'Father of Flight' Sir George Cayley honoured with red plaque at Brompton Hall School
Over 30 direct descendants of Sir George Cayley gathered at Brompton Hall School to witness the unveiling of a Red Wheel plaque on Sir George’s Workshop in the school grounds.
The plaque, promoted by the National Transport Trust, was unveiled by Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire Sir William Worsley, a direct descendant of Sir George, on Friday, July 5.
Alongside Sir George’s descendants, representatives of the National Transport Trust, the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Yorkshire Air Museum and North Yorkshire Council, were also present at the unveiling.
Amongst Sir George’s various creations was the world’s first successfully flown aeroplane which flew in 1853 in Brompton Dale, 50 years before the Wright Brothers’ first powered aircraft flight.
Sir George was at the advanced age of 79 when his glider flew, so his coachman, believed to be John Appleby, took to the controls but landed with a bump, he is reputed to have said: ‘Please, Sir George, I wish to give notice. I was hired to drive and not to fly!’.
Sir George, an internationally renowned Son of Yorkshire, also designed the bicycle tension wheel so it is fitting that a Red Wheel is now in place for all to see below a green plaque placed in 1980 by the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Also, many readers will remember the 2003 celebrations in Brompton Dale when Sir Richard Branson flew a modern version of Sir George’s glider, exactly 21 years earlier to the day.
After the unveiling, guests were invited to a reception hosted by the School, part of the Venn Academy Trust chain of schools across Yorkshire and the Humber region.