File:Aviation in Britain Before the First World War RAE-O855.jpg

English: Aviation in Britain Before the First World War

A range of Cody kites of various sizes and types in the main hall of Alexandra Palace. Bunting is hanging around the hall and a partially inflated observation balloon in the background, also note the ornate railing running on the balcony and the equally ornate pillars round the edge of the hall. It was here that Cody did many performances of his Wild West shows and productions and had workshops where he produced backdrops for the productions as well as his kites. From here he moved to the Crystal Palace and finally Laffan's Plain.

The largest kites at the back of the picture would have been used as man carriers by attaching them to a basket. It is likely that some of the smaller kites would have been used to lift the heavy cable that the man carrier ran up and down on.

According to Cody he was fascinated by kites from a young age, when he saw the Chinese cooks who worked on the cattle drives making and flying toy kites. Like many of Cody's tales of his early life, it is difficult to say whether this is true or not.. In friendly competition he and his sons used to build kites and fly them to great heights. They began building larger and larger versions until Cody decided to try and construct a man carrier. After many trials and the occasional accident Cody designed and built a system that could easily carry a man to a height of over 2500 feet and hold him suitably stable whilst he was in the air. His design was purchased by the war office and Cody was employed as kiting instructor.

Whilst man-carrying kites had been built previously, Cody’s use of a series of pilot kites to carry a cable along which a pulley attached to the main carrier kite ran up and down was by far the most successful. They also played an important part in Cody’s development and construction of a powered, heavier than air, aeroplane. These kites were used by the balloon section of the Royal Engineers when the strength of the wind (anything above around twenty miles an hour) prevented the use of observation balloons.

Cody was the first man to be lifted from the deck of a warship in a heavier-than-air machine. It was during one of these demonstration flights that Cody was almost killed. With Cody at around 800 feet the Captain of the ship turned 180 degrees so it was down wind. The kites immediately began to plummet to the sea and it was only the quick thinking of a crew member using a jack knife and hammer to snap the cable that allowed the kites to float down and for Cody to jump clear a few feet from the surface so he could rescued.