FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0433.PDF
APRIL 25, 1914. surface of the sea, but after about fifteen minutes' flying, I noticed a haze of smoke and as this was the only sign of activity in the neighbourhood I made for it and dis covered my quarry. The French cruisers had already joined the escort, and to give my operator every facility I dived down to about 400 ft. and enabled him to get a fine picture of the mid-Channel scene. I circled the fleet completely on three occasions, being then right out of sight of land. As we were nearing Calais I hovered about and flew over Calais Harbour at the precise moment of the entry of Their Majesties' Yacht, when my photographer obtained what turned out to be a most magnificent and novel film. I then made direct for the Calais Aerodrome, flying over the town at 800 ft, I landed at 12 noon, when I was presented with a bouquet from the Mayor of Calais and also learnt that I was the first English airman to land at Calais. The operator then extracted the exposed film which I fixed in the passenger seat of my machine together with the bouquet, and at 1.45 I started off for Hendon. I struck the English coast at the exact point of my departure, followed the railway line to Ashford, and on reaching the outskirts of London, I took last year's Aerial Derby course to Hendon, where I arrived at 2.35. I had covered the 125 miles in no minutes. The journey overland was a very bumpy one, there being a terrible lot of remous owing to the extreme heat of the sun. On landing, the film was handed to a representative of the Warwick Bioscope Chronicle Film, and rushed off to Charing Cross Road, where it was developed, a print made, and a complete record of the King's journey from London (701511 to Calais was shown at the matinee performance at the Coliseum at 5.20. Actually, the film was delivered to the Coliseum at 4.45. ® ® ® ® Mr. B. C. Hucks at Bristol and Coventry. ON Wednesday, April 8th, Mr. Hucks demonstrated at Horrield, Bristol, first on his two-seater, the '* Tornado," when his com plicated evolutions led many spectators to imagine he was looping. Mr. Hucks' " get-off'' with this machine is extraordinary. After a short run, and an almost imperceptible rise of a few feet, the nose suddenly rears up, and the machine literally takes a flying leap into the air for about 50 ft. before it is flattened out. On his second trip with this machine, Mr. Hucks circled Bristol at 4,000 ft. On the " looper " seven loops were accomplished as well as an upside-down flight of half a mile. On Good Friday Mr. Hucks again flew at Bristol before a huge and enthusiastic crowd. On the two-seater two fine flights were made, once reaching an altitude of over 7,000 ft., and being lost to view in the driving clouds. On the looper he added 10 loops to his total, and flew inverted for nearly two minutes. On the following day, Saturday, twelve more loops were made, bringing his total of loops up to 299. Several thrilling flights were made on the Tornado, but owing to the blustery conditions, and the confined nature of the ground, no passengers could be carried, although there were many eager applicants. After the flights both machines weie dismantled and packed oft to Coventry, where, on Easter Monday, in the grounds of Whitley Abbey, Mr. Hucks gave wonderful displays before a crowd num bering fully 50,000. The feature of the afternoon was an upside-down flight of exactly 2 mins. This was against a 40-mile wind, so that at times the monoplane appeared to hover motionless in its inverted position. In the morning Mr. Hucks flew all round Coventry on the passenger-carrying machine in order to dispel a rumour that he was ill and unable to fly. Nine loops were made during the after noon, so that Mr. Hucks has now reached and passed hii three hundredth loop since he first looped at Buc last November. VIEW OF CALAIS FROM MR. HUCKS' BLgRlOT, APRIL 21.—This and the photograph on the preceding page were secured by Mr. B. C. Hucks on behalf of The 8phere and the Coliseum, the actual films being taken by an operator of the Warwick Bioscope Chronicle Film. 433
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
