1933 Everest Flyby: The First Flight Over the Highest Peak

While researching the Indian Air Force’s 1st flt over the Everest, I came across material that I couldn’t resist sharing for it characterises a grit & derring-do that typified the early pioneers of aviation. That the story unfolds in India makes it even more interesting. (1/24)

One of the central characters of this story was Dame Fanny Lucy Houston, a firebrand nationalist & suffragette. Having donated £100,000 to Supermarine to help them win the Schneider Trophy in 1931, two years later, she turned her gaze to India – to Mt Everest in specific. 2/

The idea of photographing the Everest was brought to her by Sqn Ldr Douglas Douglas-Hamilton (Lord Clydesdale), CO 602 RAF Sqn-then the RAF’s youngest Sqn Ldr & later of Rudolf Hess fame. The proj had however been conceived earlier by Lt Col LVS Blacker in ’32. 3/

Everest lies half in Tibet & half in Nepal & was well over a 100 miles from frontier of the British Territory. Both of them independent kingdoms, had fiercely protected any European influence for centuries despite British efforts. It required more than diplomacy to get access. 4/

The £15000 promised by Lady Lucy bought the team a Westland PV6(Regn G-ACBR) & a PV3 (G-ACAZ)- both Pvt Ventures & cousins of the IAF’s Wapiti. Having an open front cockpit & an enclosed rear seat, the ac was equipped with a larger prop, an O2 sys & elect heating for clothing. 5/

The PV3 had the highest ROC of any ac at the time, but was selected only after the team had zeroed onto an engine first. The engine so selected was the highly supercharged Bristol Pegasus IS3. Air-cooled, with a displacement of 28.72 litres, it produced a max of 575 hp. 6/

Propelled by a 2-blade, fixed-pitch wooden prop, the PV3 could haul its max wt of 2.3 tonnes at a max spd of 260 kmph. The photo eqpt used during the expedition was the Williamson Automatic Eagle III survey camera that produced a photo mosaic of the area.. 7/

Dramatis Personae. While Hamilton & Blacker flew in the lead ac, the 2nd ac was piloted by 602 Sqn’s Adjt, F/L DF McIntyre, with Sidney Bonnett, a cinematographer for Gaumont British News filming from the rear. The 17-man team was led by Air Cmde Fellowes, accd by his wife 8/

Blacker arrived in India in Feb 33 to start the groundwork & liaised with Lt Col Ismay (MS to Viceroy) & Commissioner, Bhagalpur. Initially, Ismay thought of it as a “hair-brained scheme” that “may work out all right”, with a hope that Blacker “not kill himself & others”! 9/

But the proj found itself some imp backers with the Viceroy receiving a letter from the Air Ministry recommending Hamilton as “a great friend of ours & a remarkable good plt”. The entire machinery of the Raj swung into action with the Bhagalpur being the hub of all tie ups. 10/

Much pomp & ceremony was planned with a rec that the Viceroy & his wife receive the two ac being flown from Karachi. Having arr there by ship, the ac were proposed to be escorted by 2 flanking Moth ac. It is likely that they would’ve landed at Wellingdon airport in Mar 33. 11/

The Commissioner Bhagalpur had secured overflight permission from Nepal, while an RAF Avro 10 was secured as a staging ac for the expedition. The race course in Purnea was selected as the launch airfd, with Burmah Shell providing fuel for the hi alt flt. All systems were Go! 12/

Dressed in multilayers of heated sheepskin, the two ac got AB at 0825 hrs on 03 Apr 33, with Hamilton & Macintyre on controls & Blacker & Bonnett filming from the rear. Braving strong winds Hamilton’s tail skid skimmed the Makalu-Everest ridgeline, but they got the shots. 13/

In the other ac,Bonnett’s O2 hose split. While he managed to tie it with a hanky before being knocked off, his pilot also lost O2 feed but managed to clasp his mask to his face while rapidly descending to 8000 ft. Hamilton spent about 15 min near the Everest-even cresting it. 14/

But the pictures obtained were marred by dust. So a proving sortie was flown by Fellowes to Kanchenjunga. But weather delayed a 2nd attempt as did an imbroglio due to “people in England…neither qualified, nor authd to insert their fingers in our pie”. 15/

Lady Huston’s telegram also cautioned against the “evil spirits of the mtn”. But Blacker & Co chose to proceed “on our own initiative in the spirit of Field Service Regulations & off we went…before anyone…knew…or could impede us”. Even Fellowes was kept in the dark. 16/

On 19 Apr 33, the crew found most of Nepal covered with clouds. Winds were 80 mph at 24000 ft which the crew surmounted by manoeuvring & positioning at lower altitudes. This time, Macintyre overflew the crest while Hamilton circled from the Makalu ridgeline. 17/

The photographs this time were perfect but the team-after getting a mouthful from Fellowes-did not announce their feat till 24 hrs later. These plates were used by Hillary & Tenzing while planning their ascent. Later a film, Wings Over Everest, won an Oscar in ’51. 18/

Postrscript-Hamilton was awarded an AFC for his gallant action & was later also mentioned in despatches. Blacker contd to serve in the Army & designed the PIAT-a famous anti-tank wpn. After dabbling with Fascism, Lady Lucy died alone while Macintyre found a career in civ avtn 19/

But the intrepid spirit of aviators wanting to do more & to do it better meant that there were others who duplicated this feat. The Kiwi, Sqn Ldr CG Andrews DFC flying over Everest in a Mosquito aircraft in July 1945 in an unofficial flight. 20/

On the 16th June 45, in PR 34s from 347 (PR) Wing RAF, Flt Lts G Edwards and Jack Irvine flew North from Alipore to the peak of Makalu, in Nepal, then to Mt Everest. Edwards circled the mountain for 20 minutes, taking photographs with cameras mounted in wing-tanks. 21/

Wg Cdr Pearson of No 681 Sqn also overflew Everest on 26 May 45 in a Spitfire causing a diplomatic row when details were released to the Press. It was explained that the ac was lost due to cloud cover & was only able to fix his position by recognising the mountain. 22/

In Mar 47, Pilot Officer Kenneth Neame from 34 Sqn RAF flying a Spitfire XIX was tasked to photograph Kanchenjunga for an expedition. He also decided to visit Mt. Everest, unauthorized, and click pictures. This was the last “recorded” “unauthorized” attempt at Everest 23/