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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0458.PDF
JULY 31, 1909 Besides, although only 36, he has five children to think of, and there is after all some risk attached to the game which even M. Bleriot's phenomenal good luck might not for ever tide over. Let us, at least, wish him every success and all good fortune in—if it should prove to be— his last flight. It is nevertheless now said that, upon more mature thought, Madame Bleriot has since then withdrawn her embargo, so we may still hope to see M. Bleriot soar to even greater achievements. Lost in Mid-Channel. It must have been a unique experience when M. Bleriot lost himself in mid-Channel, and it can hardly have been without a tremor that he realised himself absolutely "at sea,': although only 10 minutes, as to which way to go. It was a phase of the Channel flight which a good many people had anticipated and against which the more or less elaborate precautions that were proposed in the way of motor boats, &c, were in part to guard. That the first pilot should actually find himself in this predicament, no one of course expected, for most people naturally believed that no one would make the attempt without taking many precautions. To this extent M. Bleriot's flight may possibly be regarded as somewhat foolhardy, and the fact that he so quickly outpaced his convoy the destroyer, certainly rendered his position extremely hazardous had any accident happened; M. Bleriot himself admits as much. But fortune favoured him so that he kept his course. Speaking about his experience, M. Bleriot makes the curious remark that during the time when he was out of sight of land and other definite objects he "felt as if he was not moving." The Commercial Side. Naturally enough M. Bleriot's success will give a trememdous impetus to his own aeroplane business, quite apart from the enormous lift which the entire industry, at home as abroad, will receive from his epoch- making exploit. Even as it is he has sold 15 of his machines since he started to take orders for them only a short time ago. He has also secured the monopoly of the Anzani engine which performed so well, and upon which so much of the success of the flight depended that, next to M. Bleriot, M. Anzani has naturally come in for much of the credit attached to this great historic flight. Chevalier Bleriot. M. Bleriot arrived in Dover clothed in a cork jacket and overalls, and the more orthodox garments in which he subsequently appeared were on loan from Mr. Hart O. Berg—the European concessionaire of the Wright aeroplane, who happened to be staying at the Lord Warden Hotel. Mr. Hart O. Berg is a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and his coat was decorated with the ribbon, which M. Bleriot desired to remove. Mr. Hart O. Berg remonstrated with him, however, saying that he was sure to have the right to the ribbon himself before long, and sure enough during breakfast came a telegram from France saying the Government had already conferred the honour. Half Share with Latham. With sportmanlike generosity M. Bleriot offered to share the ,£1,000 Daily Mail prize with Mr. Latham if his rival should succeed in making the crossing during Sunday. But as Mr. Latham remained on the French coast M. Bleriot was not called upon to put his offer into effect. The Flyer in London. Motoring in the vicinity of Dover, Mr. Gordon Selfridge,. one of the heads of the great Oxford Street emporium, heard of the successful flight, and making his way to where the machine was surrounded by a crowd of spectators, he there and then arranged with the Daily Mail to have the flyer on view in his own showrooms in Oxford Street for the London public to see, and agreed to pay the sum of ^200 to the London Hospital—an institution selected by the Daily Mail—for the privilege accorded. By this smart action on the part of a businesslike man, M. Bleriot's aeroplane was not only brought to London, but was actually on view by 10 o'clock on Monday morning, huge crowds flocking in from the earliest moment to avail themselves of the unique opportunity of inspecting its details. During the first three days of the week the stream of sightseers was constant, so much so that Messrs. Selfridge arranged to keep the monoplane for a further twenty-four hours, and, to enable as many as possible to see it, kept the part of their premises in which the machine was housed open until midnight on Thursday. Bleriot and the Customs. - l . The Customs officers, who were among the very few actual spectators of the arrival of M. Bleriot on the English coast, were very properly among the first to accost the pilot after his unconventional descent on British soil. With fitting forbearance, however, they recognised that it was only "one of those flying-men," and therefore made no attempt at an inspection for contraband. Sixpence Admission. ••-.•'-:"^•'-••^-Sv;":v-;-••"•• •• ^\-: ~ After the initial excitement had somewhat abated, a tent was erected as a temporary housing for Bleriot's flyer, and, in aid of local charity, a fee of sixpence was charged for the admission of the public, who hastenec' up in numbers to see the machine which had thus corje so strangely in their midst. /•' The Prize and its Presentation. '•--— By crossing the Channel M. Bleriot had gained the ^1,000 which the Daily Mail put up for this e\ent, and the presentation of the cheque took place in tlie Savoy Hotel on Monday afternoon of this week. The gathering at the luncheon which preceded the formality was as notable as the occasion itself; among those pre;Sent who supported Lord Northcliffe at the reception being the Right Hon. R. B. Haldane, Sir Edward tyard, bir Thomas Lipton, Bart., Sir Horace Regnart) Bart.r Sir Arthur Paget, Sir John Barker, Sir Francis Trippel, Sir Vezey Strong, Sir Thomas Dewar, Major Baden- Powell, Col. Capper, Capt. Jessel, Lieut. Shai-fcleton, Hon. C. S. Rolls, Hon. Charles Russell, Mr. Roger Wallace, Mr. Frank Butler, Dr. R. T. Glazebrook, Mr. Moberly Bell, Mr. St. John Hornby, Mr. Kennedy Jones, Mr. Hugh Spottiswoode, Mr. Harold Penrin, Mr. H. Gordon Selfridge and Mr. George R. Sirks. Altogether there must have been nearly 150 peopXe present, and there were certainly as many more outside* waiting for an opportunity to cheer Mons. and Madame\ Bleriot, who were both happily able to be present. Lord Northcliffe first of all mads the announcement that ihe Aero Club of the United Kingdom had decided to present M. Bleriot with its G Ad Medal, and then he presented M. Bleriot with a large silver rose-bowl on behalf of the British representatives of the Bleriot firm. \ 460
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