Charles Douglas Barnard (8 December 1895 – 7 August 1971) was a British pilot, who took part in 1920s air races and record-breaking flights.

Early life

Charles Barnard was born on 8 December 1895, the son of Charles Gilbert Barnard. He was once reported to be a cousin of Captain Franklyn Leslie Barnard, an airline pilot who was also notable in air racing events, but that was disproved in the results of the 1901 UK census.

World War I

He served as a private with the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

, then transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

. His service included postings to 2 Squadron and 3 Squadron. In October 1918, he was appointed acting captain, and ended his commission in June 1919. Thereafter, he served on the Royal Air Force reserve list until July 1936.The National Archives file AIR 76/23/12

Sopwith Aviation

In 1919, he was employed by

Sopwith Aviation Company The Sopwith Aviation Company was a British aircraft company that designed and manufactured aeroplanes mainly for the British Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force during the First World War, most famously ...

, and was briefly assigned to operating

Sopwith Gnu The Sopwith Gnu was a 1910s British touring biplane, designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation & Engineering Company of Kingston-upon-Thames. It was one of the first cabin aircraft designed for civil use. Design and development Designed for t ...

(K-101) on pleasure flights from the beach at

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...

, where on 10 June 1919, his engine caught fire. He managed to crash land on the beach, thus saving the life of his passenger. He however, received considerable burns to his own face and arms, that required extensive hospitalisation.

De Havilland Aircraft

From 1922 to 1928, he was employed as a flying instructor by

De Havilland Aircraft The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited () was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of north London. Operations were later moved to Hatfield in H ...

, at Stag Lane Aerodrome. In 1923, he made the first flight between London and Malta.

1920s air racing

On 14 July 1923, he flew De Havilland DH.9C (G-EBDD) in the

King's Cup Race The King's Cup air race is a British handicapped cross-country event, which has taken place annually since 1922. It is run by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association. The King's Cup is one of the most prestigious prizes of the ...

Hendon Aerodrome Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in London, England, that was an important centre for aviation from 1908 to 1968. It was situated in Colindale, north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became a central hub of civil aviation ("the Charing Cros ...

, but was placed outside the top three?.Lewis 1970 On 6 August 1923, he flew Airco DH.9 (G-EBEZ) in the

Aerial Derby The Aerial Derby was an air race in the United Kingdom sponsored by the '' Daily Mail'' in which the competitors flew a circuit around London. It was first held in 1912, with subsequent races in 1913 and 1914. Suspended during the First World Wa ...

Croydon Airport Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main air ...

, and finished third. On 4 July 1925, he flew

de Havilland DH.51 The de Havilland DH.51 is a 1920s British three-seat touring biplane built by de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgware. Design and development De Havilland designed the DH.51 as an economical touring biplane, based on the 90 hp (67&n ...

A (G-EBIM) in the King's Cup Race at

Croydon Aerodrome Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main ai ...

, but failed to finish. On 6 July 1930, he flew DH.80A Puss Moth (G-AAXW) in the King's Cup Race at

Hanworth Aerodrome London Air Park, also known as Hanworth Air Park, was a grass airfield in the grounds of Hanworth Park House, operational 1917–1919 and 1929–1947. It was on the southeastern edge of Feltham, now part of the London Borough of Hounslow. In th ...

, and finished in 13th place.

1928/1929 England to India flights

On 10 June 1928, he took off from

Lympne Airport Lympne Airport , was a military and later civil airfield , at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. During the First World War RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returni ...

in ''Princess Xenia'' (registration G-EBTS, a

Fokker F.VII The Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence. Design and d ...

a which had previously been used on unsuccessful attempts at transatlantic and India flights by Jame Fitzmaurice), on a flight to

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

(then in India). He was accompanied by Flying Officer Eric Herbert Alliott, and the aviator

Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford Mary Du Caurroy Russell, Duchess of Bedford, (née Tribe; 13/26 September 1865 – ca. 22 March 1937) was a British aviator and ornithologist. She was honoured for her work in founding hospitals and working in them during the First World War. ...

. At this time, the duchess employed Barnard as personal pilot and flying instructor. The flight was interrupted for about eight weeks at Bushire, Persia, during which the duchess returned to England by sea. A replacement

Bristol Jupiter The Bristol Jupiter was a British nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Originally designed late in World War I and known as the Cosmos Jupiter, a lengthy series of upgrades and developments turn ...

engine was fitted, and the aircraft completed the flight to Karachi. On 2 September 1928, Barnard and Alliott took off from Karachi, towards staging posts at Bushire,

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

and

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

. On 6 September, they reached Croydon for a night landing, after a record breaking flight of 5,000 miles in 4.5 days. On 2 August 1929, he took off from Lympne Airport Fokker F.VIIa (G-EBTS now renamed 'The Spider') on a flight to Karachi. Co-pilot and mechanic was Robert (Bob) Little, with the Duchess of Bedford also as extra pilot. Again flying Sofia, Aleppo, Bushire, they made the outward journey in 3 days 9 hours. The return began on 6 August reaching Croydon Airport after a record-breaking return flight of 10,000 miles in eight days. Barnard was later awarded a

Royal Aero Club The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910. History The Aero Club was foun ...

Gold Medal.

1930 Brian Lewis and C.D. Barnard Ltd

In 1930, with

Brian Lewis, 2nd Baron Essendon Brian Edmund Lewis, 2nd Baron Essendon (7 December 1903 – 18 July 1978), also known as ''Bug'', was a British motor-racing driver, company director, baronet, and peer. Born in Edmonton, Middlesex, he was the only son of the first Lord Esse ...

, he co-founded Brian Lewis and C.D. Barnard Ltd for sales of De Havilland aircraft, and based at

Heston Aerodrome Heston Aerodrome was an airfield located to the west of London, England, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex. In September 1938, the British Prime Minister, Ne ...

. In August 1931, Brian Lewis and C.D. Barnard Ltd merged with the aviation department of

Selfridges Selfridges, also known as Selfridges & Co., is a chain of high-end department stores in the United Kingdom that is operated by Selfridges Retail Limited, part of the Selfridges Group of department stores. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge ...

to become Brian Lewis & Co., Ltd.

1930 England to Cape Town flight

On 10 April 1930, he took off from Lympne in Fokker F.VIIa (G-EBTS, renamed 'The Spider'), on a flight to

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

. He was accompanied by Robert (Bob) Little, and Mary Duchess of Bedford, who had purchased the aircraft in September 1929.On 19 April, they reached Maitland aerodrome, Cape Town, after a record-breaking time of 91 hours and twenty minutes flying over 10 days. On 29 April, during the return flight, a forced landing was made at

Dragoman, Bulgaria Dragoman ( ) is the seat of Dragoman Municipality in the Sofia Province, western Bulgaria. The town is located very close to the border with Serbia. the population is 5,362. Info The average temperature in January is , in July - . Economy The ...

. The next day, they returned to Croydon after repairs to the engine oil system. Later, Fokker awarded a silver commemorative medal to Barnard.

1930 solo flights England to Malta and Tangier

On 31 July 1930, he took off from Lympne in a DH.80A Puss Moth (G-AAXW) on a flight to Malta. The next day he returned to Croydon after two non-stop flights totalling 2,800 miles in 27.5 flying hours. On 25 August 1930, he took off from Lympne in a Puss Moth (G-AAXW) on a flight to

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...

. The next day he returned to Croydon after two non-stop flights, totalling 2,480 miles in 21.5 flying hours. In doing so, he was trying open up future passenger routes and improve the speed of news sent from distant locations. Several films (some with sound) were made of his 1930 flights.

1931 Barnard's Air Tours

In 1931, he formed C.D. Barnard Air Tours Ltd. On 1 April 1931, he started an extensive tour of England with displays and joy-riding flights for the paying public. Aircraft used were the Fokker F.VIIa (G-EBTS),

Spartan Three Seater The Spartan Three Seater was a British three-seat biplane touring and pleasure-flying aircraft built by Spartan Aircraft Limited. History Built as a three-seat version of the Simmonds Spartan The Simmonds Spartan is a 1920s British tw ...

Mk 1 (G-ABJS), an

Avro Avian The Avro Avian was a series of British light aircraft designed and built by Avro in the 1920s and 1930s. While the various versions of the Avian were sound aircraft, they were comprehensively outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its descendants ...

Sports, a Desoutter II,

Potez 36 The Potez 36 was a French two-seat touring or sport monoplane designed and built by Potez. The Potez 36 was a high-wing braced monoplane with a conventional landing gear. It had an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating for a pilot and passenger ...

(F-ALJC 'Ladybird'), and a

Cierva C.19 The Cierva C.19 was a 1930s British two-seat autogyro, designed by Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva. It was built by Avro as the Avro Type 620. It proved to be the most successful and widely produced of the early de la Cierva designs. Develo ...

autogiro (G-AALA). Pilots included Ayre, Barnard, Crossley and

Reginald Brie Reginald Alfred Charles Brie MBE AFRAeS AFIAeS (27 November 1895 – 1988) was a British rotorcraft test and demonstration pilot. Early life Reginald Brie was born in Egham, Surrey. After leaving school, he started an electrical engineering app ...

. During their tour of six months, Capt. Barnard and his fellow pilots visited 118 towns in 50 different counties, and gave 370 performances. Approximately 40,000 people were carried on flights.

1931 Barnard's Eastern Cruise

Egypt Palestine Dec 1931?

1932 Bristol-Cardiff air service

In June 1932, Barnard purchased the Fokker F.VIIa (G-EBTS) from the Duchess of Bedford. He based it at Heston Aerodrome, and used it mainly for personal charters to overseas destinations. In July 1932, he flew a demonstration passenger service from

Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport, also known as Whitchurch Airport, was a municipal airport in Bristol, England, three miles (5 km) south of the city centre, from 1930 to 1957. It was the main airport for Bristol and the surrounding area. Durin ...

Cardiff Municipal Airport Royal Air Force Pengam Moors (or more simply RAF Pengam Moors, or also known as RAF Cardiff) is a former Royal Air Force station and maintenance unit (MU), located on the Pengam Moors area of Tremorfa, 2 miles south east of Cardiff city centre i ...

, for which the Fokker F.VIIa was leased to British Air Navigation Co Ltd (BANCO). The service was terminated after about two weeks.

1934 India Air Pageants

In December 1933, Barnard flew Fokker F.VIIa (G-EBTS) to

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

(Bombay) for use in his 'flying circus' tour of India, promoted as "India's First Aerial Pageant". Other aircraft used included a DH.82A Tiger Moth, DH.83 Fox Moth, Spartan Three-Seater, a

Blackburn Segrave The Blackburn B-1 Segrave was a 1930s British twin-engine four-seat touring aircraft built by Blackburn Aircraft. History The aircraft was designed by the racing driver (and world land speed record holder) Sir Henry Segrave as a twin-engin ...

and a BAC Drone. Pilots included R. L. Palmer, J. B. Pugh, J. Mackay, E. R. Andrews, W. A. Burnside, and J. R. Hatchett. By April 1934, Barnard, his partner A. H. Dalton, and his pilots had arranged 92 air displays, carried 9,241 passengers, and flown about 20,000 miles. In May 1935, Barnard sold the Fokker in India. On 17 July 1936, Barnard relinquished his commission on completion of service.

Personal life

In 1928, Barnard, together with other eminent aviators of the day, formed the

Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators The Honourable Company of Air Pilots, formerly the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN), is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company was founded in 1929, and became a Livery Company in 1956. Elizabeth II granted ...

, to create rules and regulations of the profession, and to set up and maintain standards surrounding the control of flight. He received the 6th Private Flying Licence to be awarded. On 9 December 1929, he married Mrs. Melita Erna May. In 1930, he authored and published a book on flying – 'Barnard on Learning to Fly.' In October 1930, Barnard planned to join

Charles Kingsford Smith Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith (9 February 18978 November 1935), nicknamed Smithy, was an Australian aviation pioneer. He piloted the first transpacific flight and the first flight between Australia and New Zealand. Kingsford Smith was b ...

on a record breaking flight to Australia, but Kingsford Smith made it a solo flight. In May 1932, in Popular Flying magazine, a story was written about CD Barnard titled 'My Most Thrilling Flight'. In 1935, C.D. Barnard was recorded on Lambert and Butler's 'Famous British Airmen and Airwomen' cigarette cards for his record flights. On 7 August 1971, Barnard died at Brighton.

References

Bibliography

*Barnard, Capt C.D. 1931. ''Barnard on Learning to Fly''. Sampson Low, Marston and Co ASIN B005KDYC8I *Jackson, A.J. 1974. ''British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2''. Putnam *King, H.F. 1981. ''Sopwith Aircraft 1912–1920''. Putnam *Lewis, Peter. 1970. ''British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft''. Putnam {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnard, C. D. 1895 births 1971 deaths English aviators Royal Air Force officers British aviation record holders