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Title: Heptonstall from the Air, 1950 - ALC04484
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Title
Heptonstall from the Air, 1950 - ALC04484
Description
Taken on the first flight over the Calder Valley. Alice Longstaff was a passenger.
This is the newspaper report of the flight, probably written by Bernard Ingham, who was a cub reporter at the time and was also on the fight:
FLIGHT OVER THE CALDER VALLEY
Now the big moment had arrived. Exposure meters flashed out, film cartons fell to the floor, and cameras were brought out. Everybody went to one side of the aircraft, and it sounded like a slot machine with shutters clicking and the cine cameras whirling. There below was Hebden Bridge, reached in ten minutes from the other side of Bradford, 21 miles away. We flew along the south side of the valley and made a circle from Charlestown to Mytholmroyd. The aircraft was now lifting and falling slightly in the air pockets. Above Mytholmroyd the engines were throttled back, and there was some consternation among the less experienced as the machine dived steeply to 700 feet, then leveling out.
OVER HEPTONSTALL
I had the unique experience of looking down at Heptonstall Parish Church. Going over Heptonstall I noticed a bus in the main street, and two figures waving madly. At Yeadon had been prepared a message, “Love and best wishes to Hebden Bridge”, and this was duly released but has not been heard of yet. After the second circuit the pilot turned the aircraft round, and we circled twice in the opposite direction. At this point the pilot put his head round the door for a consultation, and let the aircraft find its own way. This was not well received by some of the passengers, but the machine appeared to fly as well without the pilot as with him. After the fourth circuit and fifteen minutes over Hebden Bridge the plane turned towards Yeadon.
FLIGHT OVER TOO QUICKLY
A pink blaze of colour was noticed and was recognized as the rhododendrons at Castle Carr, with Fly Flats reservoir in the background; then Ogden reservoir and Denholme were seen, and Bradford appeared in the distance. All eyes were looking for Yeadon. There it was on the port side. We swung round to the head of the runway, slackened speed and reduced height down to 50 feet. This is the most difficult part of flying, and is somewhat exciting. We descended and then felt a slight jar, and we knew we were down. The brakes were applied, and the aircraft taxied to its original position and stopped. So ended a most thrilling and instructive excursion, which had ended only too quickly.
This is the newspaper report of the flight, probably written by Bernard Ingham, who was a cub reporter at the time and was also on the fight:
FLIGHT OVER THE CALDER VALLEY
Now the big moment had arrived. Exposure meters flashed out, film cartons fell to the floor, and cameras were brought out. Everybody went to one side of the aircraft, and it sounded like a slot machine with shutters clicking and the cine cameras whirling. There below was Hebden Bridge, reached in ten minutes from the other side of Bradford, 21 miles away. We flew along the south side of the valley and made a circle from Charlestown to Mytholmroyd. The aircraft was now lifting and falling slightly in the air pockets. Above Mytholmroyd the engines were throttled back, and there was some consternation among the less experienced as the machine dived steeply to 700 feet, then leveling out.
OVER HEPTONSTALL
I had the unique experience of looking down at Heptonstall Parish Church. Going over Heptonstall I noticed a bus in the main street, and two figures waving madly. At Yeadon had been prepared a message, “Love and best wishes to Hebden Bridge”, and this was duly released but has not been heard of yet. After the second circuit the pilot turned the aircraft round, and we circled twice in the opposite direction. At this point the pilot put his head round the door for a consultation, and let the aircraft find its own way. This was not well received by some of the passengers, but the machine appeared to fly as well without the pilot as with him. After the fourth circuit and fifteen minutes over Hebden Bridge the plane turned towards Yeadon.
FLIGHT OVER TOO QUICKLY
A pink blaze of colour was noticed and was recognized as the rhododendrons at Castle Carr, with Fly Flats reservoir in the background; then Ogden reservoir and Denholme were seen, and Bradford appeared in the distance. All eyes were looking for Yeadon. There it was on the port side. We swung round to the head of the runway, slackened speed and reduced height down to 50 feet. This is the most difficult part of flying, and is somewhat exciting. We descended and then felt a slight jar, and we knew we were down. The brakes were applied, and the aircraft taxied to its original position and stopped. So ended a most thrilling and instructive excursion, which had ended only too quickly.
Source
Pennine Horizons Digital Archive
Date
1950s
Rights
PHDA - Alice Longstaff Collection
Relation
Pennine Horizons Digital Archive
Identifier
ALC04484.tif
Collection
Citation
“Heptonstall from the Air, 1950 - ALC04484,” Pennine Horizons Digital Archive, accessed April 19, 2024, https://penninehorizons.org/items/show/16317.
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