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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0132.PDF
[/yGHT As we have no place for passengers in the present apparatus I suggested that I should go round the same short circuit and carry out the writing test, I proposed this, as I know of nothing else which so thoroughly puts to the proof the aviator's real trust in his machine's fitness to look after itself, compelling, as it does, absolute detachment of the mind. One may eat, drink, smoke, click a camera, take off one's coat, or do a hundred other things, and all the time keep one eye ahead to see what the machine is really doing, and be ready to snatch at a lever if necessary. But when writing, sitting low in our big boat, one's attention is perforce com pletely withdrawn from one's surroundings. I ran down across the wind, hopped off, touched again, and then began to rise steadily. As soon as I saw that I would clear the bushes on the boundary dyke, I locked the levers, and felt for the paper and pencil given me by Mr. Griffith Brewer. The paper was in one pocket and the pencil in another ; by the time I had got them ready I must have flown a con siderable way. I started to set down certain points I was anxious to observe and remember. First, I counted the divisions on the revolution indicator, which has no figures between the 1,000 and 1,500 marks. When I began to set them down I found that unfortunately it was almost impossible to write on the thin paper with only the fingers and palm of my hand as a backing thereto, and that a certain amount of excitement rendered the task still more difficult. I then observed the positions of the levers relatively to their toothed racks and made a note of that. I next looked about inside the boat for something else to note, and while doing so became aware of the violent wind in my face, which curiously enough I had entirely failed to notice on the previous flight. As I had been anxious to ascertain how far the front screen shielded the aviator I wrote this fact down. From FEBRUARY 18, 1911. the time I had first locked the levers, till now, I had not paid the smallest attention to what the machine was doing or where it was going. It had been left to follow its own fancy, and might by this time be anywhere or in any position for all I knew. However, looking up I saw that it was still level, but had drifted down wind and was aiming to hit a wind-pump, so I decided to commence the turn. I separated the levers, holding them till the turn had started, noted its radius, which was shorter than I required, diminished the difference between the lever positions, locked them, waited a little time, hands off, until I was satisfied with the radius of the turn and with the rapidity with which the machine was mounting, got hold of my paper again and with some difficulty wrote " turning now." Looking over the port bow I saw a farm-house nearly beneath me, and realising that the circle was now bigger than I had intended, and also that I was much higher than I had thought, I pushed each lever into the fourth notch, and, sitting with my hands in my lap, allowed the machine to swing itself sharply round. Then I locked the levers centrally and sat back, but did not continue writing as I was puzzled by a momentary failure to recognise the ground below me. I am not a balloonist, and am unused to heights. After a moment I realised that a little dark green blob was the pond in the middle of the ground. So I turned the machine towards it, and then wrote " straight again." By the time I had got that down I saw that I should have to descend at once if I meant to get back to my starting point, so I moved the machine's nose a degree or two round, aiming at the point in question, returned each lever carefully to its central notch, throttled the engine, and held up my arms. Instantly the machine's- head drooped a little, and, without any abatement of forward speed, she began to sink towards the ground. I landed her as before described. Ae.GF. Medals. IN addition to the gold medals which have been awarded during the year to MM. Leblanc, Aubrun, Paulhan, the late George Chavez, Capt. Marconnet, and Lieut. Fequant, the Aero Club of France has decided to award silver-gilt medals to the holders of the world records, M. Leblanc (speed), Tabuteau (distance), H. Farman (duration), G. Legagneux (height). Silver-gilt medals have also been awarded to Capt. Bellenger, Breguet, Weymann and Wynmalen, who have specially distinguished themselves during the pass year. Mr. Low, .on his Bristol biplane, getting well into the air at Brooklands. At rest are Mr. Sopwlth's Howard Wright biplane, and in the distance the Hanriot monoplane. 134
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