The First Person To Fly in Britain?

A perhaps lesser reported historical landmark for Stirling,. Scotland?

John Damian - a Frenchman and alchemist - apparently jumped off the ramparts of Stirling Castle 500 years ago in 1507 wearing wings made of hen feathers. He may have been the first man to fly.

It is believed that the alchemist and inventor was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, who carried out his own experiments on the Continent a few years earlier.

The flight ended in disaster when Damian landed in a nearby dungheap and he broke a leg.

Its a long rocky way down from the high castle ramparts so he did well to have survived with only a broken leg. It also appears that someone has researched a 1702 plan of the town which indicates that the dungheap (or midden) was about half a mile away from the castle. If this is correct then his hen-feathered wings must have given him some gliding flight.

If the history articles are to be believed the King was impressed by Damian and gave him a pension of 200 ducats when he retired in 1509. Damian continued to work at the royal court until 1513.


ps. I don't have anything with a New Zealand aspect to blip with but nevertheless thoughts are with all in NZ and their families, relatives and friends around the world following the earthquake in Christchurch.