Blackburn Mercury at Grange Farm, East Heslerton.
Bentfield Hucks seated in a Blackburn Mercury.
The pilot of this aircraft was attempting a challange by a Leeds businessman, Mr S A Hirst. The pilot of the first Yorkshire
built aircraft to fly into Leeds would be awarded £50. The aircraft took off from Filey and the pilot made two ascents over Filey to tes the aircraft
at 11.41hrs on the 14th of July 1911,
all went well for the opening part of the flight, the aircraft reached speeds of 50 mph and climbed to 2000 feet.
Whilst in the Heslerton area the
aircrafts engine began to misfire, the pilot was left with no option but to try and land the aircraft which he did on land
belonging to Mr J Coverdale at Grange Farm, East Heslerton. The field he selected had cows in it which the pilot attempted to avoid.
The aircraft sustained damage but the pilot escaped uninjured and after a short while managed to borrow
a bicycle from
a Mr Edwin Owston and rode back to Filey! The aircraft was later rebuilt, the undercarriage was said to have been
the only thing to have sustained serious damage.
Pilot - Mr Bentfield (Benny) Charles Hucks, ok.
The pilot had made many flights around the Scarborough area in the week leading up to the crash at Heslerton. Many of
these flights are detailed in the local Scarborough newspaper of the day and also in Flight magazine (now on the internet).
Bentfield Hucks.
Bentfield Hucks and his personal aircraft (photo Mr G Sharpe).
Bentfield Hucks was a well known and famous aviator of his day, he was one of the earliest and greatest pilots of his time and of British
aviation.
He was born in 1884 at Bentfield End, Stanstead, Essex, the youngest son of William and Kate Hucks.
He took his Royal Aero Club certificate at Filey on 30th May 1911 in a Blackburn Monoplane, to whom
he had flown with since 1910. He was the first person to loop the loop and fly upside down.
He joined the RFC at the outbreak of the First World War and flew in France until pleurisy put an end to his fighting days. He took up
a roll testing aircraft with the Aircraft Manufacturing Company, where he became their chief test pilot, he
was still attached to the RFC however. He also invented the 'Hucks' Starter, a transportable aircraft engine starter.
Captain Hucks died on the 7th November 1918 of pneumonia as a result of having Spanish Flu and was buried in Highgate Cemetery, London.
He was still only 34 years old.
I do not know exactly where this aircraft crash landed yet.
