Edward Maitland (aviator)

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Air Commodore Edward Maitland Maitland CMG DSO AFC DFM (US) BA FRGS RAF (died 24 August 1921) was an early military aviator who served in the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers, the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force.

After gaining his commission in the Essex Regiment in 1900, Maitland served in the Orange River Colony during the Boer War.

Maitland took up ballooning in 1908. On 18 November 1908, Maitland flew with Mr C C Turner and Prof A E Gaudron in a balloon named the Mammoth from Crystal Palace in England to Meeki Derevi in Russia. The three balloonists covered a distance of 1,117 miles in 36.5 hours.

From 1909 Maitland was attached to the Balloon School at Farnborough Airfield. In addition to ballooning, Maitland also experimented with powered aircraft. However, following a bad crash he decided to restrict his attention to airships.

On 19 August 1911 Maitland was attached to the Royal Engineers' Air Battalion and later that year he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 1 Company, Air Battalion. (No. 1 Company, Air Battalion was subsequently renamed No. 1 Squadron, RFC and then No. 1 Squadron RAF).

In 1913 Maitland carried out a parachute descent from the airship Delta.

In 1914 Maitland transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service, taking up the post of Officer Commanding the Captive Balloon Detachment.

On 1 April 1918, with the merger of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps, Maitland transferred to the Royal Air Force. He was subsequently promoted to Air Commodore.

In 1919 Maitland took part in the first transatlantic crossing aboard the Airship R34.

On 24 August 1921 Maitland was aboard the R38 airship when it suffered structural failure, breaking up in mid air over the Humber. Maitland was one of the fatalities.