Personal Experiences
Air show pilots
From 1909 aviation weeks, meetings and air shows were organised in the United Kingdom. The displays at Hendon drew large crowds.
Hendon air show souvenir programme, 1912
Many of the pilots who flew in front of the spectators were instructors at the civil flying schools. Delighting their audiences with daring aerobatics, the aviators became household names and celebrities in their own right. 
Air show visitors
The public could also take to the skies. Passenger flights were often available at the various air shows.
With some misgivings, Lt Col Charles Edward Stewart took his first flight at Hendon in 1912. A passenger in a Maurice Farman S7 Longhorn he recalls that: 
“There’s nothing like your first flight! …
I climbed… into the thing and saw my seat… was a plank with… wickerwork sides and back. The pilot’s body would come between my legs and his shoulders would be level with my knees so that if the thing’s nose dipped suddenly I should probably fall on top of him… I told him I felt most insecure. 
With many pops and bangs, which almost cracked my eardrums the beastly engine started and the infernal machine commenced shuddering like a ship going full astern on both engines. I… turned to look at the engine hoping that in its efforts to free itself from its cage, it might fall off and postpone the flight..”
Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferté
Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferté was jointly responsible for the first RFC reconnaissance flight of the First World War in August 1914. He learnt to fly in 1912.
He recorded in diary at the time that on 26 July 1912 he
“Had two rides, on each occasion holding the joystick for short periods” and that they were “Great fun”. 
On 24 August 1912 he took his
“first figure of eight and then went for the first half of brevet. Got that all right and then tried for second half, but a slight misunderstanding about the landing not unconnected with Vickers No.3’s wreck spoilt that.”
The next day on 25 August 1912, he had
“finished [his] brevet [and] In the afternoon went joy riding” 
