FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1931
1931 - 1006.PDF
FLIGHT, SEPTEMBER 18, 1931 SCHNEIDER RECONNAISSANCE: A Fairey " Firefly " (Rolls-Royce " Kestrel ") used for testingconditions. It also gave a demonstration of aerobatics on the day of the Contest. (FLIGHT Photo.) that never in the history of this ancient ship had thestewards and others ever had to deal with a full comple- ment of passengers. However, as a grandstand she was good, and, apartfrom the fact that she was berthed very much farther away from the western turning point than we had beenled to believe she would be, a good view of almost the whole course was obtained during the actual fly-over.Saturday was, of course, a day of bitter disappointment. The early morning was quite good, and it would havebeen possible, we were told, to have flown off the race at about 8.0 a.m. It was not feasible to clear the course atthat time of the morning, and no doubt the question of disappointing the crowd also carried some weight when itwas decided to wait until later. Unfortunately, the weather steadily deteriorated, and by the time that the Homeric had reached her anchorage, which was some-where about 10.30 a.m., it was obvious that there was little or no chance of the race being flown that day. Those on board, therefore, relegated themselves to pass-ing the time as best they might. Various attractions of the type always organised on board such vessels wereprovided, and every effort was made by all to pass the time congenially, each in his or her own particular fashion.Stories were passed round, and one of the best concerned the efforts of a well-known watchmaker to popularise hiswares at Calshot. It appears that he sent three watches to the station for certain of the pilots, expressing the hopethat they would accept them and rind them entirely satis- factory. One of these was addressed to a pilot of the lastSchneider Contest, while a pilot, whose name had already been used publicly in connection with the present con- BOOTHMAN PASSING OVER THE SHORE AT SOUTHSEAj The beach was lined with spectators. 944
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
