Aviation Pioneer, founder of Hawker Aircraft and racing driver. Harry George Hawker MBE, AFC, was born in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia, and as a 12yr old started off working in a Melbourne garage helping to build engines. He qualified as a mechanic and came to England in 1912 where he joined the Commer Car Company then Sopwith Aviation Company later that year. Based at Brooklands aerodrome, he taught himself to fly, then trained other students before becoming Chief Test Pilot with Sopwiths. He also began to race Sunbeam cars at the Brooklands circuit. During WW1, he designed and tested production aircraft at Sopwiths. After the war in 1919, he and navigator Kenneth Mackenzie Grieve attampted to be the first to fly the Atlantic non-stop in a Sopwith biplane. After 14 1/2hrs of flight, the engine overheated and they were forced to crash into the sea. Rescued by a passing ship, they didn't reach Europe for a further six days. In 1920 Sopwith Aviation was liquidated but he, Tom Sopwith and two others formed Hawker Aviation which went on to build such planes at the Hurricane and Hunter fighters. In 1921 Hawker was testing a plane near Hendon when it caught fire in mid-air before crashing into the ground. He was killed.
Aviation Pioneer, founder of Hawker Aircraft and racing driver. Harry George Hawker MBE, AFC, was born in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia, and as a 12yr old started off working in a Melbourne garage helping to build engines. He qualified as a mechanic and came to England in 1912 where he joined the Commer Car Company then Sopwith Aviation Company later that year. Based at Brooklands aerodrome, he taught himself to fly, then trained other students before becoming Chief Test Pilot with Sopwiths. He also began to race Sunbeam cars at the Brooklands circuit. During WW1, he designed and tested production aircraft at Sopwiths. After the war in 1919, he and navigator Kenneth Mackenzie Grieve attampted to be the first to fly the Atlantic non-stop in a Sopwith biplane. After 14 1/2hrs of flight, the engine overheated and they were forced to crash into the sea. Rescued by a passing ship, they didn't reach Europe for a further six days. In 1920 Sopwith Aviation was liquidated but he, Tom Sopwith and two others formed Hawker Aviation which went on to build such planes at the Hurricane and Hunter fighters. In 1921 Hawker was testing a plane near Hendon when it caught fire in mid-air before crashing into the ground. He was killed.
Bio by: Paul Narramore
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