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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0745.PDF
AUGUST 26, 1911. [fOCHf THE HENDON SHOOTING "AFFAIRE.** LAST Saturday's shooting outrage at the London Aerodrome is admittedly one of the most amazing happenings that has yet occurred in the annals of aviation. Without warning of any kind one of the Bleriot pupils, Hanot by name, whipped out a revolver, and after firing several shots at M. Chereau, Bleriot's very popular London manager, and wounding M. Petit Pierre, turned the weapon upon himself and committed suicide. Hanot, who was of Swiss nationality, had only joined the school a week previously, and he showed impatience because his progress had not been so rapid as he expected. Although he had repeatedly told the mechanics and poor Petit Pierre, the secretary and works manager, that he intended to get his fees refunded, he never showed the slightest signs of insanity. On Saturday afternoon he had a long chat with M. Chereau on the subject, but the latter naturally did not fall in with Hanot's wishes, as the tuition agreement form that Hanot had signed contained a clause to the effect that the fees could not under any circumstances be refunded. Although he appeared disappointed at not being able to get his fees returned he did not exhibit the slightest violence or issue any threat. He stood a little apart from M. Chereau and M. Petit Pierre who were talking together. Suddenly under cover of his news paper, he drew out his revolver and fired point blank from scarcely a yard's range at them. Poor Petit Pierre fell with a bullet in his thigh, but luckily neither M. Chereau nor any of the small crowd of people who were standing around were hit. Hanot then fired three shots below his heart. He fell and was covered with a blanket, but even under cover of this he drew a razor from his pocket and inflicted a long gash in his own throat. He was taken into a shed, where be was questioned, and it is surprising that although he must have been in agony, his replies were extremely clear. Both Petit Pierre and Hanot were driven with all speed to the London Central Sick Asylum, and thence to St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, where they both died within half an hour of each other on Sunday afternoon. Petit Pierre was a perfect gentleman in all that he said and did, and he was one of the most popular habitues of the Hendon Flying Grounds. His poor wife, we know, has the sincerest sympathy of all our readers in her sad and sudden bereavement. A relief fund has been opened amongst the aviators, pupils and employes at Hendon. Should any reader desire to contribute to this fund we should only be too thankful to forward any expression of condolence to the right quarter. ® ® ® ® SCHOOL AERO CLUB NOTES. By ROBERT P. GRIMMER, General Secretary, British Federation of School Aero Clubs. THE school aero club movement is making immense progress all over the world. My correspondents, both on the Continent and in Canada and the United States, inform me that school aero clubs have attained to an amazing popularity, and that they are constantly springing up in all quarters. Moreover, mirabile dictu, the school authorities of every country but our own are throwing themselves heart and soul into the work. But even in lethargic and unen- thusiastic England, our cause is making definite progress, and hardly a week passes without another club helping to swell the ranks of the Federation. We are making a big effort to reach the hundred by the end of the year, and personally I think we shall just about do it. Various correspondents have asked me if we can admit individual members who have no club existing at their schools. Of course our main object is to secure the formation of school aero clubs, but as it is very hard lines on a fellow to be debarred from the many benefits that the Federation confers, owing to the illiberal views of his headmaster, I have great pleasure in stating that we shall welcome individual members at an annual subscription of 5.?., the affiliation fee of an entire club being, of course, one guinea as before. Parents, when seeking fresh schools, can greatly advance our cause by making it a sine qua non that there should be a duly recognised aero club. If that course were more frequently adopted, I have the idea that many of our school authorities would become enthusiastic readers of FLIGHT and ardent devotees of aviation. The splendid work that is being done for aviation by Mr. G. T. Cooper, at the Charterhouse, Godalming, is worthy of the highest praise. Those of my readers who, like myself, have been public schoolmen, will realise the truth of the statement that for apathy, indifference, or even hostility towards anything new, an English public school cannot be surpassed by anything in Christendom. In face of every kind of obstacle that could be thrown in his way, Mr. Cooper has had the energy and determination to design and construct a man-carrying glider which is an unqualified success. The following are the principal dimensions of the " Cooper" glider: span of main plane 24 ft., chord of ditto 5 ft., span of tail plane 8 ft., chord 2^ ft., gap 4 ft., fore-and-aft length 18 ft., skids 8 ft. The woodwork is ash and bamboo, the planes are covered with Pegamoid, and there are Farman-type controls. Glides of 60-70 yds. have been obtained at a height of about 18 ft., and much better performances are expected in the near future. Mr. G. T. Cooper has succeeded in interesting quite a number of his friends in aviation, and he hopes to bring about the formation of an aero club next quarter. I sincerely hope that the brilliant example he has set will be followed by other public schools. Rassall, however, it is only fair to say, has had a flourishing aero club for some time. I have great pleasure in announcing a further competition open to members of the Federation. Cash prizes of a guinea each for the best distances and durations accomplished by model aeroplanes are offered during the months of September and October. Distances must be measured with a tape from starting to landing points, durations will be taken by a stop-watch. Each flight performed for these prizes should be witnessed and authenticated by the club secretary (if the competitor is a member of a school aero club) and at least one master of the school, and a duly signed statement sent in. Any model, home-made or otherwise, may be used. Results will be announced in FLIGHT early in November. I strongly recom mend intending competitors to commence practising as soon as possible, before the holidays are over, because, as I have had occasion to say before, there is no time like the present. ® ® ® ® AIRSHIP NEWS Naval Airship Still in its Shed. SOME doubts which apparently arose at the last minute as to the buoyancy of the naval airship led to the arrangements for its reappearance in the open being abandoned after a day had been spent in getting everything ready on the 17th inst. It would appear that some difficulty was experienced, in view of the railway strike, in obtaining sufficient hydrogen to completely fill the ballonets. " Le Temps " Completes Instruction Course. THE first instruction course carried out with the little Zodiac dirigible " Le Temps," was completed on August 16th, and between July 3rd and that date thirty-six ascents were made, the total dura tion being 63 hours 50 mins., while the number of passengers was 165. Long Voyages by Italian Dirigible. ONE of the Italian military dirigibles—" P 2 "—after making a satisfactory voyage from Venice to Milan, continued on the 15th inst. to Casale, Monferrato. After sailing 10 kiloms. from Milan a short stop was necessary in order to attend to the motor, but this was put right and the 100 kiloms. completed in 2 hours 20 mins., including the stop. Another Italian Dirigible Voyage. ON Monday another Italian military airship—" P 3 "—sailed from its headquarters at Verona to Milan, where it was housed in the Forlanini hangar. Capt. Munari was in charge. "Schwaben" Back at Friedrichshafen. ON the 16th inst., the Zeppelin liner " Schwaben" left Oos, near Baden Baden, at half-past six, to return to the Zeppelin works. After crossing Lake Constance, she came to rest at Friedrichshafen at a quarter to eleven. •* Parseval VI" Back to Berlin. ON Monday morning the " Parseval VI," which had arrived at Neu-Strelitz after being inspected by the Duke of Mecklenburg- Strelitz, went on to Johannisthal. It arrived safely after a voyage of three and a quarter hours.
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