My daughter is a serving member of the RAF Police and this year the RAF celebrates its 100th Anniversary…..this is a special piece about the places that played a role in the story of flight in Britain
On this day 110 years ago, 16 October 1908, the British Army Aeroplane 1 took off in what was the first formally recognised, sustained, powered, heavier-than-air flight in the United Kingdom.
It was built by American aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody at the Army Balloon Factory in Farnborough and signalled a new age of daredevil experimentation and sky-high ambitions.
In celebration of this anniversary, we take a look at nine listed places that tell us about the early days of aviation:
1. The Balloon Stone (Lunardi Monument), Standon Green End, Hertfordshire, Grade II listed
The Lunardi Balloon stone -The first flight from English soil – 15th September 1784 via Wiki commons
This stone monument commemorates the first ever feat of aviation in England- the first recorded hot air balloon flight. Italian aeronaut Vincent Lunardi launched from the Honourable Artillery Company grounds in Finsbury, east London, flying for 2 hours and…
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keithbracey 