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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0854.PDF
I/DGHT) SEPTEMBER 21, 1912. FROM THE BRITISH FLYING GROUNDS. Royal Aero Club Eastcburch Flying Ground. MONDAY, Tuesday and Wednesday last week very little was doing on account of manoeuvres, the army accidents and weather. Thursday, Lieut. Hewlett, with Lieut. Berne as passenger, put in a fair amount of flying on No. 38. Later on the same machine and pilot, with Gunner Bobbett as passenger, did several circuits of the island. Lieut Seddon doing circuits on No. 34 school biplane preparatory for brevet flight, the first half of which Lieut. Seddon did before breakfast on Friday morning, finishing the second half in the afternoon. Lieut. Gregory out flying school machine. Capt. Gordon started for Hardwicke on T 5, which had been in for repairs to damage caused on last trip en route to Hardwicke. He arrived close to Cambridge on Friday night, and proceeded early on Saturday to Hardwicke Camp. Lieut. Berne, Gunner Bobbett, F. R, A. Deacon all taxying school machine. Saturday. Lieut. Hewlett, with Lieut. Berne as passenger, flew No. 38 to Dover, and returned early next morning, having rather a trying time with the fog. Lieut. Parke on Short monoplane. Monday. Lieut. Parke out on Short monoplane for a few circuits found machine somewhat difficult to steer while taxying. Tuesday. Mr. Alec Ogilvie flew N.E.C.-engined Wright machine to Leysdown, where it was fitted with floats, and on second attempt successfully left the water, and after having "watered" once or twice, flew back to the aerodrome, and "landed" on the floats without a scratch to same. Brooklands Aerodrome. ON Monday morning, last week, the weather was too bad for any school work. Mr. Sabelli, on the Hanriot, flew back from Hendon in 20 mins. at an altitude of 2,000 ft. In the evening the weather conditions were much more favourable. At Bristol school both Mr. Merriam and Mr. Bendall were giving tuition to Capts. Reed and Gibbon, Lieut. Stopford and Mr. Hall. Pupils flying alone were Capts. MacDonnell and Price, Lieuts. Penn Gaskell, Glanville, MacLe^n and Mr. Payze, all having two turns each. Mr. Merriam, up over 1,000 ft., made a splendid spiral vol plane with engine cut oft, thus finishing the evening's work. Mr. England, of Bristol school, out first Tuesday, trying conditions and then testing solo machine. Mr. Bendall up, giving instructions to Capt. Gibbon, and Mr. Merriam with Capt. Reed, afterwards up sitting behind Lieut. Loutcliffe on straights. Lieut. Stopford, alone, flying well. Capts. Price and MacDonnell, Lieuts. Glanville, Penn Gaskell, MacLean and Mr. Payze flying straights, all having two turns each. Bristol School, Friday. Mr. Merriam testing new solo machine. Too windy for pupils. Mr. Sippe and Mr. • Sabelli out on Hanriot both flying well. Saturday morning at Bristol School. Messrs. Merriam and Bendall out with many pupils, the weather being ideal for flying. Mr. 1. Guy Vaughan-Fowler, who obtained his pilot certifi cate at the Royal Aero Club Flying Grounds, Eastchurch, on August 30th, on Mr. Alec Ogilvie's N.EC.-englned Wright machine. 854 Mr. Darracq made his two first circuits splendidly and landed, nicely. Other pupils flying alone were Capt. Price, Lieuts. Stopford, Glanville and Penn Gaskell and MacLean. Mr. Payze making good straights, unfortunately wheel came off breaking propeller. On the Haririot Mr. Sippe out flying high. In evening all Bristol pupils out after Mr. Merriam and Mr. Bendall testing conditions. At the Hanriot School, Mr. Sabelli and Mr. Sippe both putting in good work on monoplane. Saturday morning, the Bristol School were as busy as usual, Mr. Merriam and Mr. Bendall taking up passengers for tuition. Captain Price and Lieut. MacLean took their brevets in excellent style and both landing well. Lieuts. Glanville, Penn Gaskell, and Captain MacDonnell doing figures of eight. These pupils are flying perfectly, and can take their certificates any time they wish. In evening there wasn't a lot of flying got through owing to being rather bumpy. Mr. Barnwell was on Avro monoplane (enclosed type). The points of skid whilst starting a straight flight stuck into the ground, the machine then turned turtle, the pilot fortunately crawled out unhurt. Messrs. Sippe and Sabelli, on Hanriot, out for 20 and 15 minutes' duration, flying around Chertsey and I By fleet at over 1,000 ft. Sunday afternoon saw a good number of spectators, which reminded one of the good old Brooklands days. Mr. Spencer on his biplane gave a splendid exhibitional flight. Mr. Merriam, manager of the Bristol school, also followed with some very pretty flying, Mr. Bendall making, too, a very good show. Messrs. Sippe and Sabelli were as usual also flying the Hanriot. Then competition for bomb dropping nearest the mark and landing; Mr. Sopwith first in landing nearest the mark, and Mr. Merriam second. Mr. Spencer being first for bomb dropping, and Mr. Sopwith second. Afterwards school work in earnest by all. Vickers School.—Mr. Barnwell was out Tuesday last week on No. S ; as it was only his second flight on this machine, he surprised everyone by taking her up to 1,200 ft. and flying in good style out over the surrounding country. He appeared to handle the machine easily in a somewhat gusty wind. Capt. Stott was doing straight lines for half-an-hour, and showed a slight improvement. Thursday, Knight was on the Vickers-Farman, and put in a few circuits very creditably, the wind being very nasty. Next day Macdonald took No. 6 in the early morning, for a couple of iongish flights, carrying pupils for instruction. Knight was giving a new pupil, Lieut. Babington, R.N., his first lesson on the Vickers- Farman. Lieut. Babington was out later in the day rolling on No. 3, and doing very well for his first attempt on a machine. Mr. Barnwell and Mr. Geere were both at work on No. 5, Mr. Geere achieving his first circuits, handling the machine in very promising fashion. In the afternoon and evening, Macdonald climbed with passengers up to over 2,000 ft.—as usual eschewing a mere aerodrome, making wide circuits, all over the surrounding country. Knight was also getting in circuits on No. 5, at a good height, whilst Capt. Stott was plodding away with straight lines. Macdonald, on No. 6, was taking up sundry passengers. On Saturday and Sunday he was, as usual, on No. 6, again with passengers, amongst them Major Astley Cubit, whom he turned from an adverse critic of aviation, into an enthusiastic partisan—the way in which the machine was handled and her absolute steadiness in the air quite altering his ideas as to the dangers of flying. Capt. Stott was doing straights in the morning until he broke his propeller. The same pupil in the evening, while doing straights, suddenly stood the machine on its nose. He appears to be a very slow learner, and, considering the amount of practice and tuition he has had, one would expect him to have passed this stage long ago. Knight was on No 5, testing an English built R.E.P. motor, which seemed to be going well. Eastbourne Aerodrome. THE long-promised improvement in the weather has at last arrived, and Eastbourne experienced five fine days in succession last week. Friday morning was dead calm, and Messrs. Foggin and Gassier took full advantage of it; both made excellent progress, Gassier doing one particularly good circuit. About midday Mr. Fowler was on the Gnome-Bl&iot, but found the air full of remous and soon came down. In the afternoon Mr. Hammond took up one of the school mechanics, and came down from a height of 1,000 ft. with one of his sensational spiral vol plane's. Gassier was again on the 28-h.p. Anzani, but unfortunately damaged the machine rather badly by running into a bank when he landed. Later on instruction on the Bristol had to be abandoned, as the engine began to give trouble, and Mr. Fowler decided to have it changed. Saturday was another perfect flying day, and Mr. Hammond had a busy afternoon. Mr. Napier, who, with Mr. Bode Roberts, has joined the school this week, received his first lesson. Lerwill had several tuition flights, and Mr. Chapman was given a passenger
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