Gustav Hamel died too soon ... I can't help feeling that he would have done well if he had been given the chance !! In his diaries, George V writes: Monday February 2nd. Windsor Castle. Beautiful bright day, mild and hardly any wind. Gustav Hamel, the German aviator, flew here at 12.15 from Hendon. He went up and looped the loop fourteen times. Most interesting and wonderful to see with what ease he did it, and it was most graceful. All the Eton boys and many others were on the terrace and were delighted. (With acknowledgements to Robert Lacey from a broadcast 'Book of the Week' 26th - 30th July 2004) Gustav Hamel (June 25, 1889 - missing May 23, 1914) was a pioneer British aviator. Hamel was prominent in the early history of aviation in Britain, and in particular that of Hendon airfield, where Claude Graham-White was energetically developing and promoting flying. Gustav Hamel was educated at Westminster School and chose to learn to fly at the Bleriot school at Pau, France in 1910 at the age of 21. His first flight of note was on 24 March 1911 when he flew from Hendon to Brooklands in a record 58 minutes. In the exploit for which he is best remembered, Hamel flew a Bleriot on Saturday 9 September 1911, covering the 21 miles between Hendon and Windsor in 10 minutes to deliver the first official airmail to the Postmaster General. Included was a postcard he had written en-route. The many thousands of items of mail included commemorative postcards which are today treasured by collectors. 27 July 1912 The Hinkley Times reported: "Mr Gustav Hamel, the famous aviator, brought his aeroplane to the Outwoods and gave a demonstration of powered flight. This would have been the first time that most Hinckley people had witnessed a motorized aeroplane. The aeroplane flew over Burbage and Sketchley. Many people in Mount Road saw the plane as it flew low over their heads. A mishap at the conclusion of the flight made any further flying that day impossible. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1915/1915 - 0896.html http://earlyaviators.com/ehamel1.htm
HAMEL Mr Gustav. 'Flight'. Holding goggles. Flew a Bleriot. Educated at Westminster School. Other Hobbies - Sailing. Shooting. Fishing. Cars
