1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to steph you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: Holly Frying and I'm Tracy B. Wilson, and I am 4 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: delighted to say that today's topic has a couple of 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: sad points in it, but mostly it's just really fun. Uh. 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: We don't very often have those, so it's always a 7 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: delight when it turns up that the thing we thought 8 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: was fun is legitimately fun and not secretly loaded with horrors. 9 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: I know some of the categories of sad episodes the 10 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: we thought this would be fun, but it's not, but 11 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: it's not. But this one really is quite fun. So 12 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: when you think about women in aviation, the first person 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: you probably think about is Amelia Earhart. But today we're 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: going to talk about a woman who was into flying 15 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: a good bit before Earhart made her mark. Uh. And 16 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: this woman has become the focus of a great all 17 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: of pride in Ireland, though she really is not talked 18 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: about all that much outside her home country. I did 19 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: not know about her until recently, Tracy, did you know 20 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: about her? I think I'd heard the name for sure, 21 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: but that was basically it. Yeah, and she's kind of fantastic. 22 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about Lillian Bland, who was anything but. Lillian. 23 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: Emily Bland was born September in Kent, although her family 24 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: was actually Irish. Her parents were John Humphrey Bland and 25 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: Emily Charlotte Bland, and she was the last of their 26 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: three children. She had a sister and a brother. Eva 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: Charlotte Alice Bland was ten years older than Lilian, and 28 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: Robert Wyndham Humphrey Bland was six years older. Her father, 29 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: John was an artist who had studied at the Bart 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: in Paris after receiving his undergraduate degree at Trinity College, Dublin, 31 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: and his work was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, 32 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: and some of it actually still hangs in the Ulster 33 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: Museum in Belfast. Lilian's aunt, Sarah Smith, which was her 34 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: father's sister, was a widow and she eventually became a 35 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: major part of Lilian's life. When Lilian's mother, Emily became 36 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: ill in d the family moved to Carmony in East 37 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: Antrim to live with Sarah Smith, but the family did 38 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: not stay together there. They split up, however, when Emily 39 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: moved to be near the Mediterranean in the hopes that 40 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: her health would improve, and Lilian's sister Eva moved with 41 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: their mother, so they were kind of just jointed at 42 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: this point, and unfortunately that move did not help. Emily 43 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: died several years later in nineteen o six. As a 44 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: young woman, Lilian was pretty unconventional, much to her aunt 45 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: Sarah's dismay. She smoked, and she wore breeches, and she 46 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: fiddled with engines. She fished and hunted and seemed to 47 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: excel it basically everything that she did. As a markswoman, 48 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: she was an excellent shot, and her horse riding was 49 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: so good that she was one of the first women 50 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: in Ireland to apply for a jockey's life. Her skill 51 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: as a horsewoman was so great, in fact, that she 52 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: was poised to ride in the Grand National, except that 53 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: she was refused entry due to that pesky business of 54 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: being a woman. You may recall that we mentioned the 55 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: Grand National recently in our Mr. Tzy Wheezy episode. It 56 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: is the big horse race in Britain, and unfortunately it 57 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: was a no go for Lilian, regardless of her amazing 58 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: skill as a jockey. In addition to all of the 59 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: activities that we just mentioned, which were considered very unladylike 60 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: by not just her aunt, but by most of their 61 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: neighbors in the county. Lilian was also interested in photography, 62 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: and as with everything else that she undertook, she was 63 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: really good at it, so she began her professional life 64 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: as a journalist and photographer. Her skill with a camera 65 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: was lauded as excellent. It's not surprising given her interest 66 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: in horses, fishing, and shooting that Lilian was drawn to 67 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: sports photography, and she quickly became a respected photojournalist and 68 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: contributed a lot of work for London Paper. But she 69 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: also transferred her love of capturing movement on film from 70 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: sports to nature. In nineteen o eight, she spent time 71 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: on Scotland's West Coast with friends, and during her time 72 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: there she made a detailed study in photographing birds that 73 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: were flying over the coast. Those photographs were made into 74 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: an exhibit at London's Royal Photographic Society. It's believed that 75 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: they are the first color plate images of live birds 76 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: ever captured. So already she's kind of an amazing young woman, 77 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: and we haven't even gotten to the thing that made 78 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: her famous yet. Uh. When Lilian received a postcard from 79 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: her uncle commemorating French pilot Louis Blriot's flight over the 80 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: English Channel on July twenty, nineteen o nine. She was 81 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: completely enthralled. She actually wrote to Blarrio begging to be 82 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: a passenger on his next flight, but he declined, and 83 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: that's when she decided she was just going to fly 84 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: on her own, and not just fly, but she would 85 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: build her own plane. This was a time when many 86 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: people were excited by the idea of aviation in Great Britain. 87 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: Public meetings and exhibition gatherings were starting to pop up, 88 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: drawing crowds of imaginative and curious enthusiasts like Lilian Bland. 89 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: In October of nine, she went to Blackpool to attend 90 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: the first British Aviation Meeting. She was one of more 91 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: than two hundred thousand attendees. Yeah, keep in mind, this 92 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: is not long after the Wright brothers made their first 93 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: flight and things are really starting to heat up, so 94 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: there was sort of this this fever for flight going on. 95 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: And while Lilian was there at this meeting, she looked 96 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: at all the aircraft on display, and she listened to 97 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: various discussions, and she took copious notes. She weighed the 98 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: benefits and drawbacks of the various designs that she saw 99 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: in her mind, and she wrote to her father about 100 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 1: what she saw. One of the things she said was 101 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: quote the few English machines are I imagine no good, 102 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: much too small and fitted with motorbike engines. After this meeting, 103 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: she returned home with a greater passion than ever for 104 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,679 Speaker 1: her project. She was determined to build Ireland's first powered 105 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: flying machine. For context in terms of when this happened 106 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: on the timeline of women in flight, famed pilot Amelia 107 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: Earhart was only twelve years old when Lilian hatched this plan, 108 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: and young miss Bland had written the articles about bird 109 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: flight in addition to her photography of them prior to 110 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: her interest in airplane construction, so she had some knowledge 111 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,679 Speaker 1: of the physics of lift and air motion, and armed 112 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: with her notes and all of the additional readings she 113 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: could find, she basically was a voracious reader of anything 114 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: about flight. She made her base of operations in the 115 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: workshop of her deceased uncle, which was at the back 116 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: of the family house. Lilian was methodical in her approach 117 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: before jumping straight into full scale build, She first made 118 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: a proof of concept model. This is a small glider 119 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: about six ft or two ms across the wingspan. She 120 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: flew at like a tight and was pleased with the results, 121 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: and based on that first miniature success, she drew up 122 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: plans for her full sized plane and to construct her plane, 123 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: she chose bamboo, ash, spruce, and elm as her materials. 124 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: She documented the entire process as she went. She submitted 125 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: right ups of her work to Flight magazine. We're going 126 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: to talk about those in a little more detail and 127 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: just a bit. One of the cool things she did 128 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: is she mimicked the wings of seagulls by steaming ash 129 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: to replicate their curved wing tips, so she could kind 130 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: of get that same sense of motion that they had. 131 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: And the ribs of her aircraft were made of spruce, 132 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: the skids were ash, and the out riggers were bamboo, 133 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: and the engine bed was made of American elm. Wires 134 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: attached the engine bed to the wings, which also reinforced 135 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: the wing structure. Unbleached muslin to stretch across. The plane 136 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: was soaked in gelatin and formula as a waterproofing solution 137 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: before it was applied. The steering mechanism for the plane 138 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: was a bicycle handlebar, and when it turned to the left, 139 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: the left hand elevator would lift and the right hand 140 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: el eater with lower pedals controlled the vertical rudder. Yeah, 141 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: so basically, and if she turned to the right, the 142 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: opposite would happen. And that's how she She kind of 143 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: worked her elevators and ailerons and then she worked on 144 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: this project. She built it in sections and each section 145 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: was then moved to the coach house on the family 146 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: property for final assembly because her workshop was not big 147 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: enough to put the whole plane together and with all 148 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: the components in place. Though finally assembled, it weighed two 149 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: hundred pounds, it's about ninety points and it was two 150 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: hundred forty seven inches or six point three meters across 151 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 1: its wingspan. We're going to talk about Lilian's plane and 152 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: it's various tests in the tail, but first we're going 153 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: to pause for a brief word from a sponsor that 154 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: helps keep us on the air. So back to Lilian 155 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: and her aircraft that she had been working on. She 156 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: named it the Mayfly and this was a play on words, 157 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: as in it may fly, it may not fly. Apparently, 158 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: Lilian had heard a lot of opinions from people while 159 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: she was building this plane about the likelihood that her 160 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: project would not work, so she kind of named it 161 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: as a tongue in cheek response to the doubters she 162 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: had to deal with all the time. At last she 163 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: was ready to test her completed plane, which did not 164 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: yet have an engine. It was strictly a glider, and 165 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: she took it to carn Money Hill and the first 166 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: trial was a little bit bum being not because of 167 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: the actual flight, but the ease with which the craft 168 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,439 Speaker 1: could be picked up by the wind. Lillian had three 169 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: men there to help to held the plane with ropes. 170 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: When the wind came and they lost their grip Lillian, 171 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: Lilian and the other gentlemen were able to get hold 172 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: of the ropes and prevent a disaster, but wind would 173 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: continue to be problematic for this light craft. But she 174 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: did manage to fly, and she made several subsequent flights, 175 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: and each time she would adjust the elevators and the 176 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: steering so that the wind would become less of an 177 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: issue and she wouldn't immediately upset and tip if she 178 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: had a little gust. She became really really skilled at 179 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: takeoff and landing. Basically she just was constantly perfecting both 180 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,079 Speaker 1: the machine and her abilities, and once she was comfortable 181 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: with its performance as a glider, Lilian wanted to test 182 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: whether or not the Mayfly could handle carrying an engine. 183 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: The big concern was weight. She had four members of 184 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: the Royal Irish Constabulary plus her aunt's gardener on hand 185 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: for an interesting test. She piloted the plane through take 186 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: off with the five men hanging on to the aircraft. 187 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: The constables dropped off after a brief moment that the 188 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: gardener hung on. Lillian's test was successful in her mind, 189 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: if the Mayfly could carry five adult men, then the 190 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: weight of the engine should pose no problem. Yes, some uh. 191 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: Some of the accounts she read suggests that these constables 192 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 1: kind of got a little panicky and they'd really dropped 193 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: off quite quickly once they had left the ground. She 194 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: wasn't going very high, but they just were like whoaaha, hey, 195 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: let's go. Uh. And she actually had to travel to 196 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: England to pick up the engine for her plane because 197 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,319 Speaker 1: it had been delayed and she grew tired of waiting 198 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: for delivery of the order. And this was a twenty 199 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: horsepower a vy Row two stroke. It cost her a 200 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: hundred pounds getting it back to Ireland was a little 201 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: bit tricky. She had to take it and a new 202 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: propeller that she bought at the same time by boat train. 203 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: And while it seemed to startle other passengers to see 204 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: a young woman traveling with this unusual cargo, Bland was 205 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: quite pleased that it quote fitted very neatly into a 206 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: railway carriage and an outside car. But even though she 207 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: had her engine, there was another slight problem. The fuel 208 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: tank for the engine was delayed. Ever, the picture of ingenuity, 209 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: she solved her problem of the lack of a gas 210 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: tank by making use of items she could fairly easily 211 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: get her hands on. But this is a pretty short 212 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: lived solution. Here is how she described it. I got 213 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: it being the engine on the airplane, and tried it 214 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: late last night, but as I have not got my 215 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: tank yet, I tried to feed it out of a 216 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: whiskey bottle, and the only two thing I could find 217 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: was my aunt's ear trumpet. It's really funny. It's so charming. 218 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: Under the circumstances. The engine behaved better than I expected. 219 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: It was like a catfight on a very enlarged scale. 220 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: The natives, I hear thought one of the mills had 221 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: blown up, but as the noise continued, they put it 222 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: down to a thunderstorm. In the meantime, found the mechanic, 223 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: while deeply interested in the engine, was liberally pouring the 224 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: petrol over the main plane instead of down the ear trumpet, 225 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: and the engine subsided with a sigh. As it was 226 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: pouring with rain and too dark to see. The proceedings 227 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: were terminated and I think I will wait for the tank. 228 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: And as the engine is English, it's sense of humor 229 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: is not developed sufficiently for these proceedings. I love her 230 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: so much based on this. I that she describes how 231 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: well the engine behaved and then compares it to a 232 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: catfight on an enlarged scale, Like that doesn't sound well 233 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: behaved at all, but but I love it just the same. Uh. 234 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: And in the midst of this UH, she still had 235 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: an issue of location for flying a powered plane, and 236 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: a little bit of good luck intervened here and she 237 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: had a solution arrived. And while Lilian was out photographing 238 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: with some eel fishermen, the men that she was with 239 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: informed her that there was in fact a perfect tract 240 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: of land nearby. It was flat, it had plenty of acreage, 241 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: it would be perfect for a takeoff and landing strip, 242 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: and that land was owned by Lord O'Neill, so Lilian 243 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: arranged a meeting with him. It turned out Lord O'Neil 244 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: was already a fan of Lilian's efforts, so his property 245 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: at the Deer Park at Randallstown was gladly offered for 246 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: her use. Lilian took her aircraft apart and moved all 247 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: the components to this new testing field where they were reassembled. 248 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: There was one drawback to this local ation, however, there 249 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: was a resonant bull who had a bit of a temper, 250 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: and for her part, Lilian saw this is a great 251 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: motivation to not waste any time getting airborne. Yeah, she 252 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: said something to the effect of like, well, if it 253 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: gets angry in charges, I'm just gonna have to hurry. Uh. 254 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: And with her engine and finally the proper fuel tank 255 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: in place and this suitable land for testing secured, Lilian 256 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: went to Deer Park to finally test her machine. Joe Blaine, 257 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: who was that same gardener that had been on hand 258 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: with the constables to help her test the weight of 259 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: the plane, was on hand then again to turn the 260 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: propeller and get things started. As the engine sat behind 261 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: the pilot so she couldn't very well do it herself 262 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: and then run around the wings and jump in the 263 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: seat in time. The many Flies first attempt at powered 264 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: flight in August nineteen ten was short and bumpy. The 265 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: plane kept hopping along the ground. Rainy weather kept Additional 266 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: tests were happening until September, and that was fine because 267 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: the engine vibrated so much that it was causing damage. 268 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: So that time was used to reinforce the structure and 269 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: at a t bar yoke and make additional adjustments. Yeah, 270 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: there were The engine, if I'm remembering correctly, was held 271 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: in place by four bolts because there were wires nearby. 272 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: Like sometimes the bolts would shake and the wires would clip, 273 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: and at one point, I think one of her one 274 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: or maybe two of her propellers got clipped by these 275 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: flailing wires and got broken and had to be replaced. 276 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: And so she was just trying to like kind of 277 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: solidify everything down and reinforce it so this shaking and 278 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: shimmying would not cause like catastrophic damage. Several more attempts 279 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: were made. Once she had all of these adjustments made, 280 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: and once things dried out from all of that rain, 281 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: and then finally the Mayfly was able to take off 282 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: successfully and lift to an altitude of thirty feet that's 283 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: about nine meters and fly for about a quarter of 284 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: a mile. The air had been very calm, and at 285 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: first she didn't realize she had even left the ground. 286 00:15:57,560 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: After the flight ended, she checked the wheel tracks the 287 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: field grass to make sure she had indeed taken off. 288 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: She would go on to describe flying as quote the 289 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: finest sport in the world. And we're going to get 290 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: into Lilian's triumph as an aviator as well as these 291 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: surprising twists in turns her life took after that. But 292 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: first we're gonna have a quick little break so we 293 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: can thank one of our awesome sponsors who keeps us going. 294 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: So we mentioned a little while ago that Lilian had 295 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: been writing about her process and her test flights and 296 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: sending these writings to Flight Magazine, and she really became 297 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: a very regular contributor to the periodical, first as in 298 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: writing her letters, and then she also wrote like fuller 299 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: articles and her descriptions of her work, her aircraft, and 300 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: her flight tests are really fantastic to read. We will 301 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: link to some of those in the show. Notes, but 302 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: one of the ones that I love goes quote. When 303 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: the engine starts, the draft from the propeller lifts the 304 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: tail and the tip of the skids off the ground, 305 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: and the machine balances on two wheels. The third wheel 306 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,120 Speaker 1: in front only comes into action over rough ground, as 307 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 1: it is to prevent the machine from going on her 308 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: nose and answers admirably as my practice ground is rough 309 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: grass with ridge and furrow, which on hunting grounds I 310 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: take at a slant. This plan. Was so delighted with 311 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 1: her biplane that she hashed a plan to start an 312 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,719 Speaker 1: aircraft company. She placed an advertisement in Flight magazine offering 313 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 1: basic models starting at eighty pounds for gliders. She went 314 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,719 Speaker 1: in a fifty pounds for biplanes, and that was without 315 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: the engine. She offered both standard and racing models, and 316 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: she also wrote, as part of a more comprehensive article 317 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: detailing how the Mayfly was built, this lovely checklist of 318 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: advice for airplane enthusiasts if they think that they want 319 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,959 Speaker 1: to make to build their own plane, she says quote 320 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: to sum up the various points one has to settle 321 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: before starting the construction of a machine. Firstly, a place 322 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: to fly it, in bad ground is a waste of time. 323 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: It takes much longer to learn on. Secondly the engine. 324 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: If low horsepower, the airplane must be light and have 325 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: large area to wait. Thirdly the placing of engine and 326 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: pilot and whether main planes will carry all the weight. Fourthly, 327 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 1: to draw out every detail to scale, and if trying 328 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,479 Speaker 1: an original design, to make a good sized model and 329 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: see if any new point in controls or design is 330 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: going to work as it is intended. Fifthly, design the 331 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,120 Speaker 1: machine so that it can be easily taken to pieces 332 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: for transport. By turning the skids around. My machine will 333 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: wheel along any road when the outriggers are taken off. 334 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: In conclusion, I should be glad to get orders either 335 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,679 Speaker 1: for gliders or full size machines, And provided I can 336 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 1: use my own designs, I will guarantee that the machines 337 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: will glide or fly, that the work and quality will 338 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 1: be of the best. But the engine and propeller must 339 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: be reasonably efficient, otherwise it is only a waste of time. 340 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: This obsession with flying was actually somewhat troubling to Bland's family. 341 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: They worried costly about her safety, so much so that 342 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: her father offered to buy her a car if she 343 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: would just abandon aviation altogether. This also similarly amuses me 344 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: a little bit, because sure, sure flying dangerous cars at 345 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: the time, not a lot of safety protocols involved in them. Well, 346 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,719 Speaker 1: and this is the point in most stories. You know, 347 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: we talked about how Lilian sold your Daunt her flight careers, 348 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: refusing that car offer and being insulted by it. No, 349 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: she was totally keen on this car plan, and she 350 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 1: agreed to stop flying in exchange for a new model 351 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: t In reality, it's a little more complex than that. 352 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 1: Of course, Lillian felt that her plane was really a 353 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: grasshopper rather than a true airplane, and if she upgraded 354 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: the engine to anything more powerful, the structure just wouldn't 355 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: take the strain of it. It's also a really expensive hobby, 356 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: and she saw limitations and what she could accomplish when 357 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,439 Speaker 1: companies with a great many more resources we're starting to 358 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 1: manufacture gliders and lanes. And she had, in fact done 359 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: what she set out to do. Wasn't quite so flip 360 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: of her to just to turn it all over for 361 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: a new car. She really was upgrading into a much 362 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: more powerful machine. And she traveled to Dublin to make 363 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: this purchase, and then the car had to be driven 364 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,199 Speaker 1: back to her home by a delivery driver, but she 365 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: convinced him to let her do the driving, which at 366 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: this point she did not know how to do. And 367 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: it turned out she loved it, and more than loving driving, 368 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: as was the case with virtually every other thing we've 369 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: talked about, she was really good at it, so much 370 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: so that she ended up becoming a car dealer herself. 371 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: She was a master driver, and in April nineteen eleven 372 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: she became the Belfast sales agent for Ford Motors. I 373 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: love how her story is almost like a um, you know, 374 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: a penny novel, Like no heroin could have so many successes, 375 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: one right after the other, but she really did. Uh. 376 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: And while flying troubled her family because of it's danger, 377 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: selling cars also troubled them because it, like many of 378 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: her other hobbies, was decidedly u Lady Lake. So with 379 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: some effort on their part, Uh, they arranged for a 380 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: marriage proposal. This is how the marriage was reported in 381 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 1: Flight magazine. Every reader of Flight will be interested to 382 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: learn that miss Lillian Bland was recently married and is 383 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: leaving presently for Vancouver Island, where by way of a change. 384 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:31,199 Speaker 1: She anticipates enlarging her education by the control of a 385 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: motor boat, her plucky pioneer work with her gliders and 386 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: her airplane in Ireland. Particularly the frank, instructive and often 387 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: amusing letters that's so enlivened to earlier correspondence pages one 388 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: for Miss Bland, many unknown friends, and she will take 389 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 1: with her into her new sphere of life, many thousands 390 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: of good wishes from our readers. Also there is a 391 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: romance in the matter which, as we have only just 392 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: been let into the secret ourselves by a charming letter, 393 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: we feel we have a right to care with others. Flight, 394 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: it appears, has been the matchmaker for away in far 395 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: distant Vancouver. The fortunate gentleman who is now Miss Bland's husband, 396 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 1: read of her perseverance and pluck and came to the 397 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 1: conclusion that they must surely be indicative of just those 398 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: qualities so essential to the pioneers, pioneer settler in a 399 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: place like Vancouver. So he came over to see, and 400 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: at length Miss Bland decided that her airplane, engine and 401 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: other effects relating there too, had better be laid aside. 402 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: So she had already given up flying. But this then 403 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: what follows that announcement is sort of a list of 404 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: things that she has for sale. Um, And I like 405 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: how they make it sound like the magazine was the 406 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: matchmaker when her family was very involved, because this was 407 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: only about a half a year as a car saleswoman, 408 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: and Lilian married her cousin, Charles Loftiest Bland, so it 409 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: wasn't as though it was a stranger who just found 410 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 1: her in this magazine, although it probably did inform his 411 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 1: opinion of what she was like. And that married took 412 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,679 Speaker 1: place on October three of nineteen eleven. Charles, as we mentioned, 413 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: lived on Canada's Vancouver Island, and Lilian emigrated there to 414 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 1: be with him in April of nineteen twelve. That's also 415 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: a little less I mean and away by today's standards, 416 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: more creepy, but a little less creepy. The idea that 417 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: some guy was like, I've read your letters and I 418 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: want you to be my wife. Like yeah, the family 419 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,360 Speaker 1: arranged for him to come over and meet her, and 420 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: they got along quite well. Right. So the thing that 421 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: lingers in in creepiness in today's terms is that nowadays 422 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 1: we're not really into marrying our cousins. Anyway, Lilian is 423 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 1: enterprising at her new home as she had been in Ireland. 424 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,679 Speaker 1: Helped Charles set up and run a one d and 425 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: sixty acre farm as anticipated by her husband based on 426 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: her pluck and perseverance and aviation, she was quite good 427 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: at running a farm. Two years after Lilian and Charles 428 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,199 Speaker 1: got married, they had a daughter named Patricia Lillian in 429 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: team the same year that they finished construction on their 430 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: homestead house, and then they kind of went along for 431 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: a while as a family. However, there was a tragedy 432 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: that befell them. Lilian and Charles lost their daughter to 433 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: tetanus when the girl was only sixteen, and that loss 434 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: really took a toll on their marriage and it broke 435 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 1: down over the course of the next six years. And 436 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: then in nineteen thirty five, Lillian and Charles separated and 437 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: she moved back to the British Aisles, this time to 438 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: Penshurst and Kent to live with Captain Robert Bland, her brother, 439 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: and nty five, Lillian Bland retired to Cornwall after making 440 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: a sum of money quote gambling, as she put it, 441 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: in the stock market. Her retirement years were filled with 442 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,880 Speaker 1: pastimes including gardening, painting, and a little bit more gambling, 443 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: which she did enjoy to the very end of her life. Yeah. 444 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: One of the the laid the last things that she 445 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: said in an interview, which is quite near to when 446 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: she died, was that she's gambling was like her one happiness. Uh. 447 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 1: And then on May eleven one, Lilyan died. She was 448 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: ninety two at the time and she is buried near 449 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: Land's End in Cornwall in Sennin And she's kind of 450 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: a local hero. She's certainly a heroine of Ireland for sure, 451 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: But I just I love what a go getter she 452 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: is and how she would just set her mind to 453 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: doing something and then be spectacular at it. Yeah, people 454 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: if she were in a movie or a book would 455 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: complain that she was Mary Sue. They totally would. But 456 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: I think she just was a bright woman who was 457 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:41,199 Speaker 1: dedicated to the thing she was interested in and became 458 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: skilled at them, you know. I mean we we talked 459 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,479 Speaker 1: about how she took all these incredible notes while she 460 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: was studying flight before she ever even like put a 461 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: design to paper, and then she was so methodical. I 462 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,919 Speaker 1: think she just was really smart and dedicated and you 463 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: can get good at lots of things. If you do that, 464 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: uh well, and and nobody, not nobody, very rarely do 465 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:12,439 Speaker 1: people apply that disparaging name two male characters who have 466 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 1: the same kinds of accomplishments, right, Yeah, so that's Lillian Bland, 467 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: who was definitely not Bland in any way and seems 468 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: like she would have been a spectacular person to know. 469 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: I have a little bit of fun listener mail. And 470 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: it's kind of late for me to be reading it, 471 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: but tell me anyway, because I already know what it 472 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: is and I super want to hear it again. It's cool. 473 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: It's from way back in April. Uh, and it is 474 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: a piece of mail that we got in the physical mail, 475 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 1: not an email. And it is really cute and we'll 476 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: tell you why, she says, Dear Holly and Tracy, I 477 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: am writing shortly after after listening to your pizza podcast. Uh, 478 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: if the card didn't give it away, we'll talk about 479 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: the card in just a moment. It happens to be 480 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: pizza week here in Portland, and I am three days 481 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: and seven slices deep. I waited to listen to this 482 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: history podcast until today, this most holy of days, just 483 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: pizza day. Um. I sat down filled with pie uh 484 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: and high on the day of on the day's offerings 485 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: to make you this stamp. So on one side of 486 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: this stamp her card, she has made a stamp and 487 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: one side is a pizza slice like it's the basic 488 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: shape of the piece of pizza slice. And then on 489 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: the other side she made a bunch of little shapes 490 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: that make up the toppings. And she says, you know 491 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:32,400 Speaker 1: you can use uh. I can't make this word out, 492 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 1: but basically it can be used like with dabbers or 493 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: with stamp pads, etcetera. She says, let me tell you 494 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 1: about pizza week, though as some of these slices are insane. 495 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: By the end of the week, I will have god 496 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: willing eaten over seventeen slices of pizza. Although thirty one 497 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: different pies are offered, I can't eat them all. After 498 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: doing the math at two bucks of slice, it's cheaper 499 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,400 Speaker 1: to eat pizza all week, and I am going for it. 500 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: Uh and base glee. As the weekended. She finished this. 501 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: After the week had ended, she said, ps, the week 502 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: is over. I twenty four slices of pizza my boyfriend, 503 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: and then she tells us about some of the flavors 504 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: that she which sound amazing. I won't read all the 505 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 1: ingredients though, but this is the cutest little card. I 506 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: love it so much. Well, of course, take a picture 507 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,439 Speaker 1: and put it on our our social so people can 508 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: see it. It's just, you know, I love creative everything 509 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: so and creative plus pizza. It's like magic. She deserves 510 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: some sort of award for that. The award is our love, 511 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: uh Ian. He would like to write to us you 512 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 1: can do so. Thank you again so much, Leah. I 513 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: just I love it, love it, love it. We are 514 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: at history podcast at how stuff works dot com. You 515 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: can also connect with us at Facebook dot com slash 516 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: misst in history, on Twitter at misst in history, at 517 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: pinterest dot com, slash missed in history at missed in 518 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: history dot tumbler dot com, and on Instagram at could 519 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: you Guess it? Missed in history. If you would like 520 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: to visit our parents site and do a little bit 521 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: of research about what we talked about today, you can 522 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: go to how stuff works dot com. Type in the 523 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: word aviation into the search bar, and one of the 524 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: articles you will get is ten aviation innovations. We'd be 525 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: stuck on the ground without uh if you would like 526 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: to visit us, you can do that at missed in 527 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: history dot com, where we have an archive of every 528 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: episode of the show that has ever existed, going all 529 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 1: the way back to when it was very short and 530 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: had many other hosts. And you can also find show 531 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: notes for every episode that Tracy and I have worked on, 532 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: as well as the occasional other goody and that is 533 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com and missed history dot com. 534 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: So come and visit for more on this and thousands 535 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: of other topics. Because it has to works dot co