Editing Bristol Aeroplane Company (section)

===Foundation===
The '''British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, Ltd''' was founded in February 1910 by [[Sir George White, 1st Baronet|Sir George White]], chairman of the [[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company]], along with his son Stanley and his brother Samuel, to commercially exploit the fast-growing aviation sector. Sir George met with the American aviation pioneer [[Wright brothers|Wilbur Wright]] in France in 1909 by chance, during which he became aware of aviation's business potential.<ref name = "bae heri">[http://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/bristol-aeroplane-company- "Bristol Aeroplane Company."] ''[[BAE Systems]]'', Retrieved: 12 May 2017.</ref>

Unlike many aviation companies of the era, which were started by enthusiasts with little financial backing, British and Colonial was well funded from its outset.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Sir George chose to establish a separate company from the Bristol Tramway Company, as the venture might be seen as too risky by many shareholders, and the new company's working capital of £25,000 was subscribed entirely by Sir George, his brother, and his son. The affairs of the two companies were closely connected, and the company's first premises were a pair of former tram sheds used for aircraft manufacture at [[Filton]] leased from the Bristol Tramway Company.<ref>Barnes 1988, p. 13.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/> Additionally, key personnel for the new business were recruited from the Bristol Tramway Company, including the chief engineer and works manager, [[George Henry Challenger|George Challenger]].

Flying schools were established at [[Brooklands]], Surrey, which was then the centre of activity for British aviation, where Bristol rented a hangar; and at [[Larkhill]] on [[Salisbury Plain]] where, in June 1910, a school was established on {{cvt|2248|acre|km2}} of land leased from the [[War Office]]. By 1914 308 of the 664 [[Royal Aero Club]] certificates issued had been earned at the company's schools.<ref>Barnes 1988, p. 24.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/>