Cody statue unveiled at Farnborough

The statue by the side of the Farnborough Road is close to where Cody achieved the first powered flight in the country. Hundreds gathered for the unveiling, including members of the Cody family and enthusiasts from around the world.

FAST chairman, Richard Gardner, opened the ceremony and spoke of the need to commemorate the incredible achievement of this maverick airman.

The statue was then unveiled by legendary 94 year old ex-test pilot, Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown, who paid tribute to Cody as a striking man who he was sure “he could have done business with”. The unveiling was also marked by a flypast by an Apache Helicopter.

Project Leader, David Wilson, outlined the progress of the statue and hinted at the significant challenges and last-minute hiccups of bringing the project to fruition.

The statue was then welcomed by Rushmoor Borough Council Chief Executive, Andrew Lloyd, who also paid tribute to the tenacity and hard work of the FAST volunteers responsible for the project’s success.

Brandon O’Reilly, CEO of TAG Farnborough Airport, then gave a few words on behalf of the aviation community and highlighted this event as a link to the future as well as the past. As such, he also announced that the first person on Farnborough Airport’s scheme to sponsor young people to learn to fly has won a place as a trainee pilot at British Airways.

Finally, Local MP Sir Gerald Howarth, welcomed the memorial on behalf of the local community and said, "the statue was long overdue and it was an historic day."