George Holt Thomas
George Holt Thomas (31 March 1869 – 1 January 1929) was an aviation industry pioneer and newspaper proprietor. In 1911, Holt Thomas founded the business which became Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited or Airco. Son and grandson of successful artists, he initially followed his father into The Graphic and Daily Graphic newspaper business in 1890, later making his own name and fortune by founding The Bystander and Empire Illustrated magazines. Something of a shrewd visionary. he turned to aircraft in 1906. Background George Holt Thomas was the seventh son of William Luson Thomas (1830–1890) and his wife Annie, daughter of John Wilson Carmichael. Born at Hampton House, Stockwell, south London, educated privately and at King's College School, London, he left Queen's College, Oxford, in 1890 after two years and without taking a degree. In 1894 he married Gertrude, daughter of architect Thomas Oliver of Newcastle upon Tyne; there were no children of the marriage. Newspapers After Thomas left university in 1890 he joined his father's newspaper business as a director then became its general manager and later founded The Bystander with its comic strip character "Old Bill" and Empire Illustrated so making his own name and fortune. Aviation During 1906 he turned his attention to aviation, recognising its extraordinary potential. He became associated with the Farman brothers Dick, Henri and Maurice Farman born in Paris of English parents involved with newspapers. Through the Farmans he engaged a French pilot, Louis Paulhan, to compete for the £10,000 prize Holt Thomas's friend Lord Northcliffe of the Daily Mail offered in 1906 for a successful flight from London to Manchester, a distance far greater than anyone had then flown. In April 1910 Paulhan won the prize. Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Airco In 1911, Holt Thomas formed Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited to build French Farman aeroplanes and obtained licences to build French Gnome and Le Rhone engines. The Farman biplanes were used as trainers by the Royal Flying Corps. (Note: AIRCO Group included: The Gnome & Le Rhone Engine Co— Peter Hooker Limited, Integral Propeller Co. & May, Harden & May Ltd.) De Havilland Learning that Geoffrey de Havilland, then at the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough, might be available, he invited de Havilland to join Airco as designer. His Airco designs, pre-fixed with his initials D.H., made up around 30% of all trainers, fighters and bombers used by Britain and the United States during the First World War. Civil aviation By November 1918 and the armistice Holt Thomas was able to advertise that his was the largest aircraft company in the world. His companies built aeroplanes and their engines and propellers in large numbers and also airships and flying boats. He had the latest metal-working machinery, a laboratory for materials testing and a wind tunnel. Between 7,000 and 8,000 people were employed at Hendon. His companies turned out a new aircraft every 45 minutes. Hendon became a 'white elephant' which he endeavoured to sell to car manufacturers. Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited With an eye