IN THE AIR.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 1404, 31 January 1911, Page 4

IN THE AIR.

J. J. HAMMOND, "THE HIGH FLYER."

West Australian papers just to hand give a good deal of space to an aviator who is well known here, Mr J. J. Hammond, some of whose people live in Feilding. Commenting on Mr Hammond's nights in Perth, "Zadig," in his "At Random" notes in the Western Mail, says: "I sincerely admire Mr Hammond's pluck. I recognise his splendid skill. I even venture to praise his wise caution: And I am proud that lie is an Australian." _ Mr Hammond is accompanied on his tour by his wife, an Englishwoman, and she has also been with him on some of his flights through the air. The Perth Daily News gives , this sketch of the aviator: A long man and spare of' build, with sharp features, blue eyes and fail , -hair, Mr J. J. Hammond, who arrived from London by the it.M.S. Omrah yesterday, was discovered by pur representative to carry in his card case paste-boards showing him to le a ' 'pilot. aviator certified by the Aero Club de. France and Royal Aero Club of England. A "pilot aviator" would ordinarily be supposed to be some rare sort of bird or at least to have the eagle eye and fierce aspect of a king of the air. But Mr Hammond is mild in appearance, niilder in manner, and might easily be taken or " mistaken for /one who walked the earth in easy peace and wanted no hazardous or adventurous experiences anywhere, certainly not a mile and a half sky-high. But when he produced his credentials we found that lie is familiarly known in the Aero Press as "The High Flyer/ that he has done a power of aeroplanmg in France and England, has been above 5000 ft in the coldest weather, has flown 180 miles.non-stop,in 3 hours 37 minutes, and is now attached as pilot aviator to the Australasian staff of the British and Colonial Aeroplaning Company, of which. Sir Geo. White, of Bristol, is chairman. It appears that a pilot aviator is a certificated . expert, whose relation to the - airship is the same- as that of a captain to an ocean-going vessel:. None other may drive aeros carrying pas- ; sengers or drive at all where there is any danger., involved to the pub- | If a novice wiU go into the wilderness and risk his. neck on an aero, well, who may stand between him and his. folly? Our aviator is a New Zealander, a married man, and lias_ been four years in Europe, of which fifteen months have been devoted to aeroplaning. The purpose of the present visit is to introduce the Bristol .aeroplane (of the Farman type) to Australasia. He is accompanied by two mechanics. They have with them, two machines, and these are being followed by engines for others. The engines are of the Rotary -Gnome type, and must be worth the inspection of engineers, for they weigh 1681b over all, are- 50----h.p., do 1275 revolutions, and cost £600. Aviation is certainly an expensive hobby, because the Bristol aeroplane log price, all complete, runs into £1100.