Welcome to the finale of our series “Work Hard – Play Hard: Churchill and His Hobbies.” Did you know Churchill loved to fly? Less than a decade after the Wright brothers first soared, he began taking lessons. His enthusiasm amazed even his instructors. He flew several times per day, finding true peace when airborn. “I have lived entirely in the moment, with no care for all these tiresome party politics.” But his friends and family were terrified. Early aviation was extremely dangerous, as he soon realized. “I have been naughty today about flying” he confessed. When Clementine had a new baby, he knew it was time to stop. “I will not fly any more, until at any rate you have recovered from your kitten.” The First World War kept him grounded. But when it ended, he eagerly resumed his lessons. Finally, after a wild crash landing, he gave it up. Sadly, he never earned his pilot’s license. But, as First Lord of the Admiralty, his early passion for flying gave birth to the Royal Naval Air Service. This helped form the Royal Air Force, to whom we owe so much. The mighty RAF still soars to this day, thanks in part to Churchill. We hope you enjoyed this series, and that you, like Churchill, get some leisure time this weekend. … See MoreSee Less
