The replica Waterbird’s first flight
She flies! We are delighted to announce that the replica Waterbird has made her first flights as a landplane.
RAF 100 Commemoration
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force, please see the sections of this website about Flight Lieutenants Cooper Pattinson and Wavell Wakefield. Whilst serving in the RAF, on 10 May 1918 Pattinson was a pilot of a Felixstowe flying...
Battle of the Somme Commemoration
To commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, here is the story of a pilot named Donald Macaskie, who qualified for his Aviator’s Certificate at Windermere. Donald Stuart Calthorpe Macaskie (1896 – 1987), born at Headingley, Yorkshire, of The Red House,...
Boat builder supports Waterbird
Following historical precedent, a Windermere boat builder is making the stepped float for the replica Waterbird. Founder of Franklin Eldridge Yachts, Richard Pierce, and his son James, who built wooden yachts and steamers at Ferry Nab, Windermere in the late 20th...
Summer Evening Event
Naval and Civil Aviation at Windermere from 1909 to 1919 Unlikely though it might seem in an area known for its mountains, the Lake District and, particularly, Windermere has a proud aviation heritage. Windermere’s story of aviation started when two friends, Edward...
A salute to pioneering Aviation safety at Windermere
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK, its overseas territories and crown dependencies, is celebrating its centenary this year. As part of their celebrations, members of the AAIB...
Waterbird and Siegfried Herford
An extract from the film ‘Herford: the life and death of the Edwardian climber’ depicting a meeting between Siegfried Herford and Edward Wakefield. Watch it here.
First World War Centenary: From Fells to Flanders
From 17 July 2014 to 20 December 2014 there will be a display ‘From Fells to Flanders’ at the Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry, Kendal. This includes Waterbird’s original float and Edward Wakefield’s patent, together with many other fascinating items about early...