March 2026 Picture of the Month

A visit to the amazing Shuttleworth Collection last week gave me my first close-up look at the oldest airworthy aircraft in the world – the Blériot XI  from 1909. I have recently been doing some research into the life and work of pioneer British avaitor Claude Grahame-White, and for a time he flew a Blériot, which he had helped build at Blériot's factory before flying it back to Britain. Grahame-White and Blériot already knew each other, as the Frenchman's factory manufactured the acetylene headlamps for several of the cars Grahame-White sold in his London motor dealership. The Shuttleworth Collection is unique in that every one of its planes is regularly flown rather than just being static museum exhibits. The Blériot is powered by a 25hp 3-cylinder Anzani engine. Canon 5D MkIV, 24-105mm zoom lens at 35mm..