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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0536.PDF
THE AERIAL DERBY. By a PASSENGER. ALTHOUGH the Editor of FLIGHT has done me the honour of asking me to write a description of my flight as a passenger in the Aerial Derby on Saturday last, I am afraid that I can add very little to the description I have already written in the Daily Mirror. The security, however, that I felt in the magnificent military Maurice Farman biplane, with M. Venter as pilot, was, although I have had the opportunity of flying in a good many machines, with a good many pilots, a perfect revelation to me. Notwithstanding the fact that to miss one's way in a black fog, 2,000 feet from the earth, without knowing in the least degree one's whereabouts is not exactly pleasant, as I told Mr. Holt Thomas, by whose courtesy I was a passenger in the machine, when driving home with him from Hendon on Saturday night, I felt more secure in the air than driving down the Edgware Road. The Maurice Farman fully deserves the great reputation it enjoys in France and other countries. It was the first time I had taken part in a great air race, but I hope it will not be my last. Before starting, as the compass for the machine had not arrived, it was decided that the map of the circuit ,-hould be strapped to M. Verrier's back so that I could assist in directing him. At 4.41 p.m. we got off beautifully, and soared up at a great pace, and although we only took a half circuit of the Hendon Aerodrome, before we left it, we were over a 1,000 ft. up, and had doubled that altitude before we cleared the Welsh Harp. This height of 2,000 ft. we maintained during our voyage, which in the ordinary course of events, we should have accomplished in about 1 hr. 40 mins. at the most, as the Maurice Farman machine, great biplane as it is, has a splendid turn of speed. M. Verrier is a very highly skilled cross-country flyer, and I am quite convinced that in maintaining this height, he was fully protecting me from any accident should the motor have stopped. Once clear of Hendon, we headed straight for Kempton, with the engine pulling splendidly. Harrow on the Hill stood out like a mole hill, at that great height. It was hereabouts that we encountered the first of our competitors, a monoplane, which appeared to be flying miles below us. In looking down at it over the fuselage of the machine it appeared like a dragon fly, hovering close to the earth. I called M. Verrier's attention to it, and he replied that it was about 500 feet up, although it did not look more than 10 feet. At Kempton Park we saw the big chimney stack quite clearly, and as we rapidly drew nearer we saw a monoplane trying to circle it, miss it, and then go back and round it properly. We dropped a thousand feet, so as to enable the judges to see our number properly, and then rose up for Esher. A reservoir showed us that we were right, and I may mention that water is far and away the best landmark in cross-country flying. It is unmistakeable. Over the river we went, just being able to distinguish little cockle shell boats, and passed by Esher Station and Sandown Park to Sutton. From there the Russell Hill Schools were our next point, a landmark clearly seen near Purley. Up to this point we had no difficulty in finding the correct direction, not a single landmark had been missed. At Bromley, however, our next point, we had our first warning of haze. We had reckoned on seeing the Crystal grand stand at Hendon Aerodrome upon the occasion of the First Aerial Derby 536 Mr. S. F. Cody taking a turn round Hendon Aerodrome In his biplane on Saturday last. In the sixpenny enclosure trouble was experienced in getting the people to leave. Even at that hour they were still keen and wanted more flying. A battery of Rushmore lamps had been requisitioned to carry out the test. An acetylene projection was installed on Grahame-White's biplane. One, considerably more powerful, was shining from the judge's box, and a third, a miniature naval arc searchlight, threw its beams from the top of pylon No. 1. The current for the latter was derived from a dynamo belt driven from tlir flywheel of a standard fifteen Lancia car. Mr. W. L. Stewart, of Lancia's, and his lieutenant, Mr. C. R. Abbott, were both there to see that their engine fulfilled its part of the work. Grahame- White, on his biplane, acting well up to his reputation as the first to fly under such conditions, did the rest as he soared above our heads and away over the country side, rendered visible only by those bars of light and the head lamp on his machine.
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