On December 10, 1918, the first ever aeroplane landed in India from England.
The Hindu had, at the time, tracked the historic journey through over a dozen reports from the run-up to the flight’s arrival in Karachi on December 10 and its eventual departure from Kolkata (Calcutta) on January 13.
As we reported: “At exactly two minutes past two today [December 10], the 1st aeroplane to fly to India from Europe touched Indian soil (at Karachi) amid cheers and applause of a large crowd of spectators numbering well over ten thousand. The great Handley Page biplane was first sighted at 1.45 at a height of about 7,500 feet, approaching at a rate of about sixty miles an hour. A faultless landing was made; the huge machine was then taken along the ground close in front of the lines of spectators before turning to proceed in the direction of the tents where it came to rest.”
- The maiden flight to India brought with it 43 letters and post cards , which were handed over to the Post Master at Karachi. Each letter and post card bore a stamp saying, “Brought by the first Aerial Mail, Cairo Karachi 10th December 1918”.
- The aeroplane left Cairo on November 13 and arrived at Damascus the same day, and had reached Baghdad on December 1.
- Since the country did not have airstrips, special arrangements had to be made. An aerodrome was created in the newly set up Delhi Cantonment, while in Calcutta, the Race Course was used to land the plane.
- The same plane was later used in a bombing operation of Kabul during the 3rd Anglo-Afghan War. Of its payload of four 51 kg bombs and 16 10 kg bombs, four bombs hit the royal palace.
The flight had Major-General Salmond, commanding the Air Force in the Middle East, Brigadier-General A.E. Barton, commanding the Palestine Brigade of the Royal Air Force, Captain Ross Smith of the Australian Flying Corps, and two air mechanics on board.
The Handley Page biplane, one of 63 ever built, was fashioned out of wood. It had been used as a bomber during the First World War and was later used to carry out a bombing raid on Kabul during the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
A news brief published in The Hindu on November 30, 1918, suggests the flight to India had already been discussed with arrangements being made to receive the aviators. The Hindu tracked the flight’s journey from Cairo, from where it left on November 13. A report published on December 9 announced its impending arrival at Karachi and Delhi. As landing strips weren’t in place, different locations were chosen at these cities for the flight to land. A new aerodrome had been built specifically in the “south west end of the New Cantonment” in Delhi.
After landing in front of the Allahabad Fort on December 16, the plane landed at the Calcutta Race Course. In each city, huge crowds had gathered to witness the historic journey.
“..Almost the whole Calcutta” had assembled at the race course to welcome the flight. The reports described the moment the flight was sighted at each city and even the way it landed. “It sailed due south and when over the maidan it circled several times. After coming directly above the crowds for half and an hour it performed evolutions,” said The Hindu ’s report of the flight’s arrival at Calcutta.
The flight started its return journey from Calcutta on January 13. On its way back, it had to make a forced landing while en-route to Allahabad. A report on January 17, highlighting this incident, stated that the plane had developed a snag as dust had entered the engine after being left in the open at the Calcutta Race Course “instead of being properly housed.”
After this flight, more of these planes were assembled in Calcutta from January 1919 to February 1920, but their base was shifted to Mumbai.
The Hindu ’s report on February 6, 1920, states that “the headquarters will be Juhu Island aerodrome, ten miles north of Bombay”. The report laments Calcutta’s missed opportunity to become “the centre of Indian flying” due to difficulties in obtaining permissions for an aerodrome near the city.
MAIDEN JOURNEY
| Arrival at Karachi | Dec.11, 1918 |
| Delhi | Dec.12, 1918 |
| Allahabad | Dec.16, 1918 |
| Calcutta | Dec.17, 1918 |
| Arrival at Karachi | Dec.11, 1918 |
| Departure from Calcutta | January 13 |
