Jessica Lofthouse records the tale of Moses Cocker,
a farmer from Rivington (Chorley), who built a flying machine to fly from Rivington
Pike, either in 1693 or after the tower was built in 1732. His first trial, from
a barn roof, landed in the midden. Sadly no further details are given.
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Samuel Cody was a Wild West showman, performing cowboy
stunts on stage, skilled horse-riding, roping and pistol shooting. He developed
kites up to man-carrying standard, and flew a string of small kites from Blackpool
sands in 1902, aiming to get the top kite close to the Tower. The manned kite was
then slid up the cable using the lift from its wings, the nose-up attitude being
adjustable by pulling on the rigging. He manufactured observation kites for the
Army and Navy, then went on to make a free-flying biplane in 1905, launched by rope
as a kite into a strong wind, then released to glide down to land. He trained many
Army officers to fly this glider, surely the first ever gliding club. Powered aircraft
were flown from 1907, and were quite successful. Cody was a true pioneer, but has
been almost forgotten since his death in a flying accident in 1913.
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Lancastrians were quick to try flying and Frederick Woods
built a Wright type biplane glider at Fleetwood in 1910. It was taken to Knott End
for attempts to fly, and that might be a catapult rope in the foreground of the
picture. Newspaper records might exist.
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John Leeming was at preparatory school in Birkdale, near Southport, and watched
the pioneering efforts to fly powered aircraft from Freshfield sands. In 1910 he
made a monoplane glider of span 20 feet out of bamboo and piano wire. He took it
on to the sand dunes nearby, but his weight caused the wings to bend upwards alarmingly.
His assistant, Alan Goodfellow was less heavy, and
got airborne, but the glider was soon damaged by landing sideways. They made three
more gliders, without real success, however they were contemporary with the Darmstadt
schoolboys, and it must rate as a noble effort.
Both men went on to have leading careers in aviation. Leeming's fifth glider was
the LPW, described separately, he went on to lead the Lancashire Aero Club into
existence at Barton airfield, landed a biplane on Helvellyn summit, persuaded Manchester
to build the first civic airfield at Barton, then founded an air taxi/cargo airline
to give Barton some initial purpose. He wrote the first book of flying instruction
for Private Pilots.
Alan Goodfellow learnt to fly at Hendon, flew in the RFC during WW 1, joined
the Fleet Air Arm for WW 2 and ended as Commander (A), RNVR. He helped Leeming found
Lancashire Aero Club, but preferred their gliding activities, and got B badge number
11 in 1930, helping to found the Derby & Lancs club at Camphill. He worked in
aviation insurance at that time, and was active with the formation of BGA. At a
dinner to honour Kronfeld in 1930 he toasted the visitors.
SOURCES.
Lofthouse "Lancashire Countrygoer" (page 179)
Pelham "Penguin Book of Kites" (pages 50 - 57, Samuel Cody.)
Lewis "British Aircraft 1809 - 1914" (Putnam)
Aspin "Dizzy Heights" (page 43)
Robinson "Aviation in Manchester" (page 18 & 52)
Sailplane & Glider, August 1944 "Alan Goodfellow - Vivatuary."
Sailplane & Gliding, June 1971 "Alan Goodfellow - Obituary."
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