Updated 18 Nov 2014
During the first 3 decades of the twentieth century,Bournemouth was well to the forefront in aviation.Over that period there were three land aerodromes in the area as well as what amounted to a water aerodrome at Bournemouth Pier.
Unfortunately the event and location are mainly remembered for the death of the
Hon.C.S.Rolls ,who was killed at the Meeting when his Wright biplane broke up and crashed. However, this was a major event with big prize money attracting many of the big aviation names of the day including (although not flying) Louis Bleriot. Below is a poster produced for the occasion.
Thanks to John Fergusson and his mother, I can now show the cover of the original programme for the event. Click on the cover and you will get a PDF file of the complete original programme.
Longest flight— £3,000,£150,£60,£40. Speed flight— £1,000,£400,£100,£50. Greatest altitude prize— £1,000,£400,£100,£50. Starting prize— £250,£50,£25,£25. Alighting prize— £250,£50,£25,£25. Sea flight(3) prizes for best time)£800,£400,£100. Weight carrying (three prizes)— £350,£150,£50. General merit (four prizes)— £500,£300,£150,£50 Slowest circuit (one prize)— £100. Competitors' assistants(2 prizes)— £60,£40. | The following is the programme for each day:— Monday, July 11th:Longest Flight,Speed Prize,Altitude Prize, Slowest Circuit. Tuesday, July 12th:Longest Flight,Speed Prize,Starting Prize, Alighting Prize,Slowest Circuit. Wednesday, July 13th:Longest Flight,Speed Prize,Altitude Prize,Weight Carrying,Slowest Circuit. Thursday, July 14th: Longest Flight,Speed Prize,Weight Carrying,Starting Prize,Alighting Prize,Slowest Circuit. .Friday,July 15th:Longest Flight,Speed Prize,Altitude Prize, Sea-Flight round the Needles(weather permitting), Aeroplane v Motor Boat Race. Saturday,July 16th:Longest Flight,Speed Prize,Altitude Prize,Sea-Flight round the Needles(weather permitting) Aeroplane v Motor Boat Race. |
The meeting was judged to have been a success by the contemporary press- this in spite of the tragic death of the Hon C.S.Rolls.
Two other aircraft also crashed at the meeting but the pilots(Cecil Grace & J Christiaens) both survived the experience.
There seems to have been no further use of this site on a regular basis but it is possible that Henri Salmet used the site in late 1913 whist operating in the Bournemouth area.It is on record that he ran into a tree whilst landing at "Tuckton" on November 22nd 1913.
Below are a number of picture postcards of the meeting.
During the course of the meeting Loraine ("Robert Jones") became the first to fly through a rain storm and the first aviator to land on the Isle of Wight.This happened on the 16th of July when he became lost and eventually landed on the golf course at Freshwater I.o.W.
