Ernest Willows
Encyclopedia
Ernest Thompson Willows (1886–1926) was a pioneer Welsh
aviator and airship
builder the first person in the United Kingdom
to hold a pilots certificate for an airship when the Royal Aero Club
awarded him Airship Pilots Certificate No. 1.
Willows was born in Cardiff
, Wales
on 11 July 1886. He was educated at Clifton College
. He entered the school in 1896 and left aged 15 in 1901 to train as a dentist.
He built his first airship, the Willows No. 1
, in 1905 when he was aged 19. It first flown for 85 minutes from East Moors, Cardiff on 5 August 1905. This was soon followed by an improved Willows No. 2 in which he landed outside Cardiff City Hall
on 4 June 1910. No. 2 was re-built as No. 3 which he named the City of Cardiff before he flew from London
to Paris
in 1910. The first airship crossing of the English Channel
at night and the first from England to France. The journey was not without problems including dropping the maps over the side during the night and problems with the envelope caused the airship to land at Corbehem
near Douai
at two o'clock in the morning. With the help of a local French aviator Louis Breguet
the airship was repaired and arrived at Paris on 28 December 1910. He celebrated new-years eve with a flight around the Eiffel Tower
.
Willows moved to Birmingham
to build his next airship the Willows No. 4. First flown in 1912, it was sold to the Admiralty
for £1,050 and it became His Majesty's Naval Airship No. 2.
With the money from the Navy Willows established a spherical gas balloon school at Welsh Harp, Hendon
near London, although this did not stop him building Willows No. 5 in 1913, a four-seater designed to give joy rides over London.
During the first world war Willows built kite
or barrage balloon
s in Cardiff. After the war he continued with ballooning but on the 23 August 1926 he died in a balloon accident at Hoo Park, Kempston
, Bedford
along with two passengers.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
aviator and airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
builder the first person in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to hold a pilots certificate for an airship when the Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
awarded him Airship Pilots Certificate No. 1.
Willows was born in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on 11 July 1886. He was educated at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
. He entered the school in 1896 and left aged 15 in 1901 to train as a dentist.
He built his first airship, the Willows No. 1
Willows airships
|-See also:...
, in 1905 when he was aged 19. It first flown for 85 minutes from East Moors, Cardiff on 5 August 1905. This was soon followed by an improved Willows No. 2 in which he landed outside Cardiff City Hall
City Hall, Cardiff
City Hall is a civic building in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. Built of Portland stone, it became the fifth building to serve as Cardiff's centre of local government when it opened in October 1906. The competition to design a town hall and adjacent law courts for Cardiff was won in 1897 by the firm...
on 4 June 1910. No. 2 was re-built as No. 3 which he named the City of Cardiff before he flew from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1910. The first airship crossing of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at night and the first from England to France. The journey was not without problems including dropping the maps over the side during the night and problems with the envelope caused the airship to land at Corbehem
Corbehem
Corbehem is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial village located 17 miles northeast of Arras on the D45 road...
near Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
at two o'clock in the morning. With the help of a local French aviator Louis Breguet
Louis Charles Breguet
Louis Charles Breguet was a French aircraft designer and builder, one of the early aviation pioneers.- Biography :...
the airship was repaired and arrived at Paris on 28 December 1910. He celebrated new-years eve with a flight around the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
.
Willows moved to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to build his next airship the Willows No. 4. First flown in 1912, it was sold to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
for £1,050 and it became His Majesty's Naval Airship No. 2.
With the money from the Navy Willows established a spherical gas balloon school at Welsh Harp, Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
near London, although this did not stop him building Willows No. 5 in 1913, a four-seater designed to give joy rides over London.
During the first world war Willows built kite
Observation balloon
Observation balloons are balloons that are employed as aerial platforms for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Their use began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today....
or barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
s in Cardiff. After the war he continued with ballooning but on the 23 August 1926 he died in a balloon accident at Hoo Park, Kempston
Kempston
Kempston is a town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. Once known as the largest village in England, Kempston is now a town with its own town council. It has a population of about 20,000, and together with Bedford, it forms an urban area with around 100,000 inhabitants, which is the...
, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
along with two passengers.