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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0276.PDF
APRIL 21, 1927 THE ACTIVITIES OF A PRIVATE OWNER MR. LESLIE HAMILTON, who is one of the private owner-pilots in his country and owns two machines, has recently returned from Switzerland and the South of France after a very successful season running a private flying service, during which he has covered 17,000 miles without touching the engine. His itinerary has included Rome, Madrid and Corsica. He has been using his Vickers-Viking amphibian machine fitted with a 450 h.p. Napier " Lion " engine, which is capable of carrying •four passengers and 1,000 lbs. of luggage. On one occasion he flew from Zurich to Montreaux, on Lake Geneva, with Lord Allington, Baron la Roche, and Baron McKay as passengers, and they had a pleasant journey until reaching the lake, where the water was so rough that when taxi-ing in for a distance of 1| miles, all the passengers were seasick. On the following day, the conditions were quite the reverse. Whilst in the South of France he ran a service betweenCannes and Monte Carlo for many weeks, flying the Union Jack from the strut, and was well patronised by both Englishand American visitors, who appreciated the difference of 17 min. by air from hotel to hotel, as 3 gainst 3£ hours by train.His was a purely private venture, and it has satisfied him to the extent that he contemplates running a number of machinesin Switzerland next season. The result of his venture opens out a new sphere of enterprise for the private-owner, and itshould be worth while for other owners to seek similar fields if they desire to turn their private flying to other advantagethan sport. In the proper seasons, there must be unlimited scope for private taxi services on the Continent, where thepeople are existing for the main pleasure of spending money ;n a short search for diversion in life. [" FLIGHT " Photographs SOME PRIVATE OWNERS AT BOURNEMOUTH : 1, Mr. D. A. N. Watt, whom the daily press has nicknamed " Dangerous Dan." 2, Lady Bailey, who, in spite of serious scalp injuries, was present at the meeting and flew as passenger in her " Moth " G-EBPU. 3, Flying Officer A. H. Wheeler, who raced his S.E.5A (G-EBQM) at the meeting. 4,Mr.L.leRoy Irvin, of parachute fame, who is the owner of a" Moth " G-EBNX. 5, Captain Geoffrey de Havilland, who has been flying since about 1909 and still likes it as well as ever. His special " Moth " X carries the identification letters G-EBQH. 250
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