Griffith Brewer

Who is Griffith Brewer?

Griffith Brewer was a pioneer English balloonist and aviator, who made his first balloon flight in 1891. Brewer met Wilbur Wright in Pau, France in 1908 and was the first Englishman to fly as a passenger with Wright. He became a very close friend and supporter of the Wright brothers, and made 30 trips to the United States to visit them, earning his pilot licence in 1914.

Brewer arranged that the British government should get use of the Wright's patents for £15,000 in 1914 which meant that British aircraft manufacturers were free of the threat of litigation.

Brewer was President of the Royal Aeronautical Society from 1940 to 1942.