Vivian Hewitt
| Vivian Hewitt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1888 Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England |
| Died | 1965 (aged 76–77)[1] |
| Nationality | British |
| Aviation career | |
| Known for | Second flight from Great Britain to Ireland, 26 April 1912[2] |
| Flight license |
1 October 1912[3] London |
Vivian Hewitt was a pioneering Welsh aviator. Born in Grimsby, he moved to Bodfari, Denbighshire, Wales his mother's family home, on the death of his father during his childhood.[1]
On 26 April 1912, Hewitt successfully completed a flight between Holyhead and Dublin, landing in the Phoenix Park. Interviewed by the press, he expressed the view that Damer Leslie Allen, who had disappeared a few days earlier whilst attempting the same flight, had been insufficiently experienced as an aviator for a task of such difficulty.[2]
Although widely reported to be the first person to cross the sea from Great Britain to Ireland in an aeroplane, several days earlier,[1] on 22 April Denys Corbett Wilson had flown from Goodwick in Pembrokeshire to Enniscorthy.[4][5] Nevertheless, the view was expressed at the time that Hewitt's flight was "a more difficult and dangerous feat" than Corbett Wilson's.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 Lewis, Alys (10 March 2010). "BBC: Captain Vivian Hewitt – the aviation pioneer". BBC News. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
- 1 2 "Aviation: Flight from Holyhead to Dublin – Mr Hewitt descends in the Phoenix Park". Irish Times. Dublin. 27 April 1912. p. 7.
- ↑ Flight Magazine 5 October 1912
- ↑ "Flying the Irish Channel" (PDF). Flight Magazine. London: Reed Business Information. IV (17): 379. 27 April 1912. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
- ↑ "Irish Aviator's Feat: St. George's Channel Crossed". Irish Times. Dublin. 27 April 1912. p. 23.
- ↑ "Editorial". (Weekly) Irish Times. Dublin. 4 May 1912. p. 10.