Vivian Hewitt

Vivian Hewitt (1888–1965) was a pioneering Welsh aviator. Born in Grimsby, he moved to Bodfari, Denbighshire, Wales, his mother's family home, on the death of his father during his childhood.[1]

Vivian Hewitt
Born1888
Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England
Died1965 (aged 76–77)[1]
NationalityBritish
Known forSecond flight from Great Britain to Ireland, 26 April 1912[2]
Aviation career
Flight license1 October 1912[3]
London

On 26 April 1912, Hewitt successfully completed a flight between Holyhead and Dublin, landing in the Phoenix Park. Interviewed by the press, he expressed the view that Damer Leslie Allen, who had disappeared a few days earlier whilst attempting the same flight, had been insufficiently experienced as an aviator for a task of such difficulty.[2]

Although widely reported to be the first person to cross the sea from Great Britain to Ireland in an aeroplane, several days earlier,[1] on 22 April Denys Corbett Wilson had flown from Goodwick in Pembrokeshire to Enniscorthy.[4][5] Nevertheless, the view was expressed at the time that Hewitt's flight was "a more difficult and dangerous feat" than Corbett Wilson's.[6]

Hewitt was also a keen ornithologist and set up a bird sanctuary at his home of Bryn Aber at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, which is now managed by The North Wales Wildlife Trust.[7] He was known as the "world’s greatest private Great Auk collector", as he built up a collection of the skins and eggs of these extinct birds.[8] His specimens are now in museums in Cardiff, Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Cincinnati.[9]

References
  1. Lewis, Alys (10 March 2010). "BBC: Captain Vivian Hewitt – the aviation pioneer". BBC News. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  2. "Aviation: Flight from Holyhead to Dublin – Mr Hewitt descends in the Phoenix Park". Irish Times. Dublin. 27 April 1912. p. 7.
  3. Flight Magazine 5 October 1912
  4. "Flying the Irish Channel" (PDF). Flight Magazine. London: Reed Business Information. IV (17): 379. 27 April 1912. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  5. "Irish Aviator's Feat: St. George's Channel Crossed". Irish Times. Dublin. 27 April 1912. p. 23.
  6. "Editorial". (Weekly) Irish Times. Dublin. 4 May 1912. p. 10.
  7. Wyn-Williams, Gareth (22 May 2017). "Anglesey home of famous airman put up for auction". northwales. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  8. "Captain Vivian Hewitt ~ Lincolnshire Born Aviation Pioneer » Rod Collins". www.rodcollins.com. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  9. Thomas, Jessica E.; Carvalho, Gary R.; Haile, James; Martin, Michael D.; Castruita, Jose A. Samaniego; Niemann, Jonas; Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S.; Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela; Rawlence, Nicolas J. (15 June 2017). "An 'Aukward' Tale: A Genetic Approach to Discover the Whereabouts of the Last Great Auks". Genes. 8 (6): 164. doi:10.3390/genes8060164. PMC 5485528. PMID 28617333.


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