Blackburn Mercury near Norton, Malton.

Businessman Mr Stuart Hirst put up a £50 reward to be given to the first airman to fly into Leeds on a Yorkshire built aircraft. This aircraft was attempting to do just this on Wednesday 29th May 1912. The pilot, made rolled the aircraft out of the Filey hanger at 06.00hrs and made a preliminary flight over the Filey sands and finding everything was alright he set out at once. He was a well known local aviator from Filey; all went well on the opening section of his journey, he climbed to over 800 feet passing Staxton, Sherburn and Heslerton until he was four miles off Malton. He was forced to land his aircraft as the engine began to mis-fire over Rillington. At 07.10hrs he landed the aircraft in a cornfield in Norton Park bending one of the aircrafts struts avoiding a hedge. Motor cars had been following this attempt on the ground and were soon on the scene to repair the plane, a new strut was fitted at Norton and the aircraft attempted take-off again at 16.00hrs the same day, unfortunately a tyre burst and the take-off was not carried out. By 17.00hrs the tyre was repaired and it took off successfully and cleared Malton. However afew minutes later the engine again began to play up again so the pilot landed again in Welham Park, only two miles from the first landing. He called off the flight to Leeds. The aircraft was taken back to Filey by train.

Pilot - Mr Jack Brereton, of Filey.