Gustav Hamel
Encyclopedia
Gustav Hamel was a pioneer British
aviator.
Hamel was prominent in the early history of aviation in Britain, and in particular that of Hendon airfield
, where Claude Graham-White was energetically developing and promoting flying.
and chose to learn to fly at the Blériot school at Pau, France in 1910 at the age of 21. He obtained the Royal Aero Club
's Aviator's certificate no. 64 and the Aéro-Club de France
's certificate no. 358. His first flight of note was on 24 March 1911 when he flew from Hendon to Brooklands
in a record 58 minutes.
In the exploit for which he is best remembered, Hamel flew a Blériot
on Saturday 9 September 1911, covering the 21 miles between Hendon and Windsor in 18 minutes (took off at 4:55pm and arrived at 5:13pm) to deliver the first official airmail
to the Postmaster General. Included was a postcard he had written en-route. The many thousands of items of mail included commemorative postcards which are today treasured by collectors.
27 July 1912 The Hinkley Times reported:
"Mr Gustav Hamel, the famous aviator, brought his aeroplane to the Outwoods and gave a demonstration of powered flight. This would have been the first time that most Hinckley people had witnessed a motorized aeroplane. The aeroplane flew over Burbage and Sketchley. Many people in Mount Road saw the plane as it flew low over their heads. A mishap at the conclusion of the flight made any further flying that day impossible."
It appears that the publisher sponsored this event as a publicity stunt.
However, heavy weather forced the plane down at Hammersmith in West London.
Saturday 9 September 1911. Gustav Hamel, flying his Bleriot XI monoplane, left Hendon at 4.58pm. He carried one bag of mail with 300-400 letters, about 800 postcards and a few newspapers weighing 23Ib and arrived safely at Windsor around 5.13pm. The centenary of the event was marked by the Royal Mail with the issue of a set of commemorative postage stamps on 9 September 2011.
Further reportage appears in the history of another airfield called 'Hendon' at Bradford
, Yorkshire. He was the first to fly from there on Friday, August 1, 1913
Late in 1913, looping the loop was perfected and became a popular event during the many public displays. On January 2, 1914, Hamel took Miss Trehawke Davis aloft to experience a loop, and she thus became the first woman in the world to do so.
In March 1914 Hamel flew to Cardiff to give a public flying display. While there he met Charles Horace Watkins
, who was an engineer perfecting his own aircraft called the Robin Gôch, or Red Robin. Contemporary newspaper reports indicate that a few minutes after they met, Hamel flew them both to Watkins' hangar, where they inspected the Robin Gôch.
on 23 May 1914 while returning from Paris in a new 80hp Morane-Saulnier
monoplane he had just collected.
On 6 July 1914 the crew of a fishing vessel found a body in the Channel off Boulogne. Although they did not retrieve the body, their description of items of clothing and of finding a road map of southern England on the corpse provided strong circumstantial evidence that the body was Hamel's.
At this time of high international tension, there was speculation that he might have been the victim of sabotage, but no trace of the aircraftwas ever found and the story faded with his memory.
His contribution to flying, however, did not end entirely with his death: Posthumously published was a seminal co-authored book on flying.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aviator.
Hamel was prominent in the early history of aviation in Britain, and in particular that of Hendon airfield
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
, where Claude Graham-White was energetically developing and promoting flying.
Biography
Gustav Hamel was educated at Westminster SchoolWestminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and chose to learn to fly at the Blériot school at Pau, France in 1910 at the age of 21. He obtained the Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
's Aviator's certificate no. 64 and the Aéro-Club de France
Aéro-Club de France
The Aéro-Club de France was founded as the Aéro-Club on 20 October 1898 as a society 'to encourage aerial locomotion' by Ernest Archdeacon, Léon Serpollet, Henri de la Valette, Jules Verne and his wife, André Michelin, Albert de Dion, Alberto Santos-Dumont, Henry Deutsch de la Meurthe, and Henry de...
's certificate no. 358. His first flight of note was on 24 March 1911 when he flew from Hendon to Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
in a record 58 minutes.
In the exploit for which he is best remembered, Hamel flew a Blériot
Blériot Aéronautique
Blériot Aéronautique was a French aircraft manufacturer founded by Louis Blériot. It also made a few cyclecars from 1921 to 1922.After Louis Blériot became famous for being the first to fly over the English Channel in 1909, he established an aircraft manufacturing company. This company really took...
on Saturday 9 September 1911, covering the 21 miles between Hendon and Windsor in 18 minutes (took off at 4:55pm and arrived at 5:13pm) to deliver the first official airmail
Airmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
to the Postmaster General. Included was a postcard he had written en-route. The many thousands of items of mail included commemorative postcards which are today treasured by collectors.
27 July 1912 The Hinkley Times reported:
"Mr Gustav Hamel, the famous aviator, brought his aeroplane to the Outwoods and gave a demonstration of powered flight. This would have been the first time that most Hinckley people had witnessed a motorized aeroplane. The aeroplane flew over Burbage and Sketchley. Many people in Mount Road saw the plane as it flew low over their heads. A mishap at the conclusion of the flight made any further flying that day impossible."
Carrying newspapers by aeroplane
An item in the magazine Flight, August 26, 1911 covered Hamel's unsuccessful attempt to convey newspapers from Hendon to Southend the previous Saturday.It appears that the publisher sponsored this event as a publicity stunt.
However, heavy weather forced the plane down at Hammersmith in West London.
Saturday 9 September 1911. Gustav Hamel, flying his Bleriot XI monoplane, left Hendon at 4.58pm. He carried one bag of mail with 300-400 letters, about 800 postcards and a few newspapers weighing 23Ib and arrived safely at Windsor around 5.13pm. The centenary of the event was marked by the Royal Mail with the issue of a set of commemorative postage stamps on 9 September 2011.
Further reportage appears in the history of another airfield called 'Hendon' at Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Yorkshire. He was the first to fly from there on Friday, August 1, 1913
Late in 1913, looping the loop was perfected and became a popular event during the many public displays. On January 2, 1914, Hamel took Miss Trehawke Davis aloft to experience a loop, and she thus became the first woman in the world to do so.
In March 1914 Hamel flew to Cardiff to give a public flying display. While there he met Charles Horace Watkins
Charles Horace Watkins
Charles Horace Watkins was an aviation pioneer who built the first engine-powered aeroplane in Wales, a red monoplane called the Robin Goch.Watkins was born in 1884 to Samuel and Lydia Watkins of Cardiff...
, who was an engineer perfecting his own aircraft called the Robin Gôch, or Red Robin. Contemporary newspaper reports indicate that a few minutes after they met, Hamel flew them both to Watkins' hangar, where they inspected the Robin Gôch.
Disappearance
In these early days, flying was a dangerous endeavour; accidents and deaths were common. Hamel died before reaching the age of 30. He disappeared over the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on 23 May 1914 while returning from Paris in a new 80hp Morane-Saulnier
Morane-Saulnier
Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier is a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier and the Morane brothers, Leon and Robert...
monoplane he had just collected.
On 6 July 1914 the crew of a fishing vessel found a body in the Channel off Boulogne. Although they did not retrieve the body, their description of items of clothing and of finding a road map of southern England on the corpse provided strong circumstantial evidence that the body was Hamel's.
At this time of high international tension, there was speculation that he might have been the victim of sabotage, but no trace of the aircraftwas ever found and the story faded with his memory.
His contribution to flying, however, did not end entirely with his death: Posthumously published was a seminal co-authored book on flying.