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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0483.PDF
JUNE 14, 1928 Their driver and his mate were despatched for the night and they settled down in the cockpits until morning. The night was cold but bright with moonlight. At intervals the inquisitive " paysan " strolled up to inspect them and was startled by the waggling of the rudder. Marignane was reached without further incident the next morning, and the agreed sum of 800 francs gladly handed over. Capt. G. P. Olley, of Imperial Airways, kindly "inspected their machine and declared that with a new propeller it would be safe to fly. But it was proposed to get the Deutsche Luft Hansa man to repair the rib. A wire was despatched to the de Havilland Company asking for a new propeller and shoe to be sent out by air. A consoling feature to them in their trouble was the sight of three machines on the aerodrome all with broken propellers. To pass the time the tourists went to the Riviera by train, and on their return the new propeller was waiting for them,' having been sent out in record time. Before leaving, it was noticed that three large machines were giving joy-rides to local people, and this was apparently an everyday "occur- rence. The Return Flight After leaving Marignane for the return flight they landed at Lyons within 2 hrs. 20 mins., and continued the next day to Dijon and Le Bourget. A long wait had been anti- cipated to collect petrol, oil and dejeuner. At 1 p.m. they were ready to start, and the weather locally was perfect, but reports along the route were alarming. Four machines were down, at Beauvais and others at Abbeville and Berck. A start was made the next day, Sunday, but very low clouds drove them down at Poix. Berck was reached after another attempt after lunch and the tanks were filled up in preparation for crossing the Channel. They set off, leaving word of their intention to range along the coast to St. Inglevert and land there if the weather was too bad. The air liners could be seen crossing without difficulty, but three-engined machines were a different proposition to a single-engined light aero- plane. After much uncertainty it was decided to land for the night at St. Inglevert. The next morning a driving blizzard swept the earth and sea from sight, and wireless reports stated that northern France and a good part of Eng- land were under snow. Thus the day had proved fruitless. On Tuesday, the following day, it was imperative for them to return, and they proposed to go by boat and cross again for their machine the following week-end. But before finally committing themselves, they agreed to take a last glance at the sky They sighted a hopeful patch of blue, and decided to chance the air crossing. It was only a short time after taking off that the navigator discovered England. This particular experience taught them that if the pilot wishes to see his objective when flying the Channel the early morning is the best time for the westward course and late afternoon for the eastward course. Lympne was circled and a thick fog drove them down at Penshurst where another delay arose, which, for them, showed the difference between the English and French organisations. On every French aerodrome, except Le Bourget, the usual formalities had usually been overcome in 15 mins. At Penshurst there was a 2 hours' wait before Customs were cleared. On resuming, the course was set for London and then Filton, Bristol, where the D.H. " Moth " landed within 1 hr. 50 mins. Performance and Cost This tour covered 2,000 miles in 27 flying hours. They learned to adjust the mixture to the various temperatures, and the petrol consumption amounted to 20 miles to the gallon. There were differences in the prices of petrol in various dis- tricts, and everywhere it cost more than in England. Cutting out the cost of the new propeller and Riviera, etc. expenses the daily expense during the 11 days of flying and waiting averaged 25s. It was noticed that the French press devotes considerable space regularly to aviation, and the Service de la Navigation Aerienne, the French counterpart to our Department of Civil Aviation, renders extensive service to pilots on tour. It controls seven or eight aerodromes. The tourists' arrivals and departures were telegraphed on, and the night they failed to reach Marignane the aerodrome lights were kept on until midnight. Weather reports were obtained free of charge there, and a landing fee of roughly 9d. covered 48 hours' stay, whereas in England 2s. 6d. is charged and a further Is. for each eight hours' stay. On the other hand, the precautions which we create for the safety of flying in this country are regarded as mainly superfluous in France. They were tickled to find 1914-15 machines used today in civil flying, and at Le Bourget Mr. Keith Jopp was found crooning over one of his war-time machines and longing to fly it—until he had examined it closely. (NOTE.—For the details of this tour from which the above has been written we are indebted to the tourists' diary published in the Bristol Times and Mirror.—ED.) LIOHT PLANE CLUBS London Aeroplane Clubi Stag Lane, Edgware. Sec, H. E. Perrin,3, Clifford Street, London, W.I. Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club Filton, Gloucester. Secretary,Capt. C. F. G. Crawford, Filton Aerodrome, Patchway. Hampshire Aero Club, Hamble, Southampton. Secretary, H. J.Harrington, Hamble , Southampton. Lancashire Aero Club, Woodford, Lanes. Secretary, C. J. WoodOakfield, Dukinfield, near Manchester. Midland Aero Club, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. Secretary,Maj. Gilbert Dennison, 22, Villa Road, Handsworth, Birmingham. Newcastle-on-Tyne Aero Club, Cramlington, Northumberland.Secretary, A.H.Bell, c/o The Club. Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club, Mousehold, Norwich. Manager,F. Gough, The Aerodrome, Mousehold, Norwich. Nottingham Aero Club, Hucknall, Nottingham, Hon. Secretary,Cecil R. Sands, A.C.A., Imperial Buildings, Victoria Street, Not- tingham.The Scottish Flying Club, 101, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Secre- tary, Harry W. Smith.Southern Aero Club, Shoreham, Sussex. Secretary, C. A. Boucher, Shoreham Aerodrome, Sussex.Suffolk Aeroplane Club, Ipswich. Secretary, Maj. P. L. Holmes, The Aerodrome, Hadleigh, Suffolk.Yorkshire Aeroplane Club. Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorks. Secretary, Lieut.-Col. Walker, The Aerodrome, Sherburn-in-Elmet. LONDON AEROPLANE CU3 REPORT lor week ending June 10.—Flying time, 24 hrs. 20 mins. Dualinstruction, 15 hrs. 30 mins. : solo flving, 8 hrs. 50 mins. Dual instruction.—With Capt. S. L. F. St. Barbe : C. W. Bonniksen,H. Greenland, H. Siitton, A. J. Millar, Miss Wilson, B. L. Middlcton, Miss V. M. Cholmondeley, P. A. Wills, C. Reilly, J. R. Rymill, J. J. Hofer, J. R.Rymill, G. W. Hail, C. N. Green. With F. R. Matthews : Miss V. Chol- m'ondeley, J. A. R. Stroyan, Miss H. Cholmondclcy, G. E. Clair, P. A. Wills,Dr. Cook, C. W. Bonniksen, E. H. Thierry, S. Blythe, E. Davis. Solo Flyins,'.—P. W. Hoare, T- C. V. K. Watson, A. I. Millar, B. L. Middle-ton, R. Sanders Clark, Dr. Cook, E. R. Andrews, N. J. Hulbert, J. J. Holer, F. C. Fisher, G. W. Hall, H. B. Michelmore., BRISTOL &. WESSEX AEROPLANE CUM REPORT for week ending Juie 9.—Total flying hours, 23 hrs. 25 mins.Dual instruction, 16 hrs. ; "solo instruction, 1 hr. 10 mins.; soloists, 2 hrs. 10 mins. ; passengers (seven flights), 2 hrs.Instruction under Mr. Bartlett : Messrs. Clarke, Amory, Peters, Davis, Allinson, Lynas, Jellicoe, Keeling, Hughes, B. Bathurst. Under Mr. Trat-man : Messrs. Keeling, Button, Stephens, Singh. Under Mr. Alliott : Mr. Hughes. Most of the week has been blessed with fine weather, but the week-endwas a tragedy of fierce gales that prevented flying. One of our members, Mr. A. E. Alliott, is accompanying the. Duchess of Bedford and Capt. Barnardin their adventurous flight to India and back in eight days in the " Princess Xenia." We wish them the best of luck, and a prosperous and successfulvoyage. 439 CINQUE PORTS FLYING CLUB REPORT for week May 29 to June 4, both inclusive. Machine : Moth G :E.B.W.C. Total time for week 22 hrs. 25 mins. Test flight, 5 mins. Dual instruction with Maj. Clarke : Mr. Maurice Braddell, 2 hrs. 10 mins. ;Mr. Cattell, 45 mins. ; Conidr. Gubbins, R.N., 3 hrs. 30 mins. ; Mr. Douglas, 1 hr. ; Mr. R. Dallas Brett 2 hrs.; Comdt. Mary Allen, 2 hrs. ; Miss Tagart,2 hrs. ; Mr. Edgson Wright, 1 hr. ; Mr. Story, 2 hrs. 30 mius.; Capt Took, 1 hr. 45 mins. Mr. Faraday, 15 mins. ; Capt. Little, 15 mins. ; Mrs. Twaites,15 mius. Special Flight with Major Clarke : Lady Heath, 1 hr.Joy Riies with Mai. Clarke : Mr. Pretorius 10 mins. ; Mr. Robinson, 10 mins.; Mr. Hill, 10 mins.; Mrs. Harris, 10 mins.; Mr. Simmonds,10 mins. Soloists : Mr. Edgson Wright, 15 mins ; Mr. R. Dallas Brett, 20 mins.The Club is steadily speeding up its flying time, and Sunday the 3rd, was our best record to date, when we put in 7 hrs. 40 mins. with our one machine.On Monday morning, the 4th instant, Lady Heath chartered our Moth in order to fly over Folkestone to escort the Chrysler Car Expedition irom theCape to London, which she had last met at Abercorn, Rhodesia. Major Clarke landed her in a field near Ashford, alongside the main road. The cars pickedher up and took her on to London. On Monday, the first two members went solo. In the morning Mr. EdgsonWright, of Ashford, who was a pilot in the war, but had not flown since 1917, did a good first solo on the Moth and in the afternoon, our first ab initiopupil, Mr. R. Dallas Brett, did 20 mins. solo, after 5 hrs. 20 mins. dual. REPORT for June 5 to June 10, both inclusive :—Machine, De Havilland"Moth,"G; E.B.W.C. Total time for week, 7 hrs. 55 mins. ; test flights, 20 mins. E2
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