0:00:03 > 0:00:06Air travel - fast, efficient and safe.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10An everyday fact of life, now.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12But not that long ago,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14it was a very different story.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Back in the early 1900s,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19aviation was in its infancy
0:00:19 > 0:00:21and a County Down man was at the forefront
0:00:21 > 0:00:25of an international race into the skies.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29Harry Ferguson, known the world over for his tractors,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32was also the first man to design, build and fly
0:00:32 > 0:00:34an aircraft in Ireland.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38I'm Dick Strawbridge, and we're on a mission
0:00:38 > 0:00:43to make and fly that little plane from the early 20th century.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46William, you're on, sir.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'Our test pilot will bravely follow Ferguson
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'into the grey skies of Ulster.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Are you ready, William? No, but let's go!
0:00:55 > 0:00:58It's the chance of a lifetime. It really, really is.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01About there.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07We're searching out the final few craftsmen, engineers and technicians
0:01:07 > 0:01:11with the traditional skills to recreate Harry's plane.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's never been done before,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and I'm really not sure if it's even possible.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Dangerous...maybe.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21But one thing's for certain - we're going to give it a go!
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Welcome aboard The Great Flying Challenge.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39There we go. We're off. Oh, wow.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Whoa.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47That is amazing.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59I'm soaring over a beautiful patchwork down there,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02between Binevenagh mountain and Lough Foyle.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06This is a place where Harry Ferguson loved to fly, over a century ago.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14We've got our plane down in the hangar of the Ulster Gliding Club.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'And my pilot is covering Harry's plane with linen.'
0:02:21 > 0:02:23The construction process is nearly finished,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27and Owen Anderson is one of only a handful of craftsmen
0:02:27 > 0:02:29with the skill to do this.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32The wings have already been covered,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36but we're still anxiously awaiting news from our expert
0:02:36 > 0:02:39that they're strong enough to even attempt to fly.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41WOOD SNAPS There it goes.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Feels as if you've no control.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48But our chief engineer and test pilot, William McMinn,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51is in high-tech training for that maiden flight.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Feels very realistic. THEY CHUCKLE
0:02:53 > 0:02:55It feels realistic? It really, really does, yes!
0:03:00 > 0:03:03An amazing view of the world, sir. Beautiful, isn't it?
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I love flying, Dick, it's one of my first loves,
0:03:06 > 0:03:07and it's so near my house as well.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09I fly most weekends.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I'm an instructor at Ulster Gliding Club here,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14but I just love working in the workshop as well during the week
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and working on all my gliders -
0:03:16 > 0:03:18especially at the Harry Ferguson Project,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20which is a very special project.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22It's very different from some of the gliders I work on.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25We're up here, it's silent, you know, we're up with the birds.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26When he took off,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28he didn't understand flying the way you have to.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30No, he didn't understand the weather very much,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32but it was probably quite stressful as well for him.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35DICK LAUGHS You think?
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Slightly! But he was quite a special inventor, engineer,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42to actually achieve that feat without killing himself.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45There's another local connection here with Harry, isn't there?
0:03:45 > 0:03:46My grandfather was present
0:03:46 > 0:03:50at the time Harry flew from Magilligan Beach in the early 1900s,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52so there's a wee bit of connection there as well.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54What's the chances of us actually
0:03:54 > 0:03:55putting the wheels down on the beach?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58We'll do that now, if you're happy enough?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I'm just having a look at the beach here now and...it's quite clear,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04so I'm going to radio the ground and tell the guys,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and we'll be landing on the beach in five minutes.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17There we go. Turning onto base leg and then finals.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19We are landing on the beach.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Over at Teesside University in Middlesbrough,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43it's crunch time in the laboratory for our wings.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Now it's starting to noise.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Dr Alex Ellin is investigating
0:04:47 > 0:04:51whether we've made a fatal error in the way they've been constructed.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54This is an example of the section of the spar in the aeroplane
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and it's two of these that form the main strength membrane of the wings.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Starting to make a slight noise there.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04A press machine will simulate the kind of force
0:05:04 > 0:05:07the wood will have to withstand in flight.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10What's happened, unfortunately, in the manufacture of this one
0:05:10 > 0:05:11is some slots have been cut
0:05:11 > 0:05:14in the top service of the spar to take the ribs.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Alex is the only engineer who can give us an airworthiness certificate
0:05:18 > 0:05:20on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25So the results of this test could wreck our chances of flying.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Clear.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28WOOD SNAPS There it goes. Wa-hey!
0:05:28 > 0:05:31That was impressive when it went at the end.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I've got to go back to my calculations
0:05:33 > 0:05:34and really explore what that means to us.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37If this happened in flight, we'd be calling an ambulance.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I've just had a lovely flight and a safe landing.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Harry wasn't always so lucky.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49In summer 1910, he was flying here regularly,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51enjoying the open skies and big beaches
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and really developing his flying skills.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57It wasn't unusual for hundreds of people
0:05:57 > 0:06:01to turn up to watch the spectacle of Harry flying here.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Fortunately for us, on one occasion,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05there was a reporter from the Coleraine Chronicle.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09He was there when a gust of wind caused an accident.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10This is what he said.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14"When the machine crashed into the strand,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17"alighting on the tide with terrible force,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20"Mr Ferguson was flung violently from his seat,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23"his face striking the left mass of the craft.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26"From this he rebounded and was pitched out of the chassis
0:06:26 > 0:06:29"onto one of the shattered wings.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32"Here he lay unconscious for some minutes
0:06:32 > 0:06:34"and when he regained his senses,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38"he struggled to his feet and made his way to the hotel,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41"although suffering acutely, streaming with blood."
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Harry was seriously concussed.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46It could've been worse - he could've died.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49But for us, it's a real reminder
0:06:49 > 0:06:52exactly what our test pilot's going to go through.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55This accident was caused by nothing more than a gust of wind.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07Back at our build headquarters at the Ulster Aviation Society hangar,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11William McMinn and Steve Lowry are at a critical stage,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14preparing to fit the brackets that will hold the wings in place.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Not bad.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19But they can't go any further
0:07:19 > 0:07:22until they find out if the wings passed the stress test.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24If they fail, it's game over.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28We won't get a permit to fly from Dr Alex Ellin,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31who's overseeing the construction for the Civil Aviation Society.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34PHONE RINGS
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It's a phone call William's been dreading.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Alex. Good afternoon.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Um, we've done the testing. 'Great.'
0:07:42 > 0:07:44'To cut a long story short,'
0:07:44 > 0:07:47we're not...silly safe,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49'but we're safe.' Yes, yes.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51I think we're good to go. 'OK.'
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Look, that's great. Thank you very much indeed.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55I do appreciate you letting me know
0:07:55 > 0:07:57'as soon as you could. That's great.'
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Bye-bye now. 'Bye.'
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Phew! We have a pair of wings.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05And that is terrific news.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07That is just good news for everybody in the project.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13We will move on and finish it. And have a plane to fly.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Unbelievable. Really unbelievable.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22And there's no time like the present.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25William and Steve get to work
0:08:25 > 0:08:28mating the wing spars and brackets that lock them in position.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It's a delicate procedure and a big day for us.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36They fit like a glove, and for the first time,
0:08:36 > 0:08:41Harry's plane looks like it might just be a flying machine.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43We've done. We've done. HE LAUGHS
0:08:48 > 0:08:51We're heading back to school. Queen's University, actually.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And William here is about to get a virtual flying lesson
0:08:54 > 0:08:55on Harry's machine.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I am so looking forward to it, I can't wait.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Aerospace engineering student Edward Sang has spent weeks
0:09:03 > 0:09:07coming up with an ingenious flight simulation using our basic plans.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12This actually seems very real whenever you're sitting here.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Are you ready, William? No, but let's go.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Here we go.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19He's off. Oh, he's away.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25He's in the air. He's up. How does it feel?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Feels as if you've no control.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Let's borrow those, let's borrow those.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Hello, matey. Quick question, is it feeling good?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Well, I feel as if I've very little directional control.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38It has a mind of its own at the minute.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40It has a mind of its own, but you seem to be countering.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43You're touching it quite delicately, aren't you? So well done.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44It's very realistic in that...
0:09:44 > 0:09:48You're very low, mate. You're 25 feet. Yeah. You're 20 feet.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I'd hate for you to crash, unless you're landing.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52I'll just give it a little bit of power.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Are you coming in for a landing, are you? Yeah, yeah.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56OK, good man.
0:09:56 > 0:09:5920 feet, a lovely slow descent and in there, mate.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Oh. Yeah, well done, well done!
0:10:02 > 0:10:05That's hard work. A good landing, fella!
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Thank you, thank you.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Feels very realistic. Feels realistic?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12It really, really does, yes.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Did you feel that you learnt from that? Yeah.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20The main control you're using is the rudder pedals and your throttle.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22You're not far off your first flight.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24It'll be easier flying whenever you're sitting in the aircraft.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27You have a runway in front and it's more physical,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31you feel the wind in your face and all those instincts kick in.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And are you excited? Yes, very excited.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Can't wait. Good man!
0:10:35 > 0:10:37We've got to go and do it now, haven't we? Yeah.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42But I'm getting ahead of myself.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45There's still a bit of work to do.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48The air frame has been shipped to Owen Anderson at Bellarena.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51He's getting to grips with the last of the linen covering.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53OK.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55It's like covering a sofa.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Harry Ferguson would've brought the aeroplane up from Belfast
0:10:58 > 0:10:59and they would've got his upholsterers
0:10:59 > 0:11:02to work at it on the beach, or somewhere near hand.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05So, we're recreating that bit...
0:11:06 > 0:11:08..as well, at the minute.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11It's painstaking, laborious work.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13The final stage before we can attempt to fly,
0:11:13 > 0:11:18and the man from Magilligan believes the odds are in our favour.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19This is its spiritual home,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23so it's only right that we should fly the aeroplane here.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I'm very honoured, I'm very excited about it flying.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31You can actually see a plane coming together, just very slowly.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32There's a big chance it will fly.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35We just need the weather.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51The time has arrived.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54It's taken months to get from an idea to a flying machine.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56When Harry Ferguson built his plane,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59he used the skills of the craftsman here in Northern Ireland.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02We've scoured the country, and our team have done it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05We've got Alistair, our boat builder from the Newtownards Road.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08He can now say he's an aircraft manufacturer.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Crossley Cars now build flying machines.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Our research was done by Queen's University
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and we got our linen from the Ferguson factory at Banbridge.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Steve and the team from the Ulster Aviation Society,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21they did the construction.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23The man with the plans, Michael Clarke,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25provided us with blueprints,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28drawn up with the help of his friend and Ferguson expert, Jack Woods.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Up here at the Ulster Gliding Club,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Owen put the linen on the fuselage and he made her beautiful.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39But our number one man is Mr William McMinn.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42He's our test pilot, he's our lead engineer,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46he's a very brave man, and today, he's a very proud man.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48William, the world's ready to see her!
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Are we clearing it, Dick? You are indeed.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01Be careful at the back, Steve.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Oh, come on, how beautiful!
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Very, very impressive.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Is it light? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20A thing to be proud of. Thank you.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Thank you very much indeed.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Oh, William, how beautiful?
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I think it's fabulous, absolutely fabulous.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33It's a work of art.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36This is our wing warping.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Does it work? I'll show you.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41It's got a lot of movement. Yeah. OK, now, what else have you got?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43You've got your wing warping, your next control?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Rudders, here we are here.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Isn't that fabulous? Twin rudder. Yeah. Superb.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52And...coming down? We have to go round to this side.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58The office here is going to be quite intimidating
0:13:58 > 0:14:02until we get a few runs to see if it handles right,
0:14:02 > 0:14:03if we have some control.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06It'll be pure seeing if we can get this thing into the air,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08and that's a big challenge.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11It is a big challenge, isn't it? That's the Ferguson challenge.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Harry Ferguson wasn't the only would-be aviator
0:14:16 > 0:14:18in Northern Ireland.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Others were competing with him to be the first to fly here.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Joe Cordner from Derry was in the race
0:14:25 > 0:14:27with an aeroplane of his own design.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30But so, too, was a remarkable woman.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33In the summer of 1910,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Lilian Bland was the first woman in the world
0:14:36 > 0:14:39to design, build and fly an aeroplane.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Pilot and adventurer Geoff Hill is a fan
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and he's flown up to Bellarena to tell me about her.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50What sort of a lady was she? Remarkable, I think is the answer.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52The only bland thing about her was her surname.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54She was probably, as far as I know,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57the first female photojournalist on Fleet Street -
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and this was before women even had the vote.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02She was a crack shot, a martial arts expert
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and shockingly, she rode a horse the way men did.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08How did she get into flying?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Her uncle sent her a postcard of Bleriot,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13the first crossing of the Channel,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and of course, Lilian being Lilian, she immediately wrote to him
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and said, "Can I come along as a passenger on your next flight?"
0:15:18 > 0:15:21She got an immediate "non" from Bleriot.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24But she went over to a flying show in Blackpool,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27the same one that Harry Ferguson went to in 1909.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28Made a few sketches and came back
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and started designing her own aircraft
0:15:30 > 0:15:33which is as remarkable as you and me going into a car showroom,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36making a few notes and coming home and building a Porsche.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Harry had the resources of a workshop behind him.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39How did she do it?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42She started building a glider, which she called the Mayfly,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44and when people asked why it was called the Mayfly,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48she said, "Well, it may fly and it may not," which is a great answer.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51So, she built this glider, flew it down Carnmoney Hill
0:15:51 > 0:15:53with the help of six burly Royal Irish Constabulary members
0:15:53 > 0:15:54who loved her, apparently.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Then Lord O'Neill said she could use the big meadow at Shane's Castle
0:15:58 > 0:16:00to fly the powered version.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01She ordered a 20 horsepower two-stroke,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03and when that arrived without a fuel tank,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05she improvised using a whiskey bottle
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and her deaf aunt's ear trumpet to pour the fuel in,
0:16:08 > 0:16:09so it was just wonderfully innovative.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Being from Northern Ireland, somebody we should celebrate -
0:16:12 > 0:16:16the first woman in the world to design, build and fly.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18What an achievement, and what a remarkable person.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20In fact, she gave up aviation after that.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Her father, who was deeply worried about her killing herself,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25said if she gave up, he'd buy her a model T4
0:16:25 > 0:16:28and she went to Dublin, became the first woman in Ireland to own a car.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Got taught how to drive it, drove herself home
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and within a month, she was the Northern Ireland dealer for Ford.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35An incredible lady. An incredible lady.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Lilian and Harry belong to a world where the sky was open to all.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43But our replica needs permission to fly.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48The man who decides if we can take off - or not -
0:16:48 > 0:16:51has dropped in to Bellarena for a final inspection.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It's not a model. No. It's a proper aeroplane.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56All the hinges on.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59We've set the controls to what we think
0:16:59 > 0:17:01is going to be an acceptable level. Yeah.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05And the Go Pro will fall away outside of the hinge line there?
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Yeah. And everything is tethered as per regulations.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14OK. I mean, longer term, you'd be worried about rubbing there
0:17:14 > 0:17:17but I think the time we're looking at, it's not going to be an issue.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18I hope it's airtight.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23How are we doing? Dr Ellin. Hi. What's the score?
0:17:23 > 0:17:24I think... Is it airworthy?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It's an impressive piece of work, whether it is or it isn't,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30but my gut feeling is, yes, it is.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Well done. Thank you.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35That's a very big statement you've just made there.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38I'm happy that the wing is strong enough
0:17:38 > 0:17:40for the intended flight test profile.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42And you're ready? I'm ready.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Shall we get into position and see what happens?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I'm ready, but whether I'm willing or not is another thing!
0:17:47 > 0:17:49You're going anyway, William, you've said you would!
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Thank you, Alex. Do you think he has a choice?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Not at this stage! You couldn't stop him getting in it now.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Shall we get the team and get it over into position? Yes, let's go.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03We are trying to remake history,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06re-enacting scenes first captured on camera
0:18:06 > 0:18:08when flying was a rare pursuit.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13When pilots were daredevils who risked life and limb
0:18:13 > 0:18:15every time they reached for the sky.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20William is about to take Harry's seat
0:18:20 > 0:18:24in what was, and likely still is, an unstable aircraft.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Straight line, tracking dead into a wind
0:18:29 > 0:18:34and absolutely no purposeful deviation from that straight line.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37He's only allowed to go head on into the breeze.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Side winds could easily flip this plane over.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43ENGINE STARTS
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Alex won't allow him to attempt to fly just yet.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51We don't even know if he can taxi in a straight line.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Without brakes or the ability to steer the undercarriage,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56that's the first test.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And the first run proves it's been built brilliantly!
0:19:14 > 0:19:16I just bounced and bounced.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19He said he felt it get light on its wheels.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22This is a plane that wants to fly.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Just take her back as far as you can.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Manhandling Harry's plane back into position,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30there is a huge sense of optimism in the camp.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Unbelievable! It was straight, it was much faster than I expected.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40William is happy. Chocks away.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42We know gusty winds made Harry crash,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44and while we're only doing ground trials,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47a stiffening breeze is a constant danger.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:19:55 > 0:19:58A simple taxi run almost ends in disaster.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07This is the closest thing you'll see to an accident.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12A light sea breeze would pose no problem for modern aircraft.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15But Harry's plane remains
0:20:15 > 0:20:20right on the ragged edge of early 20th-century flight.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23The only reason Harry Ferguson's plane didn't crash this time
0:20:23 > 0:20:25is William McMinn.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28I think I hit a bump and the bump on one wheel
0:20:28 > 0:20:30lifted the aircraft into the air
0:20:30 > 0:20:32but the aircraft was in a roll condition.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35So it lifted the starboard wing.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36When you started coming up around,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I was sure you were going to dig a wing in.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40There was pucker factor - put it that way.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I'll go and get a cup of tea now and collect my thoughts.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44You know what? You deserve a cup of tea.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48After such a close shave, and with conditions worsening,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Alex rules out any further trials for the rest of the day.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Dawn breaks over Bellarena,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and we're hoping for a golden opportunity
0:21:08 > 0:21:10to take Harry's plane into the air.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16The weather forecast promised much lighter winds,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20but a stubborn breeze refuses to shift,
0:21:20 > 0:21:21so we're forced to sit it out,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24waiting and praying for the wind to drop.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35By six o'clock, Alex gives the nod, and out she comes.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It looks to all the world like the plane that time forgot.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52A beautiful dinosaur from a bygone age.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58But it is a tribute to Harry's genius as an inventor
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and a credit to the team who have remade her.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Harry, when he was flying,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08mornings and evenings were the time to try and get out there
0:22:08 > 0:22:10cos on the beach, on the fields,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12the wind drops in the morning or in the evening.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16There's your opportunity. So we've all got our fingers crossed.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20It's still too risky, too blowy,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24so William has to content himself with one more taxi run.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Then, quite by accident, something extraordinary.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35We have lift off!
0:22:39 > 0:22:42I think you were told to go slower and not fly!
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I'm not flying. Was he flying?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I think... There is no dispute.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Anybody think he didn't fly? No.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52As I came over the hill,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I could feel it getting light as the ground fell away.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It seems to get to a speed and then just want to elevate.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Without a shadow of doubt,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Harry Ferguson's aeroplane has left the ground? ALL: Yeah.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07This is a flying machine. This is not a monument in a museum.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Harry made hops like this too.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14He didn't consider it proper flight, yet it's a great start for us.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I think that OK, we've flown.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21I'm not sure who was in control
0:23:21 > 0:23:24but what I'd like to do is, until the wind drops,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I'd like to knock it on the head.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28We've proven it's possible.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Let's leave it there until we have better conditions
0:23:31 > 0:23:32and then look at doing it again.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40After a long day of waiting and weather watching,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Harry's plane remains sadly grounded.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48We are at the airfield beside the beach
0:23:48 > 0:23:51where Harry really perfected his flying.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Do you feel like he's here with us?
0:23:53 > 0:23:55I think Harry would be proud.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Imagine you were 30 years younger with no experience whatsoever.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04What would it be like getting up into the seat of an aeroplane then?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I would say it was scary.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The first run across the ground with the engine gone
0:24:10 > 0:24:12and you're accelerating, it is a daunting task,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16and for him to do that on his own with no flying experience,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19a gusty, windy day, he's a unique man.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Even with all your experience, you came very close to disaster.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26The wind got underneath the right-hand wing.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Suddenly, we're at right angles to the wind, wing up in the air,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32one wing on the ground and...
0:24:32 > 0:24:35useful opposite rudder and roll control.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37And we got it back under control.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39We? I think we had a little help from the gods!
0:24:39 > 0:24:43You didn't quite get to soaring the way we had hoped to.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Are you disappointed? Yeah.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48If we had a weather window and the wind calmed down,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50we could fly it, we could get it into the air.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57It would have been heartbreaking for William to park the challenge
0:24:57 > 0:24:58after one wee hop.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Harry's plane and everyone with a hand in making her
0:25:05 > 0:25:07deserves a last roll of the dice.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11A chance to soar.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21So, when the wind finally slackened, William raced back to Bellarena.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24MUSIC: Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss
0:25:32 > 0:25:34We want to end up at that grass.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42The tension is real, the pressure on our pilot, enormous.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Owen and his fellow glider pilots are right behind him.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Now William, over to you.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Can you get her in the air?
0:26:31 > 0:26:32What an achievement!
0:26:32 > 0:26:35What a spectacular take-off!
0:26:39 > 0:26:42To 20 foot. 20 foot? 20 foot. Just beautiful.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45She just kept flying and flying and flying. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50You could feel the winds rocking and I knew I was airborne,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and I could see the hedge starting to come, so I cut the power
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and you had to really had to push the nose,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59really had to push the elevator to try and get it level.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Now, it landed a wee bit heavy, but look, we're good, we've got it done.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It was indeed a heavy landing,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09but our skilled team of craftsmen built it strong.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12The undercarriage took a pounding and stood the test.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16But it was more than the tail skid could take.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Well done! Superb!
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Brilliant! Great job, man. Well done!
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Unbelievable. Well done, William!
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Great to relive a moment of history, isn't it?
0:27:31 > 0:27:33It is. For Irish aviation.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It's just sinking in now. Yeah.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37There was a lot of pressure. Oh, it was huge.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39But well done, well carried out.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Little did the guys know in 1909 where this was going to lead,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46when you look up there today and see all the jets flying.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47Fantastic!
0:27:47 > 0:27:52Getting serious, the serious part is, we have to thank Harry.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55We should be in awe of the man, there's no doubt about it,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and Ireland, as a whole, should be proud of him.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06You're the only man alive to have flown a Harry Ferguson plane.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07What does it feel like?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Nice, yeah. It's flown not just for me,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13but it's flown for the people who put the time and the effort,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15and it's a nice result.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18The certificate came through from the CAA and it says,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23"Constructor and type, WH McMinn, Ferguson monoplane."
0:28:23 > 0:28:26That is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28It is wonderful.