Valencia Farm
VALENCIA FARM: Temporary Landing Ground
Operated by: Col. Samuel F Cody
Location: Just N of the A58, about 0.75nm NE of Prescot town centre and roughly 2.25nm SW of St Helens town centre
Period of operation: 29th December 1909
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great long term friend of this 'Guide', to thank for investigating this subject and providing the following items to illustate this listing.
The Photo One and Article One were published in the Eccleston Times on the 29th December 1909.
This article in three parts was published in the Daily Mirror on the 30th December 1909.
Mike has very kindly provided this route map of the course his flight took from his own account of the flight. It would appear that Cody must have spent some time studying a local area map to be so certain about the route he took. The direct line distance from AINTREE to VALENCIA FARM is about 7nm. I may well be mistaken, but suspect that this may well have been the longest flight at that time well away from an aerodrome?
Article Three was published in the Northern Daily Telegraph, also on the 30th December 1909. The Photo Two and the text account are from St Helens Heritage.
The local area and area views are from my Google Earth© derived database.
NOTES: It might well be worth mentioning, as related to the above, that the term aerodrome was French, and described an area within which flying took place. As early aero engines were very unreliable, it was considered to be foolish to venture much outside of the aerodrome limits. Clearly, after much experimentation, Samuel Cody had decided that his engine was now reliable enough to attempt this record breaking flight.
Over the years talking to aircraft engineers, I have learnt that it is astonishing to discover just how many problems can result from taking even a basic engine design that functions perfectly well on the ground, up into the air. Crucial adaptions are essential to cope, and this goes a long way to explaining why very old fashioned designs, such as the 'thumpers' produced mostly in the USA still prove to be a popular choice.
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