"MY FIRST AEROPLANE RIDE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

"MY FIRST AEROPLANE RIDE."

By ROBT. J. GILMORE, c.c. Savings • Bank, JTewniarket (12 marks). When my turn for a flight arrived the pilot fitted a helmet over my head and goggles were put on my eyes. Pilot and nassenger have to converse by telephone,' the earpieces being in the helmet.' After the mechanics had * 4 tuned up" the motor, I was assisted into the front seat of the plane, a " Gipsy Moth." The little cockpit was very warm and comfortable, my head being 'the only part of my body exposed to the wind. Suddenly the engine gave a mighty roar, the plane bumped over the ground, there a rushing sound and the machine seemed to hurtleitself perpendicularly into the air. The sensatioc! resembled that in a lift. -Hia 'plane continued to rise and the indicators in front of ma showed that we were travelling at sixty miles per hour. Then the little " Moth"/flattened oyt ahd the speed rose to eighty. The earth looked like a green carpet with little red patterns and narrow brown litres. Although we were flying above the Manukau Harbour 1 could just see the water ©a tfia further side of Tiri and Rangitoto, A tiny motor car on the road one thousand feet below was travelling very slowly. The earth seemed to be slipping away very slowly underneath ns In spite of our speed of over one mile per minute—ugh! What a "sinking" feeling I had when the machine " banked*" It seemed to be swinging round using one wing tip for a pivot. Then we rose again; the earth grew dimmer and was sometimes hidden by wisps of white cloud. Now a sudden silence! The motor was switched off and there reigned silence broken only by the straining and squeaking of the wires. Then the earth became distinct—there was a bump and a grating sound—the flight was over.