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Aviation History
1926
1926 - 0568.PDF
large eagle so close that I took the Verey Light pistol from the cupboard and held it in readiness. However, this stately monarch of the air showed no signs of being unfriendly and even if it had I doubt whether the Verey Light pistol would have been very effective. Our flight across Greece, Albania and Corfu was rendered more difficult by some very bad storms and at times it appeared very doubtful as to whether we should be able to penetrate them. The whole of this country is very bad for flying over and clouds hang about in the mountains over very long periods. In the course of my flying experience I do not think I have ever encountered worse bumps than we met with during this trip. The machine was buffeted this way and that and up and downwards until there were periods when I positively began to feel nervous. If I had been flying in a machine of which I had had any doubts whatever as to the strength of any portions of the structure I am afraid that some of our manoeuvres during this flight would have caused me the greatest possible concern. After an hour's journey over the Adriatic Sea beyond Corfu we sighted Brindisi and landed. Before taxying to the hangar, however, we found our starboard tyre was burst and our tail skid broken. The aerodrome was very hard but the landing was normal, and I can but think that the breakage happened when the machine ran back a foot or two after coming to rest. Our old friend the Maresciallo ran out on to the aerodrome and was delighted to see us return. Apparently he desired to pay us the greatest honour which he could, for he immediately dashed back to his quarters and donned his smartest uniform before coming out to the aero- drome to greet us. His joyful excitement on shaking us by the hand was good to see. Our damaged machine was more or less lifted into the hangar, jacked up on to some bamls and the damaged parts removed, whilst a message was immediately sent to Brindisi and the representative of the petrol company to come to our assistance. On the following morning, Sunday, a mechanic was sent to us to make the repairs to the tail skid, but he had neither the tools, material nor the ability to undertake the task. Later in the day we were able to arrange with a mechanic at a garage to carry out the repairs and at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon, after several visits from us, he had the fittings repaired and, under our supervision, had made quite a sound job. We hurried to the aerodrome with the parts and assembled them on the machine with hopes of making a start and getting to Pisa that night ; but our disappointment can be imagined when we were told that it would not be permis- sable for us to leave until the officer of the Italian Air Service was presenti As I have previously mentioned, there was no telephone at the aerodrome, so that we were forced to return to Brindisi to kick our heels for the night. At the hydroplane Station we explained to the officer in charge that we wished to leave at the latest by 4 o'clock the following morning : with the greatest courtesy he informed us that all arrangements would be made towards this end and that the ntcessary officer would be present before that time. We ourselves were out early and by 3.30 had everything in readiness for the start. 3.30, however, merged into 4, 4 to 5 and 5 to 6 and still no officer had appeared, and it was 6.15 before tile officer-from the hydroplane station arrived and gave us the Clearance enabling us to depart. Of oiir return journey to Pisa there are no particular incidents to record. We passed close to Rome and a hydroplane from LaW Bracciamo came up to have a look at us. At Pisa we were met by the same officers and other people who had been so kind t(/us on our outward journey. The Commandant immediately informed us that he had obtained all possible weather reports and he was certain it was impossible for us to proceed owing to bad weather in the North of Italy and the Alps. We suggested that we might try flying across the Gulf of Genoa. Before he would agree to this he obtained weather reports from Genoa and along fhe coast and these, unfortunately, were all quite stereo- typed " flying impossible." The following morning again he obtained weather reports for us from all possible quarters, and although the weather at Pisa seemed fair, once again they all spoke of unfavourable conditions. Despite these reports, however, Col. Minchin considered that with the aeroplane and engine which we had weather should not deter us, and so we made a start, flying out across the Gulf above Genoa and Savona to Albenga. The weather gradually got worse and worse, and at Albenga we experienced very bad lightning and thunderstorms accompanied by such violent rain that we were forced to return to Pisa. On our way we met a Dornier seaplane flying close to the coast and exchanged greetings with the pilot, who we after- wards were told was Commander Franco, who had recently flown to South America. Our friends at Pisa were determined to do all they could to AUGUST 12, 1926 reconcile us for the disappointment which we had suffered, and Sr. Lorenzo Norci, of the Nafta Company, arranged for us to visit the Dornier works. Here we saw a good deal which interested us very much, including the Dornier Flying Boat fitted with two Jupiter engines, as well as the machine in which the Marquis do Pinedo will attempt the flight round the world. The following day we were personally introduced to the Marquis, who did everything he could to make our visit an enjoyable one. He personally arranged a special lunch at his residence, to which he invited some of the chief people in Pisa, and this despite our diffidence on account of our lack of suitable clothing for a formal function of this kind. The records of flying experiences which we were able to exchange in conversation were most interesting to all of us, and we thoroughly appreciated the very great kind- ness which induced the Marquis de Pinedo to entertain us thus. Once again the following day the weather reports were equally depressing and the storms that we had encountered on the previous day included Pisa in their range. This was succeeded by fair weather the day after, and because of reports of the impossibility of crossing the Alps we took the air and proceeded along the coast. Col. Minchin made an excellent effort to penetrate inland and into the Alps, but after being forced down lower and lower by the heavy clouds we were obliged to turn left and make for the coast, from which we proceeded to fly over the sea a few miles from the coastline passing San Remo, Mentone, Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Toulon to Marseilles, where we landed and took on board a supply of petrol. Almost as necessary was food for ourselves, but unfortunately all that was obtainable on the station was five sardines, a piece of bread and some coffee, which we shared. Col Minchin supplemented this with chocolate, while I broke into a tin of our iron rations. Off again from Marseilles and flying along the valleys of the Durance and Rhone we again encountered extremely bumpy weather, rendered exceptionally unpleasant because we could not afford to fly higher in an attempt to avoid the bumps, as. with the strong head wind encountered at altitude our speed was reduced to something like 50 miles an hour. Colonel Minchin had thought of landing at Lyons, but we decided to fly straight on to Dijon, where we stayed the night. Leaving Dijon at 6 in the morning, our flight to Paris was of no special interest and after clearing Customs there we carried on to England in the company of an Imperial Airways machine, arriving at Croydon about 12 noon. After clearing Customs and having a meal we heard that an open aircraft race would shortly be held at Hendon aero- drome, so that we immediately jumped into our machine and flew over to Hendon to enquire if our entry could be accepted. It marked a fitting close to our trip to be able to take part in this sporting race, and we certainly think that people were tremendously impressed with the excellent running of the Jupiter engine when they took into considera- tion the fact that it was taking part in the race without any particular attention or even changing of plugs after it had undergone such strenuous running. I would hardly like to close this report without paying tribute to the pilotage of Colonel Minchin, who had a very strenuous test of endurance and pilotage throughout the whole trip, and his judgment in airmanship on all occasions proved sound and correct. Thirteen hours of it at the joy- stick, flying over such difficult country and over wide stretches of sea, must be considered a very fine effort for any air pilot. Our cruising speed was generally in the region of 105 m.p.h., but at times such high head winds were encountered that we made as little as 50 m.p.h. The following rough log gives the approximate distances and times for our trip :— Miles. Hours,London .. Dijon Pisa Brindisi . . Athens Sollum . . Mersa Mathruh Cairo Cairo Mersa Mathruh Sollum Athens Brindisi .. Pisa Marseilles Dijon Paris London .. 400395 450400 480 150 300 300 150 480 400 450 350300 160 240 43£ 434 n3 3 2 5*4* 4*4 4*H Total 5,405 56J 498
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