AVIATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 8 September 1917, Page 1

AVIATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

SENSATIONAL FLIGHTS AT , SOCKBURN. PILOT EABNS AN OVIATIOX HOT,'RLE LOOPING'THE LOOP.' Interest in the promised Hying exhibition at the aviation ground at Stockbuni van exceedingly high in Christchurch on Wednesday. The earlier disappointment a few weeks ago, when a southerly storm put flying out of the question, had been atoned' for'in some measure by the masterly exhibition in the air given the racegoers by Mr Ilill at Riccarton a couple of days later; but this had merely whetted the public appetite for more, and an enormous crowd accepted the company's very generous invitation to come out and set> the grounds again anil, all being well, witness tlio machines in the air. This invitation it may be said, had not the slightest mental reservation even in the form of a Red Cross collecting box, Indeed, the company went further, and after treating its guests to an exhibition of Hying quite unique in New set afternoon' tea before them, am] oven arranged for special tramcars. to run dose to the flying ground, It would be idle to pretend that the huge crowd that streamed out to Sockburn afoot, awheel, in tranicar and 111 motor-car would have been content to inspect the grounds, the hangars, the engine sheds, and tho aeroplanes, interesting. though they might be, and then go homo again, They undisguised!y went to see a flight. TheyAvere rewarded with three magnificent flights, full of strange thrills as the pilot swung his planes through a series of dizzy evolutions that made many a watcher gasp. The flights were a personal triumph for the aviator, Mr Hill, and the day undoubtedly was a very proud one for the Canterbury Aviation Company, wliieh lias already bonin the first-fruits of its endeavour to recruit an indispensable arm of the nation's fighting strength. The mastery of the air was emphatically demonstrated'as the big machine was almost permitted to fall about in the air, and the flights were quite a stimulus to the younger generation from which tho Hying recruits must come,

The weather gave little uneasiness after midday. A strong nor'-wester lifted steadily in dangerous gusts, which threatened to develop into an old-fashioned gale. The day otherwise was ideal, with bright siinsliinq and clear air, not, however, ideal flying conditions. In view of the yery strong wind, Mr Ilill decided to go up first in the higher-powered dual control machine. His ascent was watched by a very dense crowd gathered on the gentle grassy slope running away from the hniiiiars. tfe was tip.and away before half of the spectators had arrived, the afternoon sun ditching his light wings and struts and silvery wires as lie banked round with the wind, at his tail, and set out for a rapid crosscountry climb. Cricling the aerodrome, he came into tlie wind again, and to those accustomed to tlie sight of the mai-liiue in ;i steady wind ilie "going" seemed to be very iinrK 'ilie ii::!;-l«ine slipped and lilted as it droned along in the blustering wind, but the steady Hi row of I lie propeller kepi endless way on, ami I lie aviator was soon round the turn again and scooting before the- wind for what was desfined to be a most spectacular landing. He banked sharply, and where the spectators had merely been looking at the skeleton they now saw the broad spread of the wings as they wheeled! round on one end and came darting down to earth at a dizzy angle, This was only the iirst of a scries of evolutions that no other pilot iu New Zealand lias yet dareo 1 to undertake. The aeroplane . seemed to be shooting to earth like an arrow, when with a'beautiful sweep it lifted again and soared gently down on its runners as daintly as one might wish. There was a spontaneous burst of applause, and the aviator became the centre of a straining crowd, who wished to have a closer view and-sec just what manner of a man it was that essayed such birdlike flights. Mr Hill, who had had the advantage of a view some 700 feet above the heads of his fellow mortals, reported that the road was black with visitors, streaming out to the ground. This indeed was so, and the collection of motor-ears, far outnumbered the tally for a popular race day at Riccarton, Mr Hill therefore, decided to go up again in the 4S-h.p. machine, and the tank was primed. Preparations for the second ascent were made in a moderating wind. The crowd was still arriving, and everybody was pleasantly exhilarated. One lady visitor voiced quite a proprietary interest in the flying when she remarked, "This is a great thing for Christcliurch." Mr 11, P. Wigram, the chairman of the company was the recipient of many congratulations upon the devolpmcnt and early successes, of the venture, and the- visitors, . all' and sundry, congratulated themselves and one another on the happy state of 'the weather, and the excellence of the But once more every eye was riveted on the aeroplane, as Mr Ilill rose almost steeply into the wind, veering over to pass directly over the crowd at a low altitude. This time lie climbed to a. thousand' • feet, and then immediately over the aerodrome performed that most disconcerting manreuvrc known as a cart wheel. The engine was cut out, and in the oppressive''' silence the machine banked up vertically on its tail, toppled lazily on one wing, and just as the dead centra was reached, swung round again to the horizontal. Half the spectators were viewing their first aeroplane, and more than one person remarked'jn awe," "I wish he wouldn't do that." A

[small boy started to cry in terror, ami this by the ; way .recalls the fact-' that 'there were,.numerous small boys'and girls on the ground mostly quite spellbound with. admi,i'ut|ioii, ,aviator meanwhile, had executed, a dangerous tail slide, ami, a dizzy nose dive, after which it was quite a pleasure to sco | him fhrow his engine in again, leaving fi pnlfiOj' while smoke astern- like a sijarpnel-burst. Suddenly the pilot-cut out the engine and swung round in a steep volplane, lie was darting down on the crowd, aud as he came nearer and nearer at a terrific velocity, the crowd fol a moment together, and then mildly stampeded, The thing was rushing to earth like a hawk, and even the initiated were caught in the panic, Ono young lady afterwards said j it reminded her of an earthquake. She didn't know which way to run. But a safe distance from the crowd the engine burst into a roar and the aviator swept up again, leaving' evorvbody feeling a bit sheepish. Once more there was an ideal landing, and a big lane of Immunity opened to let the machine drive up to the hangar.

For the third ascent the weather was more settled, and Mr Ilill flew steadily gaining gradually in altitude until he was 'up 1300 feet or more! Then without warning he was tempted into making the first loop yet performed in New Zealand. The evolution was beautiful in the extreme, and the aviator was so high that the feat was witnessed by several persons in the city., The preliminary dive .to get tho velocity for the turn was taken sharply, but flic loop was performed slowly and almost lazily, The evolution was repeated and there wa& a general hand-clap-ping from the crowd, renewed as (lie machine was brought down in seven sharp turns of a spiral volplane, Mr Hill had a great reception as lie taxied up to the hangar, aud he was very warmly congratulated on every hand. His performance was a great tribute l o his skill as an aviator and the spectators were not slow to appreciate the fact,

Several of Mr Hill's pupils were very anxious to be permitted to fly, but it was decided tlmt there had been enough living for one day. This was fully eonceded by everybody present, and the crowd gradually turned away on the homeward road. The. College and High School Cadets who had marchod to the ground to' witness the flight, gave three ■hews for the aviator, and marched off for their camp at Purau to the strains of "The Long Trail."