One of the Henderson Flying School aircraft (Brooklands Museum).
Auxiliary Air Force’s 601 County of London Squadron, known as ‘the millionaire’s squadron’to train three of his officers. Henderson was again asked to endorse various products in adverts. Flight now received reports from both schools. On 16th January 1929 The Aeroplane ran a short article under the headline of ‘Lt Col Henderson’s activities’. This listed the selling of his flying school at Brooklands and his entry into small- time aeroplane production. The aeroplanes it was referring to were being produced in conjunction with a Mr Glenny, one of his former pupils; together they had formed a small aeroplane manufacturing company called Glenny and Henderson Limited at Byfleet with works in York Road. The aeroplane was designed by K N Pearson, not to be confused with Rex Pierson the Vickers designer. They were going to make a small, cheap ‘motorcycle of the air’ called the Gadfly, as well as a specialist joy-riding aeroplane with a long open fuselage and a pusher propeller (to keep the propeller’s back wash away from the passengers). This was the HSF1. Meanwhile,
many senior pilots were feeling the need for a body to oversee their fledgling trade. So on 1st February there was a gathering of the leading pilots of the time in Rules Restaurant in Covent Garden. They wanted to form an exclusive Masonic Company, based on the Company of Master Mariners, with its membership restricted to airmen of high repute. The idea was well received and an eight-man steering committee was set up under Sir Sefton Branker, Director of Civil Aviation. The committee would consist of senior representatives from the various aspects of their trade. Flight tells us Henderson was chosen to be the Instructional Flying Representative, but for some reason he does not seem to have taken up this offer as the present day Honorable Company of Air Pilots, which is the successor organisation to the Guild of Airline Pilots and Navigators, has no record of Henderson. On 27th April 1929 Henderson flew the HSF1 for the first time. He then took up 30 people on joy-rides, even though the aeroplane did not have a certificate of airworthiness.
Gadfly
In the same month, at Brooklands, the Gadfly also made its maiden flight. On 16th May, using this aeroplane, Henderson achieved a world altitude record of 9,911 feet in the 200kg class. On 10th- 11th June the Gadfly took part in the Cambridge Aero Club’s Air Display. July proved to be a busy month for Henderson, firstly Glenny and Henderson took a stand at the Olympia International Aero Show, on the 18th he attended a banquet for the foreign delegates to the show at the Savoy. This was followed by the Gadfly’s appearance at the Aerial Garden Party at Heston. One of the last pictures known to exist of this
Duncan Davies and Rivers Oldmeadow front row third and second from right (Brooklands Museum).
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