a professional gambler. This fits the general atmosphere around the Cody character I think! With best wishes and the hope of a reply. Yours sincerely, T. G. (Terry) Flinders, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Editor's Note: If you can help Terry and me with information on Henry Flinders, please contact me and I will forward the message to him. |
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from the Ashvale & Aldershot Web Site. |
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If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper |
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