379:. A strap holding McIntyre's oxygen mask broke, forcing him to hold it in place with one hand while flying the aircraft with the other. At 10:05 am both planes passed approximately 100 feet (30 m) over the summit. McIntyre required three attempts to pass over the summit. Clydesdale looked for signs of Mallory & Irvine, but saw none (Mallory's body would not be found until 1999; Irvine's is still missing). The aircraft then had to make a sharp turn to avoid entering Tibet. Both aircraft returned to the airfield about 3 hours after they had departed.
200:
77:
386:. The reply congratulated the team, but forbade them from repeating the feat, due to the dangerous problems experienced with the oxygen supply. However, the quality of the photographs taken on the first flight was compromised by dust, so the crews determined to ignore the instructions from London and make a second flight. They successfully did so on 19 April, when weather conditions were clearer. This time they were able to obtain high quality photographs of the surface.
33:
356:
flown by
Fellowes. For nine days, conditions were adjudged to be unsuitable. While they awaited clear weather, the expedition crews relaxed by swimming, until an encounter with a crocodile required McIntyre to shoot the animal. On 3 April, Fellowes reported no clouds between the airfield and the
116:
made the first flight to exceed the altitude of
Everest, but only for a short period, and actually flying over the mountain would be far more challenging. The main limitation of high altitude flight at this time was keeping the crews alive in the low pressure and cold temperature air.
317:. Special fuel was developed, that would not freeze at the low temperatures expected. The supplies of fuel and oxygen were sufficient for only 15 minutes at high altitude. To obtain a photographic mosaic of the terrain, each aircraft was equipped with a fixed downwards-pointing
400:
reported that "It is a splendid achievement - not for any material gains, any additions to aeronautical knowledge that it brings, for it brings few or none, but simply because it was one of the few last great spectacular flights in aviation which remained to be done."
688:
297:
from 602 Squadron, to pilot the other aircraft. Each pilot would be accompanied by an observer in the second seat of the aircraft: Blacker accompanied
Clydesdale in the PV-3, and Sidney R. G. Bonnett, a cinematographer for
274:. If Mallory and Irvine had reached the summit before dying on the descent, they might have left some record or abandoned equipment at the summit. The Royal Geographical Society agreed to support the expedition.
676:
112:, the highest mountain on Earth at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft), which would be useful for reconnaissance of potential climbing routes. At that time, the mountain had never been climbed. In 1919,
133:
651:
752:
963:, London & Manchester: Cherry Tree (Withy Grove Press), (1938), Fellowes, P. F. M. with L. V. Stewart Blacker and P. T. Etherton and the Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale.
594:
305:
Both aircraft were modified (by
Blacker) to enclose the observer positions, but retained open pilot's cockpits. Oxygen systems were installed, to keep the crew alive using
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360:
The expedition took off from
Lulbalu at 8:25 am on 3 April. After 9 am they reached their maximum altitude of 31,000 ft (9,400 m) as they passed over
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summit. Winds were below 40 miles per hour (60 km/h) but there was lots of dust in the atmosphere; Fellowes described conditions as "reasonably satisfactory".
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state, where they were based at
Lalbalu Airfield, approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of Mount Everest. The journey from England had taken 25 days.
412:– on the other side of the Himalayas from the airfield – and was ultimately unsuccessful. The photographs were made public in 1951 and were used by
227:
Peregrine
Fellowes was brought in to lead the expedition and head its planning. Fellowes and Blacker obtained the necessary permissions from the
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309:. The crews wore multiple layers of sheepskin clothing and the aircraft were modified to provide connections for heated
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Lady
Houston was excited by the idea that Clydesdale put forward, feeling that flying over Everest would strengthen
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88:(1914–1918), aircraft were limited to altitudes below about 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Technical advances in
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in 1936. It combined real footage from the expedition with staged shots of the participants (not actors).
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148:) to suggest a flight over Everest that would promote British aviation. Clydesdale was also the youngest
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293:, registered G-ACAZ (referred to as the Houston-Westland). He selected David Fowler McIntyre, a
108:(a British mountaineering physiologist) suggested that aircraft would soon be able to fly over
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409:
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No attempt could be made without substantial funding, so in
September 1932 Clydesdale visited
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to allow the flight to occur. Nepal granted permission for only a single flight; while the
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677:"Grandson of first man to fly over Everest takes up a world beating challenge of his own"
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The flight set milestones for developments in technology, aviation and photography.
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that flew over
Everest, pictured in 1931 prior to being modified for the expedition.
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for dinner. She agreed to fund the expedition and became involved in its planning.
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prevented any attempt to climb the mountain from 1925 to 1933. In the early 1930s,
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93:
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at Kinrara (her estate in Scotland) to ask her to fund the expedition. The highly
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262:, which aimed to climb to the summit. A flight might also search for evidence of
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No progress on the idea was made during the 1920s, partly because the diplomatic
364:, the fourth-highest mountain in the world, located two miles south of Everest.
318:
310:
306:
125:
113:
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814:"The first men to fly over Mount Everest did so in an unpressurized biplane"
348:
The flight would require clear weather over the mountain, which had to be
488:"Houston Mount Everest Flying Expedition Archives – This Day in Aviation"
460:
383:
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after damaging his oxygen line; he successfully repaired the leak with a
325:. Bonnett selected a Williamson Automatic Eagle III camera for the task.
248:
215:
joined the expedition; he was an experienced pilot who had served in the
334:
278:
270:, who had disappeared during an attempt to reach the summit during the
204:
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338:
779:"up up and away over the tallest mountain in the world by airplane"
342:
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by sea, arriving in February. The crews then flew the aircraft to
244:
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75:
31:
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then caused both aircraft to lose about 1,500 feet (460 m).
258:
that a flight would provide valuable information for the planned
905:"81 years ago, the first movie camera over Everest won an Oscar"
729:"From the archive, 4 April 1933: Everest conquered from the air"
188:
961:
First over Everest: The Houston – Mount Everest Expedition 1933
652:"Remembering the Scots who flew over Everest some 80 years ago"
32:
943:
First Over Everest! The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition, 1933
457:
First Over Everest! The Houston-Mount Everest Expedition, 1933
140:
were being dominated by American aviators. Buchan approached
420:
to plan their route to the top of Mount Everest, which they
404:
The aerial photographs were obtained too late to assist the
80:
Aerial view of Mount Everest from the south, taken in 2006.
27:
1933 aircraft flight by Douglas-Hamilton and David McIntyre
56:(then known as Lord Clydesdale) and David McIntyre, with
352:
using daily 5:30 am flights by a third aircraft, a
587:"The first flight over Everest: a physiologist's dream"
753:"First Person: My Uncle Was First to Fly Over Everest"
712:
Adventuress: The Life and Loves of Lucy, Lady Houston
247:
refused permission for the aircraft to enter Tibetan
746:
744:
742:
382:
News of the successful flight was sent to London by
203:Stewart Blacker in 1933, wearing flying gear and a
723:
721:
459:which was published in 1934. Buchan wrote the
366:Downward air currents induced by the mountains
166:Alfred Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton
321:in the fuselage, while the observers carried
187:) and impressed that Clydesdale had worn his
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333:Both aircraft were shipped from Britain to
289:bomber), registered G-ACBR; and a modified
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371:Bonnett briefly lost consciousness due to
183:(Houston was an outspoken opponent of the
751:Douglas-Hamilton, Iain (19 April 2013).
219:from 1907 to 1932 (reaching the rank of
537:
535:
533:
472:
18:Houston-Mount Everest Flight Expedition
917:from the original on 27 September 2021
824:from the original on 24 September 2018
691:from the original on 24 September 2018
597:from the original on 24 September 2018
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498:from the original on 24 September 2018
100:aircraft engines, allowed aircraft to
64:seats. The expedition was financed by
903:Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (26 May 2017).
406:1933 British Mount Everest expedition
260:1933 British Mount Everest expedition
7:
714:. The History Press. pp. 189ff.
302:, accompanied McIntyre in the PV-6.
281:aircraft for the attempt: the first
223:), so was familiar with the region.
48:was undertaken in April 1933 by two
936:Fellowes, Peregrine Forbes Morant;
884:from the original on 4 January 2022
25:
940:; Etherton, Percy Thomas (1934).
938:Blacker, Latham Valentine Stewart
844:"The 1933 Houston Everest Flight"
543:"Aeronautics: Wings Over Everest"
90:military aviation during that war
585:Heggie, Vanessa (3 April 2013).
313:. To save weight, there were no
68:and led by Peregrine Fellowes.
52:aircraft. They were piloted by
675:Sawer, Patrick (11 May 2014).
277:Clydesdale decided to use two
1:
422:successfully climbed in 1953
408:, which had already reached
185:Indian independence movement
254:Blacker also convinced the
122:Affair of the Dancing Lamas
92:, such as the invention of
1013:
874:"Over Everest; aeroplanes"
848:www.content-delivery.co.uk
256:Royal Geographical Society
164:biplanes), and the son of
160:, which was equipped with
156:(he commanded the reserve
60:and Sidney Bonnett in the
977:Mount Everest expeditions
783:transportationhistory.org
710:Crompton, Teresa (2020).
136:) became concerned that
54:Douglas Douglas-Hamilton
444:Fellowes, Blacker and
208:
102:reach higher altitudes
81:
44:The first flight over
41:
446:Percy Thomas Etherton
202:
181:British rule in India
134:Scottish Universities
79:
35:
946:. Robert M. McBride.
854:on 24 September 2018
759:on 24 September 2018
492:This Day in Aviation
300:Gaumont British News
285:(a prototype of the
130:member of parliament
237:government of Nepal
217:British Indian Army
664:on 21 August 2019.
434:Wings Over Everest
431:about the flight,
209:
173:Lucy, Lady Houston
82:
66:Lucy, Lady Houston
42:
982:April 1933 events
650:(25 March 2013).
410:Rongbuk Monastery
295:flight lieutenant
146:East Renfrewshire
16:(Redirected from
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987:1933 in aviation
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812:Arbuckle, Alex.
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660:. Archived from
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551:. 10 April 1933.
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429:documentary film
287:Westland Wallace
106:Alexander Kellas
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272:1924 expedition
241:13th Dalai Lama
213:Stewart Blacker
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162:Westland Wapiti
154:Royal Air Force
150:squadron leader
142:Lord Clydesdale
138:aviation firsts
86:First World War
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58:Stewart Blacker
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455:wrote a book,
418:Tenzing Norgay
414:Edmund Hillary
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264:George Mallory
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268:Andrew Irvine
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211:The inventor
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46:Mount Everest
39:
38:Westland PV-3
34:
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960:
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919:. Retrieved
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886:. Retrieved
877:
868:
856:. Retrieved
852:the original
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838:
826:. Retrieved
817:
786:. Retrieved
782:
773:
761:. Retrieved
757:the original
733:The Guardian
732:
711:
705:
693:. Retrieved
670:
662:the original
657:The Scotsman
655:
599:. Retrieved
591:The Guardian
590:
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500:. Retrieved
491:
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432:
427:A half-hour
426:
403:
397:The Guardian
395:
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381:
377:handkerchief
370:
359:
350:reconnoitred
347:
332:
311:flying suits
307:oxygen masks
304:
276:
253:
233:India Office
229:Air Ministry
210:
170:
158:602 Squadron
119:
98:supercharged
94:turbocharged
83:
43:
29:
449: [
319:film camera
126:John Buchan
114:Jean Casale
104:. In 1918,
971:Categories
467:References
329:Expedition
315:parachutes
72:Background
685:0307-1235
437:, won an
390:Aftermath
354:Puss Moth
132:(MP) for
915:Archived
882:Archived
822:Archived
818:Mashable
689:Archived
595:Archived
496:Archived
461:foreword
384:telegram
249:airspace
235:and the
195:Planning
144:(MP for
62:observer
50:Westland
921:3 April
788:4 April
373:hypoxia
335:Karachi
279:biplane
205:monocle
152:in the
888:5 July
858:5 July
828:5 July
763:5 July
695:5 July
683:
601:5 July
502:5 July
362:Lhotse
339:Purnea
453:]
343:Bihar
341:, in
245:Tibet
221:major
923:2023
890:2018
860:2018
830:2018
790:2023
765:2018
697:2018
681:ISSN
603:2018
548:Time
504:2018
416:and
266:and
189:kilt
96:and
36:The
243:of
128:(a
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913:.
907:.
880:.
876:.
846:.
820:.
816:.
798:^
781:.
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611:^
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451:de
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20:)
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