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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 2091.PDF
13° FLIGHT. JULY 30, 1936, Ratcliffe, Mr. Lindsay Everard's private aerodrome, snapped from the cabin of a temporarily editorial Hornet Moth. machine park is just visible. (Flight photograph.) The visitors' English, Col. E. Messner (Switzerland) in English, and M. Bernard de Skorzewski (Poland) in English. Prince Bibesco recalled that when he visited England in 1931 it was almost necessary, if one travelled by air, to have a second aeroplane to carry all the documents required. The number of formalities was now much smaller, thanks largely to the work of the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain. Mon sieur Meny, in a very amusing and witty speech, caused much amusement by apologising for his accent—he had never been to Oxford until the previous day ! Mr. Kolff referred to English traditions and said there was one which the visitors did not like—the weather was always the same for the Week-end Aerien. The organisation had been marvellous. As an example he quoted the case of a friend of his who, when they arrived at their destination on one of the outings, discovered that he had lost a much-prized walking stick. He was greatly perturbed, but when they returned to their hotel that evening there was the stick, " There's organisation for you ! " said Mr. Kolff. M. de Skorzewski said he had read in that week's issue of Flight that British private owners had, on visits to the Con tinent, met almost embarrassing hospitality. The Week-end Aerien visitors to England did not feel embarassed at all. On the contrary, they felt at home and among friends. On that note the banquet came to an end, and guests and hosts enjoyed the following dance. At Ratcliffe In many ways the party on Sunday at Mr. Lindsay Everard's aerodrome at Ratcliffe, Leicester, was the high spot of the whole week-end. It was good that the visitors should have a chance of seeing the last word in privately equipped aerodromes, and the weather was fine enough to encourage almost all the foreign pilots to delay their depar ture for a few hours. Actually, more British than foreign machines arrived, and the park was soon chock-a-block. With, among very many other distinguished guests, the Duchess oi Bedford, Viscount Swinton (who, as usual, arrived in a Hart of No. 24 Squadron), the Marquess of Londonderry (who came with Lady Londonderry in the demonstration Envoy flown by Fit. Lt. Colman), and Sir Francis and Lady Shelmerdine (arriving in a Rollason Leopard flown by Mr. Nash) present, the affair was of singular interest. Mr. Everard had most thoughtfully arranged for a Customs tent, Mr. J.J. Jeffs handled the traffic and Lt. R. L. Preston, from his con trol tower eyrie and with the help of a British Aircraft Regis ter, kept us fully posted with information about this traffic. When we ourselves landed the wind was blowing across the shortest run, but, fortunately, it changed round so that the majority of the arrivals could use, if necessary, the whole length of the aerodrome, ground traffic on the approach road being regulated when necessary. As a matter of fact, the faster machines could, even if the wind had remained as at first, have landed in the other part of the aerodrome, though this would have entailed about a mile of taxying. Apart from sundry heart-stopping moments while haif a dozen machines were making, or were about to make their approach, everything went off smoothly, though never be fore can there have been so many machines at Ratcliffe. l'he most impressive occurences from the flying point of view were the arrival of three Caudron Simouns (Hansez's, Wattinne's and Gerard's) in close formation at zero altitude and 200 rn.p.h., and the aerobatic display after lunch by Dipl. Ing. Kropf, the German pilot, in his Focke-Wulf Stosser mono plane. His crazy take-off, in almost vertical bank but no turn, was alone worth the visit. Fit. Lt. Clarkson's efforts in the same machine, immediately afterwards, were even more remarkable when it is known that he had not previously been even in the cockpit of the Focke-Wulf. After the luncheon short and apt speeches were made by Prince Bibesco, by Mr. Lindsay Everard (in reply) and by Lord Swinton. So, in good weather and on an extremely cheerful note, the Week-end Aerien terminated. Let us hope that it will be an annual event and that, next year the "best weather but the worst climate " will not cause quite so much anxiety. A caricaturist's impressions of some personalities at t e cocktail party at the R.Ae.C. on the first evening of the WeeK- end. Prince Kinsky is president of the Austrian Aero UUD.
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