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Aviation History
1910
1910 - 0616.PDF
IfiJGHT McArdle, on Grahame-White's Bleriot, just before starting on Saturday for the Altitude Prize at Blackpool Aerodrome. 5,000 people were on the ground by half-past two. These relieved the tedium of waiting by discussing the aviators, their machines and performances, and the possibility of flights being made. After waiting until half-past five, the crowd stormed the barriers and rushed across the course into the hangar enclosure to investigate for themselves the reason of their disappointment. After some little trouble and discussion, it was announced by Mr. Harry Delacombe that the entrance money would be returned to those who produced railway tickets, and pass-out tickets admitting those staying in the neighbourhood to the ground on the following day. This closed an incident which at one time seemed likely to end seriously. In the hangars, mechanics were unloading Chavez's Bleriot, Loraine's Farman and Harding's J.A.P. At 6 p.m. the Farman machine which Grahame-White piloted over the Fleet at Torbay the previous evening arrived on the ground, and, aided by eight assistants, he proceeded to assemble the machine in the presence of those people still waiting hopefully for some flying. Some time afterwards Grace's machine was wheeled out of the hangar and the engine started up. After running the engine for about ten minutes the machine was taken back again owing to some of the cylinders not firing. The interest was now centred in Grahame-White, and he was cheered vary heartily when he mounted and started off across the enclosure to the flying ground, with the whole crowd in immediate attendance, Press, police, and people racing behind and at the side of the machine. Entering the flying ground Grahame-White travelled on the ground for about a quarter of a mile and then turned against the wind, rising from the ground almost immediately, to the great gratification of the assembled crowd. The flight started at 7.39 p.m., which left only twenty-one minutes for flight before the end of the official day. After circling the aero drome a few times, the aviator steered out into the country over St. Annes. The distant murmur of people cheering, heard on the flying ground, told us all was going well with him. On descending at 8.12 p.m. he was vociferously cheered by the crowd. This flight by Grahame-White is remarkable, inasmuch as the machine was assembled in an hour and three-quarters, and was the same machine which he had piloted over the fleet at Torbay only twenty-eight hours previously. Both the transporting and assembling of the machine in such times are surely records difficult to beat. It is worth recapitulating the prizes offered for the competition and the conditions attached. Each day two prizes of ^100 and ^50 are offered for the greatest total time of flying, not less than twenty and fifteen minutes being necessary to qualify for first and second prizes. A daily prize of £$0 is offered for the greatest altitude, the minimum height being 200 ft. In addition, a daily prize is offered AUGUST 6, 1910. for the most meritorious performance of the day. For this day's work, Grahame-White got away with the prizes for the greatest totalisation and for general merit. Friday, July 29th. The weather on Friday was ideal from a holiday-maker's point of view, but the wind was too strong for safe flying. After the fiasco of the previous day, prominent notices had been placed at the turnstiles to the effect that flying would take place if possible, but was not guaranteed, and no money would be returned. In spite of this, a fairly large crowd gathered on the ground. Late in the afternoon, when the prospects of flying seemed small, the crowd were allowed to inspect the machines and were greatly interested in the motors which were being tested near the hangars. Drexel's passenger-carrying Bleriot and McArdle's Bleriot arrived during the course of the afternoon. Loraine's racing Farman machine was- brought out at six o'clock, and the announcement was made that he would make an attempt in half an hour. The wind, however, increased in force, and flight became out of the question, Friday thereby proving a blank day. Saturday, July 30th. The meeting on Saturday was opened by Loraine, who started off at 3.30 p.m. in a treacherous wind. After making one or two circuits of the course with great difficulty he came down in a field just beyond the flying ground. He was followed immediately by Grahame-White, who, finding the wind troublesome, came down ia the hangar enclosure. Forty minutes later Grahame-White made an attempt for the altitude prize, this being registered by a small recording aneroid barometer. Although the wind was blowing strongly, the aviator went out over St. Annes, and then back again over the aerodrome. After a quarter of an hour's flight, he planed down to the flying ground. On consulting the barometer the height was announced as 1,310 ft., but this was afterwards revised to 825 ft.. Grahame-White was soon out again, this time with his pupil Mr. Gresswell as passenger, and succeeded in making a fine flight, ascending to a height of five or six hundred feet. In the meantime McArdle had made arrangements to fly on Grahame-White's Bleriot, and announced his intention of going for the height prize. Starting at six o'clock, McArdle rose rapidly, but seemed to be in difficulties with the strong currents of wind, as his circuits took him farther and farther away from the aerodrome, and he finally landed about two miles away. As his position was uncertain, Grahame-White went in search of him and succeeded in Harding in the pilot's seat of his J.A.P. monoplane at Blackpool.
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