FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0886.PDF
1/jlGHT on one of the B.Es. (Bristol-built) to over 5,000 ft., and flew with Major Reynolds, a member of the General Staff, fifteen miles across the bay to Melbourne, a landing being effected on the shores of the lagoon in Albert Park. During trie return journey the machine reached a height of 6,000 ft. XXX The Commonwealth flying school is now getting into working order and instruction has commenced in earnest. Both Lieut. Harrison—who, by the way, is now numbered among the Benedicts—and Lieut. Petre have been getting a great deal of practice and making good names for themselves locally by their fine, steady flying. The Bristol BE. machines, in spite of having to rough it in a temporary garage, have given a very good account of themselves, and two corrugated iron hangars have now been erected for their accommodation. There were some 300 applications for the first course, but as those undergoing tuition must be either members or join the defence forces, this will reduce the number. There is no doubt that the demonstrations given by Hawker on the Sopwith and Guillaux on the Bleriot and the Henry Farman waterplane in different parts of the Common wealth have done a great deal to arouse enthusiasm in things aeronautical among our Australian cousins. XXX Since leaving Hendon with his Handley-Page biplane, Mr. Rowland Ding has now covered no less than 10,000 miles, practically all cross-country work, and has taken up, during his flying, 200 passengers, at Harrogate alone his record being 78 passengers. During the whole of his flying, with but one exception, the Handley-Page has never been anywhere except via the air, approximating as near as possible to regular touring work. The only exception was when Mr. Ding had a slight smash at Northallerton, when the machine was put on the train and returned to the works for repair. XXX Combined with his flying, Mr. Ding takes considerable interest in photography, and he has become quite expert Messrs. B. C. Hucks and Marcus D. Manton, snapped at Norwich upon their visit there, when splendid exhibitions of looping the loop were given. AUGUST 21, 1914. in getting photographs taken when in the air. He arranges to shut off the engine when making the exposure so that the negatives are perfectly clear owing to entire absence of vibration. In association with Mr. Rowland Ding in the Northern Aircraft Company, as one of the directors, is Mr. Reginald Lord, he taking the actual active side in the working of the company. Mr. Lord was the first passenger that Mr. Rowland Ding took up after he was proficient, and having now succumbed to the fascination of flying he has joined the Beatty School at Hendon preliminary to qualifying for his " ticket." XXX There have been a lot of German spy stories about lately and also many " unconfirmed rumours," but whether the following spy incident is one of the latter I am not certain. It is said that a certain person informed the police that he had a German lodger whom he not only believed to be a spy but who had an infernal machine in his room. The police thereupon acted promptly, arrested the "spy," cleared everybody from the house out of danger, and bravely put the infernal machine under water. The " spy" was none other than George Prensiel, and his " bomb" was his very ingenious life- saving parachute apparatus, described in FLIGHT not so long ago ! Well, it might have been worse. How it all ended I have not yet heard. XXX It was a pleasant surprise to meet Mr. Manton at Hendon on Saturday last, and to learn that he has been appointed chief instructor at the Grahame-White School at the Aerodrome. With his long experience of school work in addition to being an excellent pilot, Mr. Manton has the further advantage of knowing the G.-W. School machines from A to Z, having piloted each of them at one time or another. With so capable an instructor, with the number of machines at the disposal of pupils and the facilities for repairs at the Grahame-White works this school should be busier than ever. XXX Although the amount of exhibition flying now taking place at Hendon is not very great, the occupants of the long rows of sheds are by no means idle. On the contrary, the " life" of the place is more pronounced than ever. At the Grahame-White works the men are hard at it building school 'buses and making spare parts. The " Circuit" G.-W. machine has been repaired, and is only waiting for an engine, but as 100 h.p. Gnomes are more or less a premium just at present, it may be some little time before the machine can take the air again, x x x The Aircraft Co. are turning out Maurice and Henry Farmans at the rate of ... . (here the Censor seems to have put his foot down) a day. Anyway, they are putting them together as fast as is consistent with the high standard of workmanship always maintained by this firm. Incidentally, I gather that the new machine designed by Mr. de Havilland is progressing rapidly, and we may anticipate seeing this new product of the Aircraft Co. being put through its trial flights before long. XXX In one of the sheds formerly occupied by Bleriots Mr. "Helmet" Warren has installed himself, and is busily engaged on the construction of two machines of the Caudron type. Later on, he intends to build a fuse/age biplane of somewhat novel design. Several 35 h.p. Anzani engines and a 70 h.p. Gnome are ready for installing upon the completion of the machines,
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
