Caption: Harvey Kelly's aircraft in the main hall of the Imperial Warm Museum
About the talk: Hubert Dunsterville Harvey-Kelly, DSO, was commissioned in the Royal Irish Regiment before transerring to the Royal Flying Corps. He was the first RFC pilot to land in France (on 13 August 1914) after the war had started. Also the first RFC pilot who shot down an enemy aircraft, he was eventually shot down himself over Arras in 'Bloody April', dying of wounds three days later - on 29th April 1917 - in a German field hospital. The aircraft he flew while a lieutenant, a BE2a, hangs in the main hall of the Imperial War Museum in London.
Caption: Nonchalantly smoking against a hayrick
About the speaker: John Gilder is a lifelong aviation nut, who regressed into a chartered surveyor. He is a popular vice chair of the NW Kent branch and is very active within the Shuttleworth Collection. His aviation talks are always well-received, as he is both enthusiastic and surprisingly well informed.
Where we meet: We meet at the Royal British Legion Club, Queensway, Petts Wood, Orpington, Kent BR5 1DH. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month (except August and December). They start at 19:30, with the doors (and the bar) opening at 18:30. We do not charge entrance fees but do welcome donations of £5 or more towards our costs.
How to get there: The club is next to Morrison's supermarket and Petts Wood railway station (trains from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and Victoria). Parking at the rear of the club is free but you need to enter your car registration into the machine (on the left as you enter the club). Failure to enter your registration can lead to a £50 fine. There's easy free parking in adjacent side streets