British Army Aeroplane No.1 at Doncaster racecourse.

During mid-October 1909 the first aviation race meeting took place at Doncaster racecourse that saw various flying events and races take place on a course roughly above the horse race course involving distance flying and timed races, this must have been something to behold given powered flight was very much in its infancy and many tens of thousands of people visited during the course of the event. Unfortunately the Aero Club of the United Kingdom would not sanction the event and another sanctioned aviation meeting was held at Blackpool at the same time that saw most of the British pilots of the day attend Blackpool rather than Doncaster. It begun on 15th October 1909 with wind effecting flying for part of just about every day, the last day was 26th October 1909 when fog and freezing conditions were a change of problem for the pilots. There were a number of aircraft damaged during the event over the course of ten days at Doncaster.

There were a number of aircraft damaged during the event over the course of ten days. Bad weather on the opening day (15th October 1909) prevented any flights being made. On Saturday, 16th October 1909, despite the wind some 100,000 spectators witnessed a number of aircraft make flights and compete for a cup for the fastest to fly five laps of a five mile course. Samuel Cody was paid 2,000 pounds to attend the event at Doncaster, on this date he made two flights in his British Army Aeroplane No.1. On landing following his second flight the aeroplane was taxied through a narrow passage left between trees and course marker pylons. Unfortunately to cross this the pilot had to turn broadside to the wind and across an area of ground that had previously been a hollow but had been filled with loose sand to level it. When the aeroplane's small front wheels passed into the sand they sank, this caused the aircraft's nose to tip into the ground and the rear of the aircraft was left standing in the air. The pilot was thrown out, missing the propellers but sustained a slight head injury that was the opening of an old wound recently received in an accident at Aldershot. Damage occurred across the whole aeroplane but repairs were carried out.

Pilot - Samuel Franklin Cody.