IN THE AIR.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 3023, 18 August 1916, Page 1

IN THE AIR.

YOUNG AIRMAN'S MISTAKE

NEW MACHINE LANDS IN THE

GERMAN LINES

ENGLAND TO LILLE

London, Juno 28. An extraordinary story of tho ilight of ono of tho latest typo British aeroplanes across the. Channel, and its delivery intact three hours after leaving its English base, at tho German aerodrome at Lille, was told in tho House of Lords last night by Lord Montagu of Beaulicu. There is a similarity, Lord Montagu admitted, between the approaches to Lille and those to a British aerodrome in Flanders, a canal figuring in the landscapo near each, but he contended that in the instance named the mistake was due to the fact that the machine, was in charge of an inexperienced pilot, who had not prevoiusly cros* sod tho Channel. Beside tho pilot there was an observer on board, and both were now in the hands of the Germans. "This is not the first timo this has happened," said Lord Montagu, and he asked : Who was responsible for send- j ~ ing this inexperienced pilot with ono of our most valuable and latest machines? Lord Curzon (Chairman of the Air Board) admitted that an aeroplane bad descended in the German lines near Lille, and that a German wireless message announced that tho pilot and observer were prisoners. "The pilot appeared to have lost his way," be said. "The same thing has happened before and will again, and it is not confined to ono side or the other. It has happened to German airmen also. "I do not think it would be a wise rule to lay down that even one of the latest machines may not be flown across tho Channel except by a pilot who had flown across before. That might be a good rule in peace time, but during the war men with the qualifications suggested will be more valuable at the front. I cannot deduce tho very unfavourable conclusions that Lord Montagu draws."