FLIGHT & FALL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2017, 26 March 1914, Page 6

FLIGHT & FALL

, UOSE CALL FOR MR. J. H. SCOTLAND. • !'■■■, DASHES INTO TREES. THE BIPLANE BADLY DAMAGED. ! Though a southerly was blowing at rates varying from four miles to twenty miles an hour yesterday afternoon, the young New Zealand aviator, Mr. J. H. . W.>''Scotland,' 'attempted a flight from Athletic''Park. ' As it. proved the result [. was a serious one. The aviator suc- [. ceededin achieving a short flight out • in the-,direction of Island Bay, but-on I './turning,the tricky wind was-too much i for . the engine, and .the machine crashed into tho trees '.above'; Newtown - Park. The. aviator himself had- a miraculous v':; . escape',' and* his •machine.'' was badly S ' "r"

Yesterday was tho fourth occasion since his • arrival in Wellington that Mr.' Scotland had announced thitt he would ' make an. ascent. On Saturday a largo .. crowd congregated at Athletic Park, hut tho weather !proyed.;"quito.,"iinsuit- ■ able for flying. The disappointed spec- . tatprs were' granted" tickets for a further exhibition, and oydry afternoon since (with ; the exception 'of "Sunday) . saw :an expectant gathoring at the Park. Each day, however, the'wind blew in strongly from the south. Mr. Scotland,- though willing .and game • enough, could'" do nothing. Yesterday - lie was really anxious not to again dis-appoint-the spectators, ; and lie had determined' that,. if tho weather was in : any way suitable, , that ; iis biplane should be given a rise.' Thero was also . the consideration that other engagements would not permit him to-remain longer, ill i Wellington. : ijho morning brokf.feirly.fiue,' and about noon' tho ... young, aviator had thoughts of making a surprise flight, over -.the City, to. give thoXWellingtoiv,public, : a notion of what heoand.-.his: machino could do. • .There, was'''a 'small-gathering at the'-Park betw.een noon snd 1 p.m., but.the trim nKthe'aeroplane did not please Mr. ■ Scotland, and he Wisely decided to hold • aack till everything was in good condi■ion.--' In-the afternoon the anemometer at, the. iwiteloss,'.station on Tinakori Hills . r , registered'a .wind of from'four, miles to t'vouty nfiics, and of a gusty nature. This-was all against flying, but Mr. Scotland, after reflection, decided that .he ;Mild go up:'; 'v • •.' . . Tho' flight .-was announced for a.dU : p.rii;, and by 3 o'clock there was a gathering of about 500 people at the Park, while tho surrounding hills had many spectators waiting anxiously .for tho attempt. -At 3.10 p.m., Mr v Scot> land tried His engine, and found, it running well. He decided to . make. wie. flight, at once, the weather , conditions then seeming to favour an ascent. With the -aviator in his seat behind 1 the en- . ' prjne, tho machino was wheeled to the north-western- corner of the ground. / Scotland again tried his 35 h.p. engine, and it rau splendidly ! for _a ; minute or -'two. .-Then, turning to his assistants, ho slioolc bands with them,: ana, with .a ■ final wave to the .crowd, gave', the word to let go. ■ •>•;

V The. Start and.the ''Air Pocket," Immediately on being released, the"machine taxied along the ground for about' 100 yards. Then the tail was ele- ! vated, and the aeroplane, looking like a ' huge, clumsy; bird, soared, slowly into the., air. Scotland,: with his thickly- ' , padded aviator's hat tied on his l} ea d, •secnfed'.to. he -in; perfect control of the mechanism, and as the biplane; left the Park there was. an immediate r.ush by tho spectators to crest theembankment for a better view. The aeroplane, . meanwhile, waS bravely beating ,up - . against a- gusty wind, towards Island ; Bay, and the loud purring of the en-. \ . gino began to -soften as "the machine : coiitinued to ascend, till it was, about five hundred feet above the houses. , All this 1 time a; fairly steady and oven course, with but an occasional dip : ; of'the wings from one, side to the other, had- been maintained. Then Scotland turned suddenly, to tho Icff/," and towards Newtown Park. The machine banked'at an angle of about 30 degrees, and :immediately..began a fight with the, buffeting winds', which appeared to be tossing it- like a cork, from , all directions. Even at that early stage . dis- ' aster appeared inevitable, but for some ' moments the courageous aviator , re-- !■ . gained control.' Then that most to be . dreaded danger of tho air—a "pocket" —was entered. "With nothing to bear {■ it up-the biplane dipped-suddenly, and :- foil; fully a hundred, feet.

• The Crash "at Newtown.. \To the excited spectators'crowding < to the end of. Athletic Park it . appeared '.that .the flight,would end in a. collision - with a house on Russell Terrace, but Scotland, still keoping his nerve and head,' managed to skim over ' tlie', roof. Ho could not rise sufficiently soon, howevef, and the fir trets on the hill in Newtown Park prevented a vol-plane down to tho sports ground.-' AVhat happened then was inevitable. With a rending crash, heard away, beyond Athletic Park, the machino crashed between two trees, and appeared.to.crumple up.' , . ■ Frightened promoters- and excited" spectators at onco set off by foot and motor to tho scenc of the disaster, fearing that there mustvhavo beeji a fatal tormination. Tho distance wrfs quickly covered, and then.. S&'tlandT^-sliaken, white, and bruised; but;other,wise unhurt —was met, coming jback?'to allay, tho fears of those'"wlio had gathered to see' the flight. He had had a miraculous escape, for, the machine had dashed between the trunks of two trees, standing about ,10 feet apart. ■ The z planes struck and crumpled up, and the propeller blades were also snapped off sharp at tho shaft. Tho engine and . tho aviator's seat were not struck, howover, "and tho machine was held suspended "iri'tho air. ' Mr.; Scotland was. much shaken after his terrible experiences. He explained that he entered- an'- "air jpockct," . and had not'had a chanco to rise. Ho fell a. hundred feet through the "pocket;" and had been endeavouring to land in-Newtown Park, when the houses loomed up ahead. He avoided these, then crashcd' into tho trees, • Mr. Scotland's Own Story. Interviewed by. a Dominion', reporter at. tho scene of the accident, shortly after it took place, Mr. Scotland, although considerably shaken, seemed quite unconcerned with his personal escape. The. only tiling that seemed to worry: him was the fact that his machine was practically a wreck. "I had hot gone up more than 30 feet," said Mr. Scotland, "when I realised that I was in for a rough time. The wind, although' seeming but a light breeze on tho ground, struck mo liko a hurricane ar'tor getting up. I first directed: my machine towards Island Bay, but I struck successivo wind pockets. I decided to make a return- trip, but" met with further heavy gusts, and wind pockets, and it was one of these last which I got into abovo the trees on tho edge of Newtown Park. It caused mo to drop about -a hundred feet, thus absolutely thwarting my original intention to clear these trees and.alight at Newtown Park."

"An Unsympathetic Crowd." ' Mr. Scotland expressed himself as illpleased with the behaviour of the Wellington public. "They do not," he stated emphatically, "seem to realise ihat I have been Homo to England and aave learned my business, and know iyhen and when not to attempt to make an ascents I- cannot go anywhere in city," he said, -'.without meeting

some man who considers that he knows more about flying than I do. 11l the South Island," 'lie continued) "I was helped and encouraged in every way, with the result that my southern tour was a success, but Saturday's demonstration "by tlio Wellington public was .hostile, and, had it not been that I had such an antagonistic and unsympathetic crowd to deal with' to-day, I should certainly not liavo tried a flight."

The Damage Dane. Mr. Scotland' liad also something to say concerning tho wind in New Zealand. "I consider," 'ho said, "that chiefly owing to the formation of tlw land in this country, especially the North Island, a Wind with -a velocity of 30 miles per hour here is as bad: as a wind with a velocity of 100 miles per hour in England. Mr. Scotland estimates the value of his machine, ivhich was uninsured, at about £700. The engine was, as far as could be ascertained, undamaged, buttho planes and' other tackle are damaged beyond repair. Asked as to liis future movements, Mr. Scotland said that he had not yet decided what course to pursue. ' V ; . Almost. immediately after the accident curio seekers were eagerly entreating Mr. Scotland to put his autograph on small fragments of the propellor which had fallen from the machine in the trees, and' a few people are now possessors of an autograph of a somewhat unique kind.

FLYING OVER MONT BLANC.

- : A GREAT FEAT IN AVIATION. A magnificent feat of airmanship was accomplished recently when the Swiss airman, M. Agenor Parmelin, flew over Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe. M. Parnieiiii, who is chief pilot at the Duperdussin Flying School at Itheims, left Geneva, forty-live miles from Mont Blano, at 1.39 in tho afternoon. He passed over tho highest peak of. the mountain (15,782 feet abovo sea level) and landed at 3.15 owing to fog at Aosta, twenty-five miles distant on thd Italian side. "After circling in the air once or twice to test my machine and get my direction," he said, "I fltfw straight towards Mont Blanc, which stood, a huge white.giant against the deep'blue of the sky, a few miles in front of me. For the first.few minutes I was in some fear that I might'have to return, as my engine was working badly. -I had to work hard to get it right, but after I had been flying about a milo, it began to work smoothly. . "I gradually climbed to a height of 9000 feet.' All this time J was fighting with a terrific wind, which now and then almost put me off my course. Happily I - was able to keep control of my machine and soon • I found myself flying over the top of Mont Blanc. I was then :at a height :of 17,684 feet, the highest I attained, and the cold was' intense. ; , , ■ "Despite the mist which enveloped the summit' of the mountain I could clearly distinguish; the plain far below on which I hoped, to land; It .seemed hopelessly far away. There were several cross-wind currents on the summit, and I was tossed about and more than once 1 1 was . carried out of my course. The coll made my shoulders ache. ' I managed to fight against - it, however, and flew in tho direction of theJDome du Gouter. • '1 planed from the Dome and skirting Mont Chotif, found myself in a direct line With' tho Valley of Aosta. _ I dropped to 12.000 feet after leaving Mont Blanc behind me, and at once saw. that it was,useless to think of continuing as.-far as Turin. The mist was far too dense. When I saw Aosta below I jut off my engine and planed down.