An article on opposition to initial flying at Windermere
Please click here for an article about reasons given against flying at Windermere in 1911-1912.
Interactive 3D Model
We now have an interactive 3D model of the replica Waterbird.
Aviators’ Certificates
On the 108th anniversary of Waterbird’s first flight, there is a new page on our website about the history of Aviators’ Certificates and the 23 Certificates accomplished at Windermere.
Fell & Rock Climbing Club plaque exhibition
There is an exhibition at the Heaton Cooper Archive Gallery in Grasmere which includes the original tablet listing members of the Fell & Rock Climbing Club killed in World War 1. Arthur Wakefield was President of the Club when the memorial was dedicated in 1924....
The Catalina Heritage
There is a new page on our website about Windermere’s heritage of the Catalina flying boat.
Flight Lieutenant Wavell Wakefield Centenary
Today, it is 100 years since Flight Lieutenant Wavell Wakefield landed a Sopwith Pup on HMS Vindictive.
The Winston Churchill Connection
There is a new page on our website about Winston Churchill’s important influence on Windermere aviation.
Hornsea’s Flying Sailors 1915-1919 Exhibition
Hornsea Museum is running an exhibition, Flying Sailors 1915-1919, to share the story of the Royal Naval Air Service base on Hornsea Mere, until the Autumn of 2019. It commences with an Open Day on 28 July from 10:00am to 4:00pm when there is free entry. A Royal Naval...
Waterbird’s place in Aviation history: First steps
Challenge: Aviation history recognising that Glenn Curtiss ‘The Father of US Naval Aviation’ invented the step-hydroplane for a seaplane is being challenged. Ian Gee has collated documentation which, he claims, proves that the step-hydroplane was in fact discovered...
The replica Waterbird’s first flight
She flies! We are delighted to announce that the replica Waterbird has made her first flights as a landplane.
RAF 100 Commemoration
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force, please see the sections of this website about Flight Lieutenants Cooper Pattinson and Wavell Wakefield. Whilst serving in the RAF, on 10 May 1918 Pattinson was a pilot of a Felixstowe flying...
Battle of the Somme Commemoration
To commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, here is the story of a pilot named Donald Macaskie, who qualified for his Aviator’s Certificate at Windermere. Donald Stuart Calthorpe Macaskie (1896 – 1987), born at Headingley, Yorkshire, of The Red House,...
BOATBUILDER SUPPORTS WATERBIRD
Following historical precedent, a Windermere Boatbuilder is making the stepped float for the replica Waterbird. Founder of Franklin Eldridge Yachts, Richard Pierce, and his son James, who built wooden yachts and steamers at Ferry Nab, Windermere in the late 20th...
Summer Evening Event
Naval and Civil Aviation at Windermere from 1909 to 1919 Unlikely though it might seem in an area known for its mountains, the Lake District and, particularly, Windermere has a proud aviation heritage. Windermere’s story of aviation started when two friends, Edward...
A salute to pioneering Aviation safety at Windermere
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK, its overseas territories and crown dependencies, is celebrating its centenary this year. As part of their celebrations, members of the AAIB...