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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0307.PDF
MAY 5, 1927 PRIVAI FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member AN EASTER TOUR ON A D.H. "MOTH" Mr. Kittel's Log DURING the Easter holidays Mr. 1). Kittel, who has been the owner of a " Moth " for considerably more than a year, his machine (G-EBMU) having been registered on December 11, 1925, made a lengthy tour in Belgium, Germany and Holland, and has been good enough to send us the following brief account of his trip. Mr. Kittel does not regard the tour as anything out of the way, but when it is remembered that he is a private owner and m no way connected with the aircraft industry, so that his flying is of a purely amateur nature, using the word in its widest sense, we think it will be agreed that the " log "•- for it is little more than that — records an excellent example of what the ordinary non- technical owner of a private aeroplane can do in the way of using his aeroplane as an aeroplane should be used. Inci- the same following wind was blowing. What by train is a tedious journey of over 7 hours, occupied only 1 hour 20 minutes. Leaving Brussels about 11 o'clock I was at Bickendorf Aerodrome by 20 minutes past 12. Customs formalities were all easily disposed of, and the ' Carnet de Passage ' or ' triptyques ' supplied by the Royal Aero Club proved exceedingly useful. It was used in the same way as those supplied by the Automobile Association for taking a car abroad. " Easter Sunday I was able to lunch with a friend living at Koemgswinter, about 2 hours by train down the Rhine. There is a private aerodrome at Hangelar, some 3 kms. from his house ; this occupied only 15 minutes from Cologne. The same afternoon I returred to Cologne and, after filling AN EASTER TOUR [" FLIGHT " Photographs ON A D.H. " MOTH " : These photographs show Mr. D. Kittel in the cockpit of his machine, and inset, starting on his flight. dentally, the tour would not have Ix-en easily accomplished in any other way. and certainly would have been nothing like as comfortable by any other means. Here is the " log " :— "Leaving Croydon about half-past 11 on Good Friday, uie first landing was made at Lympnc in order to completely "U the tank so that Brussels could be reached in the next stop without having to descend for petrol. Leaving Lympneil t 1 o'clock, with a nice following wind, the Channel crossing • ook exactly 15 minutes, and within 25 minutes of leaving • vmpne I was circling over St. Ingle vert, to show that '"ad safely crossed the Channel. From there the course1 LV over Poperinghe, Ypres and the war area, and Brussels "as reached by 2.50 p.m.—24 hours' flving time from•>ndon. ii • Next day the destination was Cologne, and fortunately up with petrol, proceeded to Rotterdam (Waalhaven), and in spite of a head wind of 5 to 10 miles an hour, it took only 2 hours 10 minutes. This was the only part of the trip which did not prove so easy, because, flying by means of an ordinary road map, it was exceedingly difficult to distinguish the various rivers and canals with which Holland abounds. There was so much flood water, and streams not marked on the map, that an hour and a half after leaving Cologne, it was gradually forced on me that I had to admit to myself I had only the foggiest idea as to my actual position. After going on for another 15 minutes or so, and mentally deliating the advisability of trying to land and enquire my position I spotted a point where a railwray and road crossed a broad river (which I took to be the Rhine) side by side. It was then comparatively easy to find this marked on the 275
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