FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0151.PDF
MARCH 3, 1921 - •".••:"»*?*"'"': ' General for New South Wales), Sir Edgar Bowring (High Commissioner for Newfoundland), Lieutenant-Colonel W. D. Beatly (Air Ministry), Sir John Cockburn, Sir Edward Lucas (Agent-General for South Australia), Lieutenant-Colonel G. Helbert (Military Staff Officer of High Commissioner for" South Africa), Colonel E. C. Complin (Officer Commanding Canadian Military Detachment in United Kingdom), Mr. M. L. Moss, K.C. (Acting Agent-General for Western Australia) Mr. McEwan Hunter (Agent-Generalfor Queensland), Mr. A. H. Ashbolt (Agent-General for Tasmania), Sir Quinton Brand, Air-Commodore E. M. Maitland, D.S.O., Captains Cockerell and Broome (pilots of The Times Vickers-Vimy flight to Tabora), Major W. A. Coates (Liaison Air Officer for Australia), Squadron-Leader P. R. Meredith (Liaison Air Officer for Canada), Mr. H. White Smith (President of the Society of Aircraft Constructors), and Mr. Alfred Docker (chairman of executive, I.A.F.C.). Lord Desborough, in proposing the health of the guests, said the committee had a certain claim to gratitude as being the first society to try to influence British opinion on the necessity for flying. Before the War and during the War they had continued their work by presenting aeroplanes to the Dominions. Sir Ross and his brother, he said, had brought Australia within 135 hours of the mother country. After a review of the notable war services of the aviators they had met to honour, Lord Desborough read a letter he had received from Lord Weir, in which he regretted his inability to return to London from France to meet Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, and asked that his profound con- gratulations on their wonderful flight be conveyed to them. It is the recollection that we possess pilots, navigators, machines, and engines capable of such enlightening per- formances (Lord Weir wrote) which renders the present position of British civil aviation so perplexing and disappoint- ing. Naturally, at a time like this, when the whole industrial and financial position is in such a parlous situation, it is rather hopeless to expect enthusiasm and enterprise to be devoted to novel developments, but if the commercial developments be temporarily arrested we simply cannot afford to risk any stoppage in technical progress, and money must be found to continue the wonderful work done by our British- pioneers. This commemoration luncheon to two Imperial air pioneers will serve to arouse public feeling and recall the supreme position we achieved in opening up the world's longest air-way. The Chairman, at the conclusion of his speech, presented Sir Ross and his brother with a hand-worked Australian flag in commemoration of their great flight, and a similarly- worked South African flag was presented to Flight-Lieut. Sir C. J. Quinton Brand, K.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C..M.C, the colleague of Colonel Sir H. H. Van Ryneveld in the flight from England, via Cairo, to the Cape. Sir Ross Smith, who. like his brother, was given a most enthusiastic reception, mentioned several circumstances and conditions which had made the flight to Australia possible. In the first place, he repeated his eulogies of the machine and engines. The Vickers-Vimy machine and the Rolls-Royce engines needed no further praise, he said. They were also fortunate in having their getrol arrangements entrusted to the hands of the Shell Company, who, at the shortest notice, managed to put down supplies at all the out-of-the-way places at which they landed. The same praise, he said, was also due to Wakefield's Castrol Oil, which served them in such good stead. He believed that the route which it was their privilege to be the first to go over would be very speedily developed. When they arrived in Australia they found that a certain amount of commercial flying was being done there, and already mails and goods were now being conveyed by aeroplane. With its vast open spaces and excellent weather conditions Australia was the best country in the world for commercial flying, and before very long they would see a regular aeroplane service in operation. The aeroplane was the surest means of knitting the Empire together. Aerial transport was the quickest and in his view the safest. Statistics of accidents seemed to show that it was aaore dangerous to walk across the street than it was Alighting Tests on the Thames THE Air Ministry has arranged to carry out *>™r alighting tests on the Thames in order to ascertain whether varying conditions of tide and weather introduce any unforeseen difficulties in the use by aircraft of the selectee area of the river between the Westminster and Albert Bridges. ... , These tests will be carried out by the Air Ministry s " Vickers-Viking-Napier-Lion" Amphibian ^^H:*;-' which won the first prize in the Air Ministry's to ascend in an aeroplane. The only way to help the cause of aviation was to impress upon the public the necessity for it. Sir Keith Smith devoted a short speech chiefly to praise of the two mechanics who accompanied them on their flight. No matter how excellent the machine and engines, he said, the least slovenliness in overhaul would be bound to prove fatal sooner or later on a long flight. Although, from the number of accessories they carried, the mechanics were cramped for room and often at the end of a long stage were hungry, no sooner did they touch ground than they had their coats off and began work on the engines to ensure their readiness for the next day. The peoples they came in touch with on the journey, the Dutch, Siamese, and Burmese, were all anxious to be helpful, and the Dutch in particular wished it to be known to the people in Australia that if an air route to Australia were established they would do every- thing in their power to make it a commercial proposition. Sir Joseph Ward remarked upon the unique character of the occasion, where they had two brothers, two knights, who had achieved the first flight between England and Australia, receiving the congratulations of the King on their marvellous performance. They had determined to establish a great air service on commercial lines for both Australia and New Zealand, and he hoped that Sir Ross Smith would be in charge of the one,and Sir Keith Smith in charge of the other. To the magnificent enterprise of Lord Desborough, to his energy of character and force of personality, British aviation owed a very great deal. During the lunch a telegram was received from the King in response to a message of loyal greeting which the committee had sent to His Majesty on behalf of themselves and the representatives of Imperial aviation and of the Dominions, who were their guests at the luncheon. The telegram was as follows :— " I am commanded to convey to you, the president and members of the Imperial Air Fleet Committee, and to your guests, the best thanks of the King for your kind message of loyal greetings to His Majesty as Air Chief on the occasion of the celebration of Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith's great achievement. His Majesty is in hearty sympathy with you all in doing honour to these distinguished aviators.—STAMFORDHAM." On Tuesday, February 22, Sir Ross Smith and his brother, Sir Keith Smith, paid a visit to the Weybridge works of Messrs. Vickers, Ltd., where the Vickers "Vimy-Rolls" machine used in their famous flight was built. The brothers received an enthusiastic welcome from the staff, and Sir Ross Smith said that most of the credit had been given to them, which was altogether wrong. If it had not been for the excellent design and workmanship of the machine they could never have got through. The brothers then inspected the Vickers "Viking " Amphibian and the new air ambulance which is now nearing completion. Sir Ross Smith and Sir Keith Smith will be entertained at luncheon at the Hotel Cecil today (Thursday), March 3, by Messrs. Rolls-Royce, Limited, Messrs. Shell-Mex, Limited, Messrs. C. C. Wakefield and Co., Limited, and Messrs Vickers, Limited, in celebration of their historic flight from England to Australia. At the-luncheon Sir Frederick Sykes, Controller-General of Civil Aviation, will present Air Force Crosses to Captains Cockerell and Broome and Air Force Medals to Messrs. Corby and Wyatt, in connection with The Times African flight. The conferring of these awards was announced last July. In addition, he will present some personal gifts to Sir Ross Smith and Sir Keith Smith in commemoration of their flight. On March 4, Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith will be enter- tained at a dinner at the First Avenue Hotel, arranged by the London branch of the Australian Natives' Association. Particulars and tickets may be obtained from the Hon. Secretary, c./o the " British Australasian," 51, High Holborn, W.C. 1. ' 1—i •— for Amphibians, and which carried out the previous test. After alighting the machine will, according to the state of the tide, either pick up temporary moorings, or go ashore on the hard adjacent to the Doulton Pottery Works, afterwards taking off and returning to its aerodrome. The tests, which were to have taken place this week, provided the weather was suitable for the purpose, on February 28, March 1, 2, 3 and 4, have been temporarily postponed, possibly until next week.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
