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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0435.PDF
JUNE 16, 1927 PRIVA FLYING A Section of FLIGHT in the Interests of the Private Owner, Owner-Pilot, and Club Member DR. WHITEHEAD REID The First Post-War Private Owner IT i» the misfortune of us all at times to he the victim of our own innocence, and therefore we agree with the opinion of Dr. Whitehead Reid that the success of private flying as practised by a private owner depends upon the possession of a first-class mechanic. It if often safer to fly on the responsibility of someone else than on the responsibility of vourself, although it is against all human nature to admit it, even in lace of experience. Most of us, far instance, have the illusion that we should be safer in the air if piloting ourselves rather than being piloted bv others. It is through the natural conviction that we should take care of our own necks more than others would for us. Dr. Whitehead Reid expresses his opinion after experience, which is what all of us do not always do. In the course of six and ?-half years' private flying he has never had one forced landing through engine trouble. Incidentally, we are sorry to think that our recent visit to him at Canterbury was possibly the cause of this fine record being broken. That is, if his descent in his S.E.5A immediately after leaving the ground through the 90 h.p. Renault starving can come under the category of a forced landing, as it was generally defined. It was under- stood that his flight was in the nature of a test flight, and it was not expected that he would get off with a good engine, for he had recently had some rather vague trouble with this engine, which had not been removed by the usual minor adjustments and replacements. We therefore think that his record is not broken. Although the S.E. had to be tested some time, Dr. Reid was none the less making the flight at the moment for our convenience—which was very kind of him. Despite the validity of his opinion, however, it would not, perhaps, be quite right to assume that unless a private owner can afford to keep a mechanic he cannot hope to fly successfully. We would at least hope that this is not the case, for it would not do private flying any good. Apart from the question of safety, which Dr. Reid is not thinking of when he expressed his opinion, the additional expense is just what private flying doe-~ not require at this stage, or at any stage come to that, for more expense is never an advantage [" FLIGHT " Photographs BRITAIN'S FIRST POST-WAR PRIVATE OWNER : Dr. Whitehead Reid, of Canterbury, registered both hisma <*ines as long ago as 1922 the Avro-Renault on March 31, and the S.E. 5 on October 20. As he was, ands nll is, totally unconnected with the aircraft industry, he can justly claim to be our first private owner. Theu PPer photograph shows Dr. Whitehead Reid flying his Avro. Note the commodious hangar in which he keeps "is machines. The lower photograph shows the method employed for taxying the S.E.5 out " under its own power." Inset, Dr. Whitehead Reid in the cockpit of his S.E.5. 397
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