Bleriot at Scarborough Racecourse.

On Thursday, 28th August 1913, well known French aviator Henri Salmet was giving exhibitions of flying from the racecourse at Scarborough as part of the Daily Mail Tour. He had done this without incident on the two previous days with passengers on board. On this day he had done the same, begining flights at about 15.15hrs. On this flight in question he had taken up a passenger and they had done a lap of the racecourse, he then reached the end of the course where he had previously made an upwards turn and turned round to return to the crowd massed on the racecourse. On this occasion he kept very low to the ground, as he passed some bushes two ladies were spotted near these bushes who were not supposed to have been there. The pilot had to take action to avoid them by turning to one side, by doing this he struck the bushes and crashed. The aircraft was seriously damaged on its wing and had a wheel broken. The two in the aircraft were unhurt. The photograph displayed above shows the Bleriot aircraft following this accident at Scarborough. The pilot blamed the two ladies for the crash, they should not have been where they were. The aircraft was dismantled and damage was put at about £200. The pilot was to give futher demonstrations at Hedon, near Hull which was the next point on the Daily Mail Tour.

Previously Mr Salmet had given rides to people over the town and bay, those included Mr F W Plaxton, Mrs Paton, Miss Thompson, Mr R S Brogden, Mr W H L Wordsworth (of Scalby) on the afternoon of the crash, during the morning Miss Clara Laverick (aged 12) and Miss Gladys Friezen were given rides. Entertainer Mr Will Catlin was next for a ride, but after the crash flights were stopped for the day. On the evening of the crash Mr Salmet took dinner at the Grand Hotel, where he recieved a "great ovation".

Pilot - Mr Henri Salmet.

Passenger - Mr H Dell.

The photograph shown above was taken minutes before the accident at Scarborough on 28th August 1913. In the front is Henri Salmet, at the back is Mr H Dell. The photograph shown below shows the Henri Salmet flying the aircraft at some stage during the visit.

Henri Salmet (photograph found on Flight magazine archive). He was born on 22nd July 1878 in Paris, France and was taught to fly at the Hendon flying school, gaining his Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate (Cert.No.99) on 27th June 1911. During the First World War he served with the French Army Air Service (Aeronautique Militaire) being awarded the Croix de Guerre on 7th April 1915. It is thought that Henri Salmet died in 1929 in France. No further details are known about his First World War service.