On Thursday June 5th W. Bro Brian Fisher PSGD PPAGM gave a highly interesting and informative talk on freemasons and aviation at the Temple of Athene Lodge No 9541. Below are some highlights from the lecture. Brian had wanted to research test pilots and aircraft designers who were Masons, but this inevitably led to covering those who were associated with space flight. Masons seem to have made a huge mark in this endeavour and a significant number of those who have landed on the moon or went into space were members of the Craft.
The earliest flights were those associated with the balloon and the inventors of the first balloon were Joseph and Michel Montgolfier both of whom were members of the Nine Sisters Lodge 1806 in France. However, their forays in to balloon flight were unmanned but showed what might be done. Later on the 21st November 1783 the first free flight by humans was made by Pilâtre de Rozier, together with an army officer, the Marquis d’Arlandes. The flight began from the grounds of a chateau on the western outskirts of Paris. Indeed, On August 23rd, 1879, Lodge No 239 of France held a meeting in a balloon flying over Paris, at which time a Brother was initiated. Brian remarked on who the Tyler was and where was he situated?
Fast forward to 4th November 1910 Major when Frank Gooden was the co-pilot of the first flight to carry a passenger from Britain to France. The flight took place in a Willows III a 35 hp JAP Gas Airship. It departed from Wormwood Scrubs, London at 3pm and arrived at Douai at 2am the following day; a transit time of 10.5 hours for 155 miles. He was a member of Alexander Palace Lodge No 1541.
Other British freemasons also achieved greatness and Albert Ball VC who was born 21st August 1896 was one of them. A British fighter ace during the First World War (WW1) he achieved 43 victories in air combat. He was educated at Trent College, which he left in 1913 on the outbreak of WW1, to join the army. During the summer of 1915 he learned to fly at his own expense at Hendon, obtaining his pilot’s certificate in October 1915, and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (the original name of the Royal Air Force). He was member of the Golden Rule Lodge No. 650.
Charles Lindbergh is a name that most people would be familiar with. At aged 25 on May 20-21, 1927, he piloted the Spirit of St. Louis in this first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight, landing in Paris after 33.5 hours of flying. This flight earned him the Orteig Prize, a $25,000 purse offered in 1919 by Raymond Orteig for the first aviator to fly non-stop between New York and Paris.
In 1926 he was raised as a Master Mason at Keystone Lodge Number No 243 in Missouri just months before this historical flight where he wore wear a square and compass pin during the flight. The Spirit of St. Louis wore a masonic emblem on the fuselage.
Aviation and Royal Masons
These include Kings Edward VIII and George VI and also the father of the present Grand Master Prince George, Duke of Kent who died tragically in 1942 having been Grand Master from 1939 until his death in 1942 when he died in an air crash. Prince Philip was also a very keen aviator. All these Royals were members of Navy Lodge No 2612.
Winston Churchill
He was not a qualified pilot. Although he took flying lessons and even flew many times, but he never obtained a pilot’s licence. He had several near-death experiences, including two notable crashes. He was initiated into Studholme Lodge No 1591 (now United Studholme Alliance Lodge) in 1901 and became a Master Mason in 1902. While he was a Mason, his involvement seemed to be primarily social, and he didn’t actively pursue further levels of Freemasonry. Worshipful Brian’s talk gave many examples of latter-day pilots who were masons and their achievements.
The Spitfire era.
Reginald Joseph Mitchell
The greatest contributor to victory in the Second World War was probably Ralph Mitchell (RJ) an aircraft designer. He was a member of Jasper Lodge No 3934. In WW2, defeat was averted, and victory was sealed when in June 1936, before the prototype had completed being trialled, the Air Ministry placed an order for 310 Spitfires. Eventually some 20,351 were built. It was Mitchell who designed the aircraft which became an icon of the 2nd World War.
The First Mason in Space – John Glenn
On 20th February 1962 he was the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship, on the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, an accomplishment which earned him the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
His lifelong journey in Freemasonry began in 1964 with Concord Lodge No 688 in his hometown of New Concord, Ohio. He was later made a “Mason at Sight” and earned his Scottish Rite degrees in the Valley of Cincinnati. Brother Glenn was named Sovereign Grand Inspector General and 33rd degree in Scottish Rite freemasonry.
NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
There were a few other masons who achieved space flight and Buzz Aldrin was one of them being one of the first men to walk on the Moon. He was initiated into Freemasonry at Oak Park Lodge No 864 in Alabama and raised at Lawrence N. Greenleaf Lodge No 169 in Colorado. He was also a member of Clear Lake Lodge No 1417, Texas. His most famous mission came on July 20, 1969, when he and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to land on the moon during the Apollo 11 flight. For this historic mission, he brought a Masonic flag to the moon, symbolizing his commitment to the fraternity. Indeed, He was authorised by the Grand Master of Texas to claim Masonic Territorial Jurisdiction for Grand Lodge of Texas on The Moon. It seems that Brother Buzz conducted the consecration of the first Masonic Lodge on the Moon. The landing of the lunar module was to be made in the Sea of Tranquillity; therefore, the new Lodge had received the name Tranquillity Lodge and was given the number 2000.
The Age of Concorde
The Province provided the pilots for the first and last commercial flights of Concord – W. Bro. Norman Todd a Past APGM and also W. Bro. Mike Bannister. Both had long and illustrious careers as Concorde pilots and their exploits are recorded in other places and links are provided below.
At the end of the presentation which was illustrated with ample slides there was long applause and W. Bro Brian answered questions from the Brethren. This edit has highlighted just a few of the names mentioned in the talk and a fuller transcript of the talk will be available to members of the Temple of Athene Lodge Correspondence Circle when published. Details can be obtained by e mailing W. Bro Ron Selby at irselby@virginmedia.com
Temple of Athene Lodge No 9541 invites you to present a paper of masonic interest and you can contact Lodge Secretary for further information at campbell.caraher@gmail.com
Article edited by W. Bro Stan Marut PPrJGD SLGR – Provincial Communications Team
LINKS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_firsts_in_aviation
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/norman-victor-todd/
http://www.concordespeakers.com/our-speakers/11-general/25-mike-bannister-biography-1
