Early Aviation Biplane In British India Era, 1913 Times of India

Early Aviation Biplane In British India Era, 1913 Times of India

A rare glimpse of an early aviation biplane during the British India era. This is a page from the Times Of India Newspaper supplement of 1913. A picture shows the Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army leaving a biplane at Sitapur after a flight.

Sitapur is a town around 80 km from Lucknow in United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh. This little-known town had a military establishment and cantonment during the colonial era. The Indian Central Flying School opened here in 1913, it was under the command of Captain SD Massey of the 29th Punjab Regiment.

The flying instructors of the school were officers from the Army Flying Corps who were trained in England. The intention was to train selected officers who were inclined towards flying. The purpose was to set up an Indian Flying Corps, similar to the line of Royal Flying Corps of England. However, before this could materialize concretely, WWI broke out.

The officers and the aircraft were moved to Egypt to supplement the shortage of the European aviation division there. Consequently, the Indian Central Flying School had to close down in 1914. Thus leaving India without an airplane in World War I. What you see here is a rare glimpse of the early aviation biplane in the British India Era of 1913. This probably gives a glimpse of the Flying School before they were translocated to Egypt. Notable are the British officers seemingly of the flying school watching on.

See post Geoffrey Clarke Of First Airmail Flight in India 1911, Old Photo.

Did you know- the first flight on a monoplane piloted by Keith Davis took place at Allahabad in 1910.

From the collection- Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph 1894.,  Imperial Procession Delhi Durbar – Old Photo.,  US Navy Sailors In Mumbai – Old Postcard 1942.,  Standard “S” Vintage Car In Madras – Old Print 1914

Early Aviation Biplane In British India Era, 1913 Times of India