Hubert Latham

Infobox Person
name=Hubert Latham
birth_date=10 January 1883
death_date=7 June 1912

Hubert Latham (10 January 1883 - 7 June 1912) was an early British aviation pioneer. He is credited with being the first individual to land an airplane on water during the first of two attempts to cross the English Channel solo.

Biography

Latham was a gentleman of inherited wealth who listed his occupation as "man of the world" He had crossed the English Channel in a balloon during 11-12 February 1905, with his cousin Jacques Faure and raced motorboats before becoming a pilot.Flight, p. 40.] In 1908 he teamed up with engine builder Leon Levavasseur and financier Jules Gastambide to promote and exploit the Antoinette monoplane. The aircraft were powered by Levavasseur's engines which were also called Antoinettes. The "Antoinette" name coming from Gastambide's daughter who gave the company her name. Latham would pilot different variants of the Antoinette to fame and renown both in Europe and the United States.

On 19 July 1909, Latham made his first attempt to cross the English Channel to win a 1,000 pound (US$5,000 1910) prize offered by the Daily Mail. The aircraft suffered an engine failure and Latham performed the first landing of an aircraft on the sea. The aircraft suffered little damage and repairs were made to prepare for another attempt. On the morning of July 25 1909, while Latham was still asleep in his hotel room, Louis Bleriot successfully crossed the English Channel. Latham made his second attempt to cross the channel on July 27 but was forced to land in the sea once again, this time badly damaging the Antoinette but escaping serious injury.

Death

Latham died in Chad in 1912. His death is officially reported to have been caused by being mauled by a wounded buffalo. However, the commander of the Colonial French Army fortress at Fort Archambault, who retrieved his body after his death was reported by his bearers, found that Latham had sustained a single head wound and saw no marks on or around Latham's body consistent with a rampaging buffalo. However, as the bearers would not change their story and, as there were no other witnesses, the story was accepted as stated. [In Memoriam: Latham Dies In Africa, 1912]

Achievements

Latham participated in the Grande Semaine de L'Aviation de la Champagne in October 1909 at Reims, France, winning the altitude prize in an Antoinette IV at an altitude of m to ft|155|abbr=yes Flight - page 46]

On 7 January 1910, in Mourmelon, France, Latham climbed to an altitude of ft to m|3600|abbr=yes, more than ft to m|2000|abbr=yes more than his previous world record and beyond previous claims of unofficial records. [UP 3,600 FEET IN AIRPLANE - New York Times]

Notes

References

*cite book|last=Grant|first=R.G.|editor=David Summers|others=Nigel Ritchie, David-Tombesi-Walton|title=Flight: 100 Years of Aviation|origyear=2002|year=2004|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=London|language=UK English|pages=pp. 38-46|chapter=Chapter 1 - Age of the Pioneers: Section 3 - Flying Takes Off|id=ISBN 1-4053-0575-4|accessdate=
*cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9C00E2DD1139E333A2575BC0A9679C946196D6CF&oref=slogin&oref=slogin|author=|last=|first=|title=UP 3,600 FEET IN AEROPLANE|publisher=The New York Times|date=1910-01-08|accessdate=2008-08-28
*cite web|url=http://www.earlyaviators.com/elathhu4.htm|title=In Memoriam: LATHAM DIES IN AFRICA, 1912|accessdate=2008-08-28|author=|last=|first=|date=|format=|work=http://www.earlyaviators.com/index.htm|publisher=

Biographies

*"Hubert Latham: Forgotten Aviator" by Barbara Walsh c.2007 ISBN 10: 0752443186, ISBN 13: 9780752443188
*"Windkiller" by Stephen H. King c. 2004 ISBN 10: 1595710108, ISBN 13: 9781595710109