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Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0828.PDF
OCTOBER 27, 1927 Instruction (svith Mr. Parkinson) : Miss Leathart, Miss Rambaut, Messrs.P. L. Lawson, C. T. Elmes, R. J. Dickinson, L. B. Dickinson, Griffiths, Mathews, Dr. Alderson. Soloists : Mrs. Heslop, Miss Lcathart, Messrs. Mathews, P. L. Lawson,Wilson, Elmes, Robertson, Shaw, C. Thompson, Turnbull. Passengers.—With Mr. C. Thompson : Mrs. Heslop, Mr. Luckman. WithMr. Parkinson : Miss Wood, Mr. Murrell (of Aeronlms, Ltd., on photographic flight). Mr. P. L. Lawson carried out his first solo flight on Tuesday in a verysatisfactory manner. All the above flying on G-EBQV. L.X. is expected back on service duringthe coming week. Some interesting particulars of a scheme which is being formulated byMrs. Heslop and Miss Leathart have leaked out. The following is an outline of the scheme, no details being available forpublication as yet. (This is strange, as one believed that the all-important tem in such a stuat was the publicity). A suitably-equipped ship will leave the west coast of England, and whenfive miles out the intrepid ladies will land upon it in a " Moth." Five miles from the coastline, somewhere on the other side of the Atlantic, the ladieswill take off and complete their transatlantic flight. The chickens are already being fattened, and supplies of lip stick obtainedfor use during interviews with the Press, during the flights, and on landing at the other side. When is a Metre not a Metre ?IT will have been obvious to our discerning readers that " metres " should have been " kilometres " on the scale of ourmap of Mr. Kittel's tour, published last week. " Bluebirds "THE Blackburn Aeroplane Company, who are the designers and manufacturers of the " Bluebird," which issuch an excellent machine for private owners, have been concentrating on meeting their customers' demands for theirmachine rather than demonstrating it all over the country. For that reason we have not heard so much about it latelyas those in the same class. Delivery has already been made to the Suffolk Aeroplane Club, who incidentally, are holdingtheir first " Air Meeting " on October 30, when, no doubt, their " Bluebird " will be in action. During September theYorkshire Aeroplane Club took delivery of three in close succession, and the North Sea Aerial and General Transport,Limited, of Brough, has one. Two others are now on the way to Brazil for private owners. Others in the course ofproduction are for purchasers and the firm's demonstration Mrs. Heslop ami Miss Lrathart are the club's first lady pilots to obtain their " A " licences. NORFOLK & NORWrCH AERO CLUB REPORT for wick ending October 23.—Flying time, 12 hrs. 30 niins.Dual : Messrs. A. Cooper, R. Hare, C. Cowing, C. Bougrat, R. F. Potter, H. T. Finch.Solo : Messrs. R. Harmer, R. F. Moore, H. Paul;. W. A. Ramsay, W. Cubitt, F. Gough.Passengers : Miss Eldridge, Messrs. J. Croskill, and A. Sutton. "YORKSHIRE AEROFLANE CLUB REPORT for week ending October 22.—Flying time, 13 hrs. 20 niiiis-Instruction, 9 hrs. 55 mins. ; soloists, 3 hrs. 25 mins. : passengers. 1 lir. Instruction (with Capt. Beck) : Miss Woodhead, Messrs. Humphries,Parker, Gouklney. Dane, Ellis, Crowther, H. Crowther, Gardiner, Thomson, Miller, Brackenbury, Ellison, Weaver, Ward.Solo instruction : Messrs. Lax. Ellison, Lister. " A " Pilots : Messrs. Brackenbury, Dawson.Passengers.—With Capt. Beck : ' Mr. Coles. With Mr. Brackenbury : Messrs. Brown. Crowther. purposes. Mr. Charles Blackburn is touring the Southshortly with a " Bluebird, ' and will call on the Suffolk Club to assure himself of their progress. His headquarters will benear London, for there are a large number of interested enquirers in this quarter and they will have the opportunity ofinspecting their choice. Suffolk Aeroplane Club's Air Meeting THE President of this new Club, Lady Bailey, will flydown to their first air meeting for Sunday, October 30. The London Club and the Yorkshire Club will also be repre-sented. Wing-Commander Blackburn, of Martlesham Heath Experimental Station, and numerous others have promisedtheir support. The Hon. Secretary, Mr. Courtney N. Prentice, points out that it is too late in the year for a pageant and sothey are holding this small display to show that the Club is really doing some work. They deserve to be well supportedon Sunday for they are really making admirable efforts without any official assistance. We wish them every success andparticularly fine weather. The Club's aerodrome is at Hadleigh, Suffolk, and the meeting will start at 10.30 a.m. A VERY WONDERFUL FLIGHT" IT is impossible to read the Air Minister's account of his flightto India and back without becoming infected by his obvious enthusiasm for flying. Yet the book reveals no attempt atminimising the discomforts which were, must have been, encountered on a flight over such vast distances. If hemakes little of the risks. Sir Samuel faced them with his eyes open, and he and Lady Maud Hoare did not start fromCroydon on the morning of Boxing Day without having first received, and disregarded, numerous warnings from well-meaning friends. That the journey should have proved entirely successful is a testimonv to the flying equipment usedand to the skill and determination of the men who had the honour of piloting the distinguished passengers on thishistoric flight. In his book Sir Samuel Hoare pays a very warm tribute both to the personnel and to the machines andengines. The introduction by Lady Maud Hoare adds a delightfullyfeminine touch in explaining how the problems of her personal equipment were solved, but like her husband Lady Maudmakes little of the discomforts, and answers an emphatic " Xo " to the question as to whether the party was frightenedduring the flight. She does admit, however, that on the afternoon of the second day of the outward flight " it ceased tobe of great interest whether the ' arrived at Naples or not." But on the one occasion when there probably was real dangerthey were " too much interested to be frightened." The Secretary of State for Air throws a very human side-light on his account of the preparations for the flight when he expresses fear that some trivial mishap might prevent theflight from being made. " Would it not," he says, " have been intolerable if, after all our preparations, a sudden attackof ' flu ' or even an unromantic cold in the head had stopped our starting ? " Fortunately no such incident marred thestart, nor did a fog compel the party to postpone the start, as was at first feared.As it turned out, the first portion of the flight was the most uncomfortable, but Sir Samuel and his wife were ever prepared * India by Air. By the Right Hon. Sir Samuel Hoare, Bart.,G.B.E., C.M.G., with an introduction by Lady Maud Hoare, D.B.E. Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd. Price 6s. 6d. net. to look upon the bright side, as is testified bv the passagedealing with the crossing of the Mediterranean, which was accomplished in a storm. One of the destroyers stationedalong the route signalled to the machine that its passengers might think it bumpy up there, but that it was nothing towhat it was down on the sea. " As 1 saw the destroyer," Sir Samuel writes, " jumping about like a pea on a drum, Ifully agreed with the Captain's observation." One feature of the book which impresses one is the insightand understanding which the Secretory of State brings to bear in connection with the various countries over which heflew. After reading the book, one begins to understand not only why Sir Samuel Hoarc chose the airway, but also whyhis appreciation of the enormous advantages of the personal element is so keen, and of the reasons for his faith in theutility of linking up the various parts of the Empire by air, so as to enable statesmen and business men to get in dosepersonal contact, instead of having to rely upon the written word. Of lighter touches there are many in the book, and SirSamuel Hoarc reveals a quiet sense of humour which those who only know him as the Secretary of State for Air maywell be surprised to find. One little ancedote will illustrate this point. When the news of the departure of the party wasannounced, the Prime Minister is, Sir Samuel says, reported to have said : " What with F. E. winning diving competitionsin Madeira, and Leo Amery ski-ing in the most mountainous regions up the Alps, and Sam Hoare flying to India, I feel likea circus manager whose performing fleas have escaped." India by Air " is splendidly illustrated by photographs,and appendices give a description of the " City of Delhi " (the do Havilland " Hercules " with Bristol " Jupiter"engines) which carried Sir Samuel and Lady Maud Hoare, a detailed log of the various stages of the flight to and throughIndia, with explanatory notes on the country over which the flight was made, and full details of weather conditions, flyingtimes, distances covered, and so forth. Quite apart from any added interest •which the book may have because of theprominence of its author, " India by Air " is excellent reading, whether one is interested in flying or not. 750
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