On July 26th 1913 Bentfield Charles Hucks (25 October 1884 – 7 November 1918) was promoting his aviation exhibition in the Cheltenham and Gloucester area.
Bachelor Hucks was an aviation pioneer in the early 20th century. As well as test flying numerous aircraft types, he was the first Briton to perform a loop in an aircraft, which he performed in his Blériot at Hendon airfield in September 1913. He is also credited with the Hucks starter and many feats of test flying during the First World War, while working at Hendon for Airco.
He died in 7 November 1918, just days before the end of the First World War, of double pneumonia. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery.
Cheltenham Looker-On – Saturday 26 July 1913:
Thrills for Cheltenham and Gloucester
It is certain that there is no airman known to the residents of Cheltenham and district more popular than Mr. B. C. Hucks. It is therefore, good news to hear that he has arranged to give flying exhibitions in the district on Saturday, August bank holiday, and Tuesday, the second, fourth and fifth days of August.
When Hucks came before, aviation was then comparatively speaking, in its infancy, and although he gave her an exceptionally interesting display in those days, we have heard that his piloting has improved out of all knowledge. To start with he now has a much more powerful monoplane –a 70 horse power Gnome engine Blériot.
Then, of course he had a greater amount of experience than fall to a lot of most airmen..
When he took delivery of his present monoplane in Paris he flew it to London, with a passenger aboard, by way of a trial flight. Last year, it will be remembered, he was commissioned by the Daily Mail to give exhibitions on their behalf all over the kingdom. He flew in upwards of 70 pounds, and only once was he prevented from flying owing to adverse weather conditions. A hurricane was blowing that day! Now he is said to fly in any old weather the authorities like to send along.
BCH has also made a point, of late, of giving his spectators a little lecture on aviation, and have a answering any questions they might like to put to him (here, by the way, is a chance for some of the students of the district to get their knowledge first hand).
Rather a funny thing happened the other day while he was addressing the crowd at Birmingham. Very little wind was noticeable on the ground, but, up above, the clouds was simply “hooshing” by. Hucks had been explaining that it was very “bumpy” above, when one old fellow, tightly jammed in amongst the crowd, called out, “but there ain’t no wind now.”
“Perhaps there isn’t,” replied the airman lecturer, “just a way you happened to be standing!”
Whereat at the crowd grinned.
