The special role that Windermere played in the development of seaplanes will be commemorated next month in a public flying display.
The two-evening Wings over Windermere has been confirmed for Friday, September 5 and Saturday September 6, starting at 6.45pm. Entry is free.
It is organised by The Lakes Flying Company Ltd, which was behind the 10-year project to build an exact replica of Waterbird, the UK’s first successful seaplane.
The original Waterbird first flew from Windermere in 1911. The replica celebrates heritage from the golden age of the lake.
Visitors afar and also descendants of the original pioneers will be among the hundreds who are expected to gather at Brockhole to witness this year’s event, weather permitting.
A modern Husky seaplane is also involved in the display, with flying carried out against the backdrop of the Langdale Pikes.
At the controls of Waterbird for the second year in a row will be naval test pilot Lt Cdr Chris Gotke AFC.
He said of his experience last year: “I flew her for three trips of which two were in front of the public. The plane is delightful to fly and a great privilege, especially when you think of where she sits in history and all the aircraft that developed from her.
“I’m incredibly proud to fly this delightful aircraft and be a part of the wonderful team who are showing the public a key part of UK naval aviation heritage and history.”
The Windermere event follows months of planning with detailed licences and permissions from the Lake District National Park Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority.
Planning is further complicated by Waterbird being stored at Liverpool Airport, having to be reassembled and transported by trucks each time it is flown.
A permanent home by the Lake is being sought, which could mean more frequent flights and chances to see the replica plane up close.
Ian Gee, chair of The Lakes Flying Company, said: “Organisers are delighted to remind people of the vital role that Windermere played in the development of seaplanes.
“Every such plane built since Waterbird has replicated a stepped float that made it possible to break the surface tension and lift from the water.
“There is no other event like this anywhere in the world.
“In terms of airworthy seaplanes for the era of 25 years from 1911 when the original first flew, there is an original 1929 and a restoration 1930 in the USA and an original 1935 at Lake Como in Italy. Otherwise, the replica Waterbird is unique in the world for representing its era.”
Retired solicitor, Mr Gee, of Kendal, added: “The Waterbird demonstrations will be brief but breath-taking. Please remember that this is a delicate, historic aeroplane, and that this is a demonstration of its remarkable capabilities, not an aerobatic flying display.
“During each sequence, Waterbird will take off from the water, fly at up to 100 feet in a straight line along the lake, then land on the water, showing the remarkable capabilities of this early seaplane.”
The flights are subject to weather and other safety issues, so details of their status can be checked at https://www.waterbird.org.uk
Full details of the public flying displays for spectators and lake users are at https://www.waterbird.org.uk/wings-over-windermere-2025/
The replica Waterbird project has won seven awards from various organisations in the aeronautical community.
A permanent exhibition recording the vital role played by Windermere in the history of the development of aeroplanes is now open at Windermere Library on the first floor.
It explains how the first successful flights taking off from water in the UK happened on the lake and how this later led to the establishment of a naval seaplane school and the building of a flying boat factory on its shores during the Second World War.
The exhibition highlights the exploits of Captain Edward Wakefield, who initiated the development in the UK of aeroplanes able to take off from water and copyrighted the “stepped” float.
The exhibition is now open. Entry is free. Two books are available to buy. For more information, visit https://www.waterbird.org.uk/shop/
