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Griffith Brewer

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Griffith Brewer (1867–1948)[1] was an English balloonist and aviator.He was also a founder member of the Royal Aero Club. He became a friend of the Wright Brothers, and was one of their main supporters.[2]

On the 8th of October 1908 at Camp d'Auvours, France, 11 Kilometers east of Le Mans, Griffith flew as a passenger with Wilbur Wright. The flight lasted for 4 minutes and 22 seconds. In doing so, he became the first Englishman to go up in an aeroplane.[3][4][1][2] Prior to this, Griffith had been a doubter about the chances of heavier-than-air machines being at all successful for flying.[4]. The Wright's also had many other doubters in Europe before those demonstrations in France.[5] But after this flight in 1908, and the demonstrations by them, he became a close friend and supporter of the Wright brothers and made many trips to the United States to visit them. Griffith gained his pilot licence in 1914.[2]

He arranged that the British government should get use of the Wright's patents for £15,000 in 1914. This meant that British aircraft manufacturers were free of the threat of litigation.[6]

Griffith was President of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) from 1940 to 1942.[7][2][8]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Penrose 1967, p.575
  2. ^ a b c d "Grace's Guide To British Industrial History: Biographies: Griffith Brewer." Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  3. ^ "U.S Centennial of Flight Commission: Wilbur & Orville Wright: A Chronology".Flight Log 1908 Camp d'Auvours, Le Mans, France.Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b Dr. Richard Stimson."Wright Contempories:Griffith Brewer A Friend Of The Wrights".Retrieved 24 July 2018
  5. ^ Wikipedia contributors. (2018, July 22). Wright brothers. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:34, July 24, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wright_brothers&oldid=851483058
  6. ^ "Back to the Beginning" Flight 28 October 1948 p507
  7. ^ http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1941/1941%20-%201596.html
  8. ^ Wikipedia contributors. (2018, July 9). Royal Aeronautical Society. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:37, July 25, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Aeronautical_Society&oldid=849467443

References

  • Penrose, Harald British Aviation: The Pioneer Years. London, Putnam, 1967.
  • Brewer, Griffith (3 September 1910). "With the Wrights in America". Flight: 706–708. Retrieved 20 May 2013.


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