The Mayfly biplane achieved lift off in 1910 after its designer, Lilian Bland, utilized an improvised engine fuel system featuring a whiskey bottle and an ear trumpet. This flight in Randalstown marked a significant technical milestone, establishing Bland as a pioneer who designed, constructed, and successfully operated one of the first powered aircraft in Ireland.
Early Career and Photographic Pursuit
Born in Maidstone in 1878, Bland lived an unconventional life for her time, engaging in hunting, shooting, and fishing while wearing trousers. She worked as a sports journalist and press photographer for London newspapers. After moving to Carnmoney near Belfast in 1906, she spent time photographing seabirds on remote Scottish islands, a hobby that fostered a deep interest in aviation mechanics.
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Inspired by a postcard of a Blériot monoplane and the achievements of the Wright brothers, Bland studied aviation measurements at the 1909 Blackpool meeting. She constructed a flyable model biplane before building a full-scale glider from bamboo, spruce, and canvas. The craft, named Mayfly to signal her irony regarding skeptics, featured a wingspan of 20 feet and 7 inches and successfully lifted four constables during stress tests.
Powered Flight and Engineering
Bland sourced a 20 horsepower two-cylinder engine from A. V. Roe & Co. for £100. During her experiments in 1910, she maintained balance using bicycle handlebars while operating the craft. She achieved flights of up to one-quarter of a mile. Following these tests, she explored selling aircraft designs for £250 before eventually donating the Mayfly airframe to a club and selling the engine.
Life After Aviation
In 1911, Bland managed a Ford car dealership in Belfast before marrying her cousin, Charles Loftus Bland, on 3 October 1911. The couple moved to Canada to farm. Following the death of their only child, Patricia, in 1929, the couple separated. Bland returned to the United Kingdom in 1935, eventually retiring to Cornwall where she focused on gardening and stock market gambling until her death in 1971.
Fast facts
- Born: 28 September 1878, Maidstone
- Died: 11 May 1971, Sennen
- Aircraft: Mayfly biplane
- Marriage: 3 October 1911, Charles Loftus Bland
- Daughter: Patricia Lilian Bland (1913–1929)
- Engine power: 20 horsepower
- Nationality: United Kingdom
Questions readers ask
Was Lilian Bland the first woman to fly in Ireland?
Yes, her successful flight of the Mayfly in Randalstown in 1910 established her as the first woman to fly an aircraft in Ireland.
What happened to the Mayfly after its flights?
Bland eventually donated the airframe to a boys' gliding club and sold the engine.
Achievements
- Worked as journalist, aircraft pilot and military flight engineer
