AIR FORCE CAMP

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 156, 29 March 1932, Page 8

AIR FORCE CAMP

Training- at Hobsonville FORMATION FLIGHT Difficulties in Landing Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 27. An informal inspection of No. 1 (Army-Co-operation) Squadron, New Zealand Air Force, which is at present in camp at Hobsonville air base, was made by Colonel J. 18. Duigan, officer commanding the Northern Command, Sir George Richardson and Major 11. Miles. The visitors were received by Wing-Commander K. L. Caldwell, Squadron-Leader T. M. Wilkes, director of air services, Squad-ron-Leader L.’ M. Isitt, officer commanding the Hobsonville base, and Squadron-Leader J. Seabrook, commanding No. 1 Squadron. Since the visit was informal, no departure from the routine training was made, the guests watching the various exercises carried out by some 25 officers of the squadron. During the morning, the Fairey lIIF., which was in use as a seaplane, made a long flight over the Hauraki Gulf as a navigational exercise, Flight-Lieutenant S. Wallingford, who was flying the machine, had his course plotted out for him by two officers of the squadron whom he was carrying as passengers. Other trainees were given instruction in the handling of machines with which they were not familiar, a. number having been trained exclusively on Moths and being, therefore, unaccustomed to the Hawker Tomtit and the Bristol Fighter in use at the base. Formation flying was carried out in the afternoon by five Moth machines, the leader being Flight-Lieutenant J. D. Hewett. The machines circled over the aerodrome in various formations, finally coming in to land in succession. Individual exercises occupied the remainder of the afternoon, most of the pilots having further training In the Tomtit. A successful landing under difficulties was made by one of the junior officers. He was carrying out aerobatics with the Tomtit and during a loop the centrifugal force proved sufficient to cause the base of the pilot’s seat to collapse, with the result that he was seated virtually on the floor of the cockpit. Flying in this position made little difference while in the air, but as he came down to land, the pilot was in a difficulty. From his low-set seat he was unable to see over the side to judge his landing, and was unable to raise himself from the floor as he could not then have reached the rudder-bar. Under the circumstances, he had to make a landing largely by guesswork, and although the machine bounced badly, it came safely to rest after skimming nearly the whole width of the aerodrome. The course trill conclude on Wednesday.

PLANES COLLIDE Mishap at Hobsonville OFFICIAL RETICENCE Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 28. Two planes, a Tomtit machine and a De Havilland Moth, were considerably damaged in a ground collision which occurred at the Hobsonville air base on Friday afternoon. Both machines' had been in the air. The collision occurred immediately after they bad landed, and while taxi-ing. The impact was severe, but the four occupants of the two machines scrambled out uninjured. An eye-witness, who had motored to Hobsonville to have a look at the flying operations, saw the collision from a distance. HA said that both machines appeared to be badly smashed, and that one of the men had received some injury. Questioned about the incident, Squadron-Leader T. 'M. Wilkes, director of air services, who is attending the refresher course at Hobsonville, was reticent. He said both machines were damaged to some extent and would be out of the air for “a couple of days.” He added that the damage was principally to the wings. “They were knocked about a bit,” he added. “The four men who were in the machines lire quite all right and are flying again this morning.” Squadron-Leader Wilkes would not supply the names of the four officers who were in the two machines. “I have given instructions that their names are not to be revealed,” he said.