Lilian Bland flight centenary marked
THE flight centenary of one of this borough's most remarkable women - Lilian Bland - was commemorated on Tuesday (August 31) with special events organised by the Ulster Aviation Society.
Carnmoney's finest, Lilian Bland, was the first woman in the world to design, build and fly an aeroplane, and August 31, 1910 was the day on which she made her first powered flight.
To mark the 100th anniversary of this momentous feat, Kate Welsh laid a wreath on behalf of the Society on Lilian's grave which is in a churchyard at Sennen in Cornwall, on Tuesday afternoon.
Lilian's great nephew, the Reverend Edward Pratt, also travelled from his home in Dorset to lay a floral tribute on behalf of the family, and Mark Hillier, the Chief Flying Instructor of MSH Flight Training, Lands End Airport, flew over the scene in salute.Between 1909 and 1911 Lilian Bland carried out aviation experiments in her aunt's workshop and stables at Tobercooran House near Carnmoney.
Lilian moved to Carnmoney with her father Hohn Humphrey Bland, after her mother died, and they lived here with her aunt.
Inspired by the sight of seabirds flying on the Scottish coast and of which she is reputed to have taken the first colour photographs, by the daring of Louis Blriot, and by a visit to the first flying meeting in the UK held at Blackpool in 1909, Lilian set to work on building her own aeroplane.
In February 1910, with the assistance of Joe Blain, a Carnmoney man, who was her aunt's gardener's 'boy', Lilian first flew her aeroplane, the Mayfly, as a glider on the slopes of Carnmoney Hill.
Read the full story in this week's Newtownabbey Times
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Weather for Newtownabbey
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
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