THE FIRST FLIGHT OVER EVEREST
In 1932, Colonel L.V.S. Blacker, an officer in the Indian army, assembled a committee including Lord Clydesdale, author John Buchan, Lord Peel and the Maharajah of Nawanagar, to plan the conquest of Mount Everest by air. Permission had to be obtained from the King of Nepal to fly over Nepal in order to reach the south face of Everest. The request was granted when the Prime Minister of Nepal suggested that the flight might reasonably resemble a second coming of Krishna, a Hindu god who had constructed a silver chariot and was thought to fly around the south face of the mountain.
The flight's secondary objective was to photograph the uncharted area south of Everest with a vertical strip and still cameras, made by Williamson Eagle. The expedition required extensive preparation, and technological innovations were necessary in both aviation and photography. The Westland aircraft with Bristol Pegasus engines were modified to allow the plane to reach the required altitude in the thin and freezing air. Likewise, both pilots' suits and the cameras required substantial modification to withstand the extreme conditions.
On the 3rd April 1933, a first and successful flight, piloted by Lord Clydesdale accompanied by Colonel Blacker, was made over the summit of Everest. The second plane,piloted by Flt. Lt. McIntyre, carried Mr. Bonner filming for Gaumont British News using a Newman & Sinclair ciné camera. The Times newspaper bought exclusive coverage of the flight and a detailed account of the expedition written by Fellows, Blacker, Etherton and Clydesdale First Over Everest was published the following year.
COLONEL L.V.S. BLACKER
COLONEL L.V.S. BLACKER
Details
COLONEL L.V.S. BLACKER
'Starting up the engine'; 'The Ice Wall of Everest' and Infra-red view of Mount Everest, 1933. Three gelatin silver prints, 19 x 14½in., 13 x 18 in. and 14 x 11¼ in. respectively, each mounted on card, two signed in ink and with printed paper title labels, one with caption ...An infra-red photograph of the Mount Everest range taken at a distance of over 100 miles from one of the Expedition's aeroplanes at a height of 22,000ft. on mount, each framed. (3)
'Starting up the engine'; 'The Ice Wall of Everest' and Infra-red view of Mount Everest, 1933. Three gelatin silver prints, 19 x 14½in., 13 x 18 in. and 14 x 11¼ in. respectively, each mounted on card, two signed in ink and with printed paper title labels, one with caption ...An infra-red photograph of the Mount Everest range taken at a distance of over 100 miles from one of the Expedition's aeroplanes at a height of 22,000ft. on mount, each framed. (3)