Re: Does your name have an aviation connection ?
Posted: 20 Mar 2015, 21:26
I am distantly related to the true pioneer of powered flight Silas Makepeace Hepplethwaite of
Mankinholes nr. Todmorden. Silas was a sheep farmer but he firmly believed that man was destined
to fly like the birds so he scaled up a model of a Da Vinci flying machine from a packet of
cornflakes. It had twin contra-rotating props powered by meths burning Mamod steam engines. On
the 16th of December 1903, one whole day before the Wright brothers in Kittyhawk, with the help
of some friends he transported his flying machine to Stoodley Pike high on the moors. The
contraption was to be launched with catapult assistance and with Silas strapped into the old
rocking chair lashed to the machine and with the steam engines spinning the props at full revs
and the catapult creaking under the strain of 752 tightly wound
rubber bands he shouted " Pull" to his friends as the signal to remove the restraining pin.
As he shot over the edge of the valley two clay pigeon shooters having heard the word "pull" saw
the moving target and let him have all four barrels. Although wildly off the mark one stray lead
shot put out the wick on the port engine causing Silas and machine to go into an asymmetric spin
towards an enormous heap of poultry manure. He was heard to shout prophetically " Chuffin' sh*t" as
he and machine went through the outer crust into the steaming semi-liquid center of the heap.
After many weeks straws were drawn to decide who should extract his by now ripe remains from the
heap. He was cremated on a funeral pyre at Blackshaw Head several miles from the funeral party
who due to the smell assembled at Stoodley Pike on the opposite side of the Calder Valley.
It is said that when the wind moans around the obelisk of Stoodley Pike his last words can still
be heard.
Mankinholes nr. Todmorden. Silas was a sheep farmer but he firmly believed that man was destined
to fly like the birds so he scaled up a model of a Da Vinci flying machine from a packet of
cornflakes. It had twin contra-rotating props powered by meths burning Mamod steam engines. On
the 16th of December 1903, one whole day before the Wright brothers in Kittyhawk, with the help
of some friends he transported his flying machine to Stoodley Pike high on the moors. The
contraption was to be launched with catapult assistance and with Silas strapped into the old
rocking chair lashed to the machine and with the steam engines spinning the props at full revs
and the catapult creaking under the strain of 752 tightly wound
rubber bands he shouted " Pull" to his friends as the signal to remove the restraining pin.
As he shot over the edge of the valley two clay pigeon shooters having heard the word "pull" saw
the moving target and let him have all four barrels. Although wildly off the mark one stray lead
shot put out the wick on the port engine causing Silas and machine to go into an asymmetric spin
towards an enormous heap of poultry manure. He was heard to shout prophetically " Chuffin' sh*t" as
he and machine went through the outer crust into the steaming semi-liquid center of the heap.
After many weeks straws were drawn to decide who should extract his by now ripe remains from the
heap. He was cremated on a funeral pyre at Blackshaw Head several miles from the funeral party
who due to the smell assembled at Stoodley Pike on the opposite side of the Calder Valley.
It is said that when the wind moans around the obelisk of Stoodley Pike his last words can still
be heard.
Quantus have a joey on there planes.... 
..and they wanna run my life, suggest things they decide what I might like.. 
QUANTUS? Oh! GEWgle. It's Qantas!!