Colonel Cody and the Flying Cathedral: The Adventures of the Cowboy Who Conquered Britain's Skies (Hardcover)

By Garry Jenkins.

S.F.Cody - that wasn't even his real name - is a larger than life character straight out of a Boy's Own comic. If one didn't know that this fascinating tale was true, one would simply dismiss it as being a completely ludicrous work of fiction. But it's not....

The first half of his life was spent in the real Wild West in the days when 'Wild' was probably an understatement. Born with a natural talent for riding, he progressed through the incredibly tough world of the cowboy and took part in the legendary cattle drives that spanned half the continent. He is reported to have gambled in Dodge City with the likes of Wyatt Earp and even to have tried his hand at gold prospecting in the Klondyke.

Later, he joined the Wild West shows of Barnum and Annie Oakley where he entertained the crowds with his horse riding and sharp shooting skills. It was at this time that his talents as a showman started to shine through. His stories grew more exciting and colourful with each telling and have obviously made it a nightmare for the author to try and determine where the facts end and the fiction begins!

The second half of his life is, if anything, even more extraordinary. This, probably only semi-literate showman from the Americas, devised a system of man lifting kites which he managed to sell to the army for reconnaissance purposes. Having got his foot in the door at Farnborough as kite builder and instructor to the army, he somehow managed to get involved with the (somewhat abortive) airship programme and then became the designer, builder and test pilot of what should probably be considered the first British aeroplane.

Three weeks before he was due to submit one of his aeroplanes for trials by the army, competing against all the great names in aviation at the time, he crashed. Incredibly, he managed to build a replacement in time and went on to win the contract.

Sadly, he was killed not long after when a prototype seaplane he was flying broke up in mid air. If he had lived, would the name Cody have ranked as high in our history as the likes of Sopwith, Bristol, Avro and Short? The Cody company died with him but a replica of the tree he is purported to have tied his aeroplanes to to do engine tests now graces the entrance to the Defence Evaluation Research Establishment at Farnborough, as a poignant memorial to a quite extraordinary man.

In summary, a fascinating book, nicely written and illustrated, about a pioneer of British aviation history whose exploits seem to be largely forgotten about these days.