| MENU |
| Claude 'Claudie' Graham-White (1879 - 1959) |
| Well known to Early Birds was Claude Grahame-White who died in Nice, France, August 19, 1959. Mr. Grahame-White in 1909 turned his attention to aeronautics, opening the first British flying school. He was the first English pilot to carry mail in Britain, and was the first to fly by night. He flew the Daily Mail's air race in 1910 and the Gordon Bennnett Race in the U.S. the same year, winning the latter. He will be remembered by EB's for his exploits at an early Boston air meet. During World War I he was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps and took part in the first British air raid by naval planes on Zeesbrugge. His later aviation interests were extensive. He was the author of numerous books on aviation. |
Claude Grahame White (August 21, 1879 – August 19, 1959) was an English pioneer of aviation,
and the first to make a night flight, during the Daily Mail sponsored London to Manchester race in
1910.
Early life
Claude Grahame White was born in Bursledon, Hampshire in 1879. He was apprenticed as an engineer
and later started his own motor engineering company. In 1909 he learned to fly in France, and became
one of the first Englishmen to qualify as a pilot.
Achievments
On October 14, 1910 while in Washington, D.C. Grahame-White flew his Farman biplane over the city
and landed on Executive Avenue near the White House. Rather than being arrested Claude was
celebrated for the fete by the newspapers. His noted achievements though were centred in the
commercialisation of aeronautics. He was also involved in promoting the military application of air power
before the First World War with a campaign called "Wake Up Britain", and experimented with fitting
various weapons and bombs to planes. During the war itself he mounted the first aerial defence of a city.
In 1911 he established a teaching school at Hendon, which quickly became Hendon Aerodrome. The
Aerodrome was lent to the Admiralty (1916), and eventually taken over by the RAF in 1919. Grahame
White's aerodrome was purchased by the RAF in 1925, after a long and protracted legal struggle. After
this he lost his interest in aviation, eventually moving to Nice in his old age, where he died.
Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd
In 1911 a company was formed to cover his aviation interests, including the aerodromes and developed
some aircraft. One of the designers was John Dudley North who would become Boulton & Paul's chief
designer.
and the first to make a night flight, during the Daily Mail sponsored London to Manchester race in
1910.
Early life
Claude Grahame White was born in Bursledon, Hampshire in 1879. He was apprenticed as an engineer
and later started his own motor engineering company. In 1909 he learned to fly in France, and became
one of the first Englishmen to qualify as a pilot.
Achievments
On October 14, 1910 while in Washington, D.C. Grahame-White flew his Farman biplane over the city
and landed on Executive Avenue near the White House. Rather than being arrested Claude was
celebrated for the fete by the newspapers. His noted achievements though were centred in the
commercialisation of aeronautics. He was also involved in promoting the military application of air power
before the First World War with a campaign called "Wake Up Britain", and experimented with fitting
various weapons and bombs to planes. During the war itself he mounted the first aerial defence of a city.
In 1911 he established a teaching school at Hendon, which quickly became Hendon Aerodrome. The
Aerodrome was lent to the Admiralty (1916), and eventually taken over by the RAF in 1919. Grahame
White's aerodrome was purchased by the RAF in 1925, after a long and protracted legal struggle. After
this he lost his interest in aviation, eventually moving to Nice in his old age, where he died.
Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd
In 1911 a company was formed to cover his aviation interests, including the aerodromes and developed
some aircraft. One of the designers was John Dudley North who would become Boulton & Paul's chief
designer.
| The Standard, Montreal, Canada, May 21st 1910 The Standard reported: "It cost Grahame -White, the English aviator, who recently made a desperate attempt to beat Paulhan for the prize of $50,000 for the flight from London to Manchester, $25.00 for automobile speeding. He was accused of running beyond the speed limit and was summoned to the Police Court at Woking. He did not care to go by train, and so got out his aeroplane at his home in Brooklands and flew over Woking landing in a field a mile beyond the court. The field is the property of the magistrate, who later fined Mr Grahame-White $25.00 for his automobile offence." |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |