AIRMAN'S PLUCK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 79, 2 April 1914, Page 5

AIRMAN'S PLUCK.

scoTiiAirD xnsro&xmrTED. , wm. BUT XEW MACHETE. Nothing daunted by the recent accident to his biplane at Wellington, the young New Zealand aviator, W. H. Scotland, intends to buy another one and continue his successful conquests of the air. In spite of his youth Scotland has made himself almost a master of his profession, having captured most of the aerial honours in New Zealand as well as competing with various world-renowned bird-men of England and France. He has only been an aerial enthusiast for a little more than two years, having received an IS months'course of instruction in the Old Country. During that time, however, he ably applied himself to the science of air navigation, and is now well acquainted with the various types of drawback which make an aviator's life at all times dangerous. Air vacuums or "pockets"' as they are called, are the chief hindrances to successful flights, says Mr. Scotland, and aviators will always have to contend with these dangers. In Wellington, he had his fair [share of experience of these pockets, and it was eolely on account of the number of them in the vicinity of his flight that he attributes the fatal accident to his j machine. I

To a "Star" reporter this morning he I stated that immediately he left the ground on his recent flight he ran into several pockets, and his upward course was taken in a succession of jumps and falls. He was able to rise to an altitude of about 300 feet when he ran into another vacuum, this one proving the most serious of all. ITe consequently dropped 100 feet, and so rapid was the downward ■ flight that all the way he was come feet off the seat. Falling" into the trees the wings of his machine were permanently damaged and he received slight injuries to his hand and knee, hut the engine remained uninjured.

The intrepid aviator sspects that his new machine. ;'- Caudron biplane will arrive from England in the course of the coming year, and as soon as it arrives he will tako the air again.

Scotland w a native of Pahi fXorth Auckland) and is a son of the late Hon. H. Scotland M.L.C. He .-pant most of his time in Auckland until about four years ago. He in now in Auckland and will prob.ib'v remain here for some little