HUNTING BY AIR

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 35, 12 February 1923, Page 3

HUNTING BY AIR

GIANT BUSTARDS BAGGED,

The latest sport is hunting the big bustard (the largest bird in Europe) by aeroplane at 50 miles an hour. It haa been started at the Getafe Aerodrome iw Spain by Lieutenant Lecea, flight instructor, and his fellow officers, says th* "Continental Daily Mail." The bird is no mean quarry, weighing anything from 27 to 421b, with a measurement of over two and a half yards from tip to tip of the wings in the largest specimens. It takes flight long before man or. foot can get anywhere near it. The country surrounding the aerodrome at Getafe contains a greatnumber of thess biros. Lieutenant Le--cea, flight insiructc-r of the school situated at this aerodrome, conceived the idea last September of attacking a group and separating from it one bird and of following- it until he tired ifc and made it land.

The experiment was completely successful. Qnce they had made it land, ha and his observer landed also and pursued the bird on foot, reaching it without great difficulty.

Most attractive of the various form* in which the hew air sport may be pursued is that iv which the horsemen cooperate with the aeroplane. With the aeroplane soaring the horsemen set out over the country until a signal from the airmen gives the warning that the birds have been sighted. The ground forces spread themselves out, pressing steadily fm-ward until the birds, which soon become alarmed, rise into the air.

Forward shoots the aeroplane, quickly gaining on 'the birds. The horsemen deploy themselves into a wide circle a little over half a mile in- diameter, ■within which, some 600 ft overhead, the airmen manoeuvre the birds, singling out on« which vainly tries to escape the machinesBird and aeroplane wheel and swoop. The horse-men follow closely theii? movements, until, gradually tiring, thtf quarry dips lower and lower and eventu-' ally drops to earth. Spurs are set to the horses, which dart forward. The' bird, however, is still game for a land chase, and, half running, half flying, it careers over the fields until it is captured. In the meantime the aeroplans has gone forward to pick up another trail, and the operation is repeated. Another phase of this sport, that of shooting the bird from the aeroplane,, was at once taken up with complete success. The machine is driven into the flock as soon as the birds rise, and they are shot at- from the front sent.

The aeroplane for this kind of sportshould be a, slov.' machine just capable of speed superior to that of the birds. It is calculated that the bW.r.-d rjr. do 50 mites an hov.r without the wind and never rises ir.o;-e than a little ovijr 600 ft.