THE AERIAL DERBY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8190, 3 August 1912, Page 9

THE AERIAL DERBY

The first aerial Derby was raced over an eiebty-one mile course round London under the worst weather conditions available. Jupiter Flavius was in a nasty -tem. per, and all the morning emptied his waterbutts upon London with an occasional devotion in the way of thnnder and lightning. Howe\pr, as it is daylight until nearly 10 p.m., the race was not timed to start until 4.30, and by that time tho elements wore rather lose obstreperous. Seven competitors decided to risk a ducking up aloft, but only four finished the race. The doughty winner, Mr Gustav Hamel, carried his usual passenger. Miss Trehawke Davies, and so she who was the first woman to fly the Channel is also tho first of her sex to race round London or to take part even as a passenger in any important flying race. Flying is becoming quite an ordinary procedure to her now, so much so that she wrote a diary of the trip, and she and Mr Hamel bolted through the clouds ot tho average rate of a mile a minute. She wrote it on a single sheet of notepaper with a pencil on her knee un til tho wind blew it out of her clutches. Then she finished on an envelope. A diary of the first aerial Derby surely ought to become a historic document. At any rate it is interesting and worth printing. She heads it—- “ Daily Mall” Circuit of London. Hendon, June Bth, 1912.

Leaving ground 4.40 p.m. Kather misty. Mr Sopwith Just disappearing' in front. Can't see any planes behind, though X keep on turning. Bother! Folding map torn out of programme has blown bach and below. Now 1 shan’t know where we are. 4.45 p.m.—Three hundred metres (about 1005 ft) up. Many people witching in streets and fields. They all look so "glued" to earth.

4.55 p.m.—The Caudron has just overtaken ns, flying very fast on the left. Irritating to see this plane pass and not ho able to increase speed. 5 p.m.—Crowded roads dotted black with people. Weather clearing. No planes in sight. Temperature 60 Fahr., though 500 meters up (about 1600 ft) remoua (eddies) there.

5,5 p.m.—Passed Kempton. Couldn’t see anv racing going on. Waved hand and tried to . . . (paper blown away). 5.10 p.m. (written on envelope).—Paper Mown under screen quite ont of reach. Getting very misty. May mean a chance for ns it weather ■ is bad. 5.25 p.m.—Turning point. Pnrfleet (?). dense mist over Thames crossing; going into thick grey-brown fog. Can see absolutely nothing. Weird experience this. Eainlng, or rather hailing. 5.30 p.m.—At last wriggled paper into reach with my feet, just in time, as no more room.

(Finish of envelope notes.) 5.35.—G1ad to get hold ot paper again. If Mr Hamel looked behind he must have wondered where I was, for X crawled right under tho screen out of sight. Following Thames. Mist passing military camp tents: leavii g river on left. Still hazy, but sun trying to shine.

5.40. —Soaring horses and cattle, unaccustomed to “Gnome” poise. Continued "stream lining” of myself. A trifle trving. Take best ot all to shut my eyes. Imagine I’m alone, no pilot nor even a plane, hnt jns.t whirling through space—no identity ev*m. inst. element,si, 5.45 p.m.—Snlendtd field for landing n.hout here. Best I have seen in England. Yet, wo prp pot. n-rprtnk'n-'- anv plane, unluckily, hnt still onlv the C-'"dron has nas=cd ns so far. .Tnst over square, redflnwed tower. F«nine. X snnnose. 6.55 p.m.—Crowds ov--n evervwT-ere. T Veen on wTlgglin”- row'd to 1-ok for other "lanes, hot. none vis’hlo. Winder riint we’re everaeing a mile, Kce-Ine ahont 500 metres un, CT-cnt wi-en coming down to show at turning points. 5 o.m.— Most romemher *o esk Mr TTs — c! what all those zino-roofpd sheds are. Bemof! (?e't'"~ —rot.-- ao-..*n. Also cold for first time. Wish T crm T d he-e taken mv Vnd-V and sn-»nned somi, of *I-o oj-owd. No ple"es in sight. Nearing Pe"dop. 5 15,—Wonder who came in first. Planing down.