Cody's Tree

Cody’s Tree

Cody’s Tree, RAE Farnborough

At the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, a stark leafless tree known as Cody's Tree bears the following inscription at its base:

“Samuel Franklin Cody measured the thrust of his first aeroplane in 1908/9 by tying it to this tree and his flight of 1390 feet on 16th October 1908 was the first powered sustained flight in Great Britain.”

Cody was an American. He was not related to Buffalo Bill Cody of Wild West fame but affected his style of dress and long flowing hair under a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. He arrived in England with a theatrical show in 1896 but his great interest was the balloons and kites, which he experimented with, in his spare time. While Britons were celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee on the ground, Cody was flying high on his kites.

By 1904 Cody was established at the Military Balloon Factory at Farnborough, Hampshire. The public marveled at the news of his flight in 1908, a time when many people had never seen a motorcar. The pinnacle of his career came when he won the Military Trials with his biplane on Salisbury Plain in 1912. He died shortly afterwards while flying at Farnborough. In September 1964 a model of Cody's biplane was mounted on a pillar outside the officers' mess at Farnborough. The inscription reads:

“The first aeroplane flight in Great Britain was made from this hillock by S. F. Cody on the morning of 16th October 1908. He took off in a westerly direction and flew for a distance of 1390 feet.”

Cody’s Tree has become an instantly recognizable feature at the Royal Aircraft Establishment Farnborough. Although now represented by a metal facsimile, the “tree” is an indispensable reminder of the early history of the airfield and its activities. IPMS Farnborough has adopted a representation of Cody’s Tree as the club’s instantly recognizable logo.

At CAPCON in September 2007, Les Burningham of IPMS Farnborough presented a sculpture of Cody’s Tree to the President of IPMS Ottawa, Kevin Smith. Subsequently, IPMS Ottawa decided to hold an annual competition in September of each year, with the theme being “Anything British.” The sculpture will be incorporated into suitable trophy, which will be held by the winner for one year.