1911: First London to Brighton Flight Categories: Sports/Events Timelines: Main

In February 1911, Harry hosts a hastily arranged banquet at his Royal York Hotel to celebrate the first aeroplane flight from London to Brighton. The pilot, Oscar Morison, had only intended to fly to Cobham in Surrey, but as the weather was so fine, he changed his plans and telephoned Harry telling him to expect him in Brighton.

Morison took flight in his Blériot XI monoplane, flying from Brooklands Aerodrome and landing on Brighton beach just over one hour later. Descending on to the beach between the Palace, and West Piers, he mistook the pebbles for sand, and smashed his plane’s propeller on the shingle. Morison had nearly landed at Worthing, but leaning out of his cockpit realised his mistake because there was only one pier and he knew Brighton had two!

Though broken, the propeller would quickly find a new home. Harry ended up with the monoplane’s shattered propeller hung up in his hotel smoking room as a memento of the landmark occasion.

A brochure in the Brighton Museums collection details the celebratory dinner held in Mr Morison’s honour. A representation of Morison’s Blériot monoplane had been created in flowers; “Pink azaleas formed the main body of the machine; the wing-like planes were made of yellow narcissus; the propeller was of scarlet geraniums“.

Harry organised the dinner as a member of the Sussex Motor Yacht Club. Afterwards, the club presented the aviator with a silver cigarette case in memory of his historic flight.