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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0576.PDF
(/HCEE centre of the track wa> u> bad that only the track itself could be used. Only a small portion of the fence on one side of the track had been removed and the people were on both sides of the track j the police, about 20 in number, were both unable and unwilling to keep the people clear of the machines, and on the day before the accident the crowd was very impatient that the aviators should delay even a few moment* to fix the aeroplane. The crowd acted a* though they had no u« of their reasoning powers but desired to be amused at whatever cost. They had piid their two shillings and they demanded flights immediately regardless of whether the aeroplanes needed a few minutes' attention or not. One man attempted to cut the wires on Parmelee's aeroplane, because after making a fine flight he delayed ten minutes to adjust his motor. Although there were but 9 ft. to spare on either side of Turpin's machine the aeroplane could have cleared everything had not an idiotic photographer run directly across the track in front of the rising aeroplane, which is a tractor biplane with a 60 h.p. Hall- Scott motor. Turpin could not lift the whole machine quickly enough to clear the man and so he saved his life by a catlike movement of the ailerons which lifted one wing so that it just took the hat off the man. At the same instant the left and lower wing caught on an iron pipe along the fence and acted as a pivot, swinging the aeroplane directly over the crowd and head-on for the grand stand. Again Turpin showed extraordinary ability, and kept his engine on and tried to get clear of the grand stand and above the surging mass of humanity just under him. He failed to get clear of the grand stand, and struck it about 10 ft. above the ground and about 4 ft. below the first row of boxes. The machine then fell on to the crowd below, and as a result one man and a boy have died and a woman is not expected to live. Many others weie injured, and Turpin was cut about the face, but otherwise escaped injury, which shows that in this case the tractor type of biplane saved the aviator. It is not altogether easy to place the blame in such accidents as this, and your readers may have different views from my own, but I place little or no blame on the aviators, for they were doing the best they could. Did they know it was dangerous ? Yes. Then why did they fly ? Because they have to make a living, and this is their profession. But why did not they insist on the management giving them a suitable place to fly ? Because to do so would have prevented even what little chance they had of making enough money to meet their very heavy expenses. I believe that this and very many other aeroplane accidents are due entirely to the lack of enterprise which in the U.S. and England refuses to provide funds tor proper aero plane equipment and grounds. Such accidents are not excusable, because a little extra money would prevent them. In the above case, two hundred dollars spent on the preparation of the inner field would have provided a good place to fly, and enabled the crowds to see without danger. Just as I am writing I receive the sad news of Parmelee's death, which proves that the tractor aeroplane is also capable of killing its man. I hope that the above will assist you in estimating the causes of accidents. Seattle, Washington, May 31st. JAS. V. MARTIN. Aviation Insurance. (1583] We have noticed several letters in reference to aviation insurance in recent numbers of FLIGHT. Mosl of your correspondents complain of excessive premiums and lack of insurance facilities, and suggest that statistics should be collected and sent to insurance companies in order to get them to accept aviation risks more freely and at lower rates. We should like to point out that we have now been effecting aviation insurance at -Lloyd's for some years, and we are able to issue policies for every kind of aviation risk, from damage to machines to personal injury to aviators, including weekly disablement benefits. We do not rind that our rates are considered unreasonable by aviators. It is obvious that, at this stage of the development of aviation, insurance business cannot be carried on with the same small margin for working expenses and profit as will be possible in a few years' time, when there will be thousands of risks on which to arrange terms. Perhaps we may add that we have been in close touch with schools and private aviators, and have collected very valuable statistics of accidents and damage. It is thanks to these statistics than we can issue policies covering damage to the machines, and the rates of premium are not out of proportion to the risk indicated by our figures. BRAY, GIBB, AND CO., LTD. 166, Piccadilly. E. R. ADAMS, Manager, West-End Branch. ® ® ® ® THE Geographia Designing and Publishing Co., Ltd., inform us that the working agreement between them and Mr. Clift has been cancelled by mutual consent. In the future their aviation maps will, as heretofore, be prepared by Mr. Alexander Gross. JDNE 22, 191a. AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN. Official Notices. EUction of Associate Fellows.—As a result of the ballot for Associate Fellowship the following have been duly elected Associate Fellow, of the Aeronautical Society:—Dr. *. A. Barton, A. h Berriman, Robert Blackburn, Harris Booth, F. H. Bramwell, Capt. H. R. M. Brooke-Popham, Capt. C. J. Burke, Col. J. h. Capper, C.B., R.E., Prof. Herbert Chatley, Bertram G. Cooper, Horace Darwin, F.R.S., Hairy Ferguson, Edward P. Frost, Col. T. D Fullerton, R.E., B. Melvil! Tones, H. F. Lloyd, Capt. E. M. Maitland, I'. K. McClean, G. F. Mort, A. F. Thurston, W. R. Turnbull, W. Ellis Williams and Howard T. Wright. T. O'B. HUBBARD, Secretary. ® ® ® ® PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. Luftschrauben. By Paul Bejeuhr. Frankfort: F. B. Auflarth. Price, 4 marks. Bau und Betrieb von Frail-Luftschif)'en. Part I. By Richard Basenach. Frankfort : F. B. Suu Auflarth. Price, 3 marks. ® ® ® ® NEW COMPANIES REGISTERED. Motor and Aviation Co., Ltd., 62, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. —Capital j£ioo, in £1 shares. White and Thompson, Ltd., Aeronautic Works, Middleton, Bognor.—Capital ^20,000 in £1 shares. Acquiring the business of aeroplane constructors and aviation experts carried on at Middleton, Bognor, as White and Thompson. ® ® ® ® IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, 1911-12. AEROPLANES, airships, balloons and parts thereof (not shown separately before 1910):— Exports. 1911. 1912. £ £ 1,088 1,786 1,027 807 2,471 Imports. Re-Ex portatlon. January... February March ... April May 2,412 36 95° 72 i,35o 1911. £ Nil Nil 357 4,343 i,972 1912. £ Nil Nil 600 50 154 5 months 19,469 16,683 7,179 4,820 6,672 804 PRINCIPAL CONTENTS. • Editorial Comment Another German Menace. Our New War Minister. The Future of the Hydro-Aeroplane. Our Friends Abroad Hydro-Aeroplanes. Hy E. Holt Thomas The Second June Meeting, Hendon Royal Aero Club. Official Notices Air Eddies. By " Oiseau Bleu" The Dunne Machines in Flight From the British Flying Grounds British Notes of the Week The Ae.C.F. Grand Vrix Foreign Aviation News Airship News The Aero Engine. By G. H. Challenger Models. Conducted by V. E. Johnson, M.A Progress of Flight about the Country Correspondence PAGE • 554 556 5=S 560 50i 562 S63 564 566 568 57 ' 571 57= 573 574 5 75 FLIGHT. 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C Telegraphic address : Truditur, London. Telephone : 1828 Gerrard. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. FLIGHT will be forwarded, post free to any part of the world at the following rates:— UNITED KINGDOM. 3 Months, Post Free 6 ,, d. 8 3 6 AllROAD. 3 Months, Post Free. 6 „ ,, 12 ,, ,, 11 s. a. 2 9 5 6 o 5/6 Cheques and Post Office Orders should be made payable to the Proprietors of FLIGHT, 44, St. Martin's Lane, W.C., and crossed London County and Westminster Bank, otherwtsc no responsibility will be accepted. Should any difficulty be experienced in procuring FLIGHT from local newsvendors, intending readers can obtain each issue direct from the Publishing Office, by forwarding remittance as above.
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