Early history of aviation in the eastern province

Abstract

Let me firstly state categorically that the Eastern Province is the cradle of aviation in South Africa. Although Admiral John Weston built the first aircraft in South Africa at Brandfort in the Orange Free State in 1907, his machine was taken overseas for its first flight on 10th December 1910. It was not flown here until June, 1911.2 When one asks the question, "who made the first ever heavier-thanair flight?", the answer is invariably "the Wright brothers at Kittyhawk, USA in 1903". Who made the first flight of this type in South Africa? A scant six years after the Wright brothers, Albert Kimmerling flew on 28th December, 1909, in a Voisin single-seater biplane at East London. This historic flight took place near the Nahoon racecourse. "The aeroplane answered his every wish, swooping, turning and twisting in a marvellous fashion at about thirty miles per hour" wrote an excited
reporter of the great occasion. The flight was repeated on New Year's Day, ending in a minor crash. Thus occurred the first air crash on South African soil. Fortunately the damage was slight and the flying programme soon continued.