THRILLING DISPLAY

Southland Times, Issue 21362, 7 April 1931, Page 7

THRILLING DISPLAY

PARACHUTIST AT WIGRAM. NORWEGIAN’S NEW RECORD. Lieutenant Haakon Qviller, the Norwegian parachute expert, thrilled a crowd of between 2000 and 3000 people at Ihe Wigram Aerodrome on Saturday afternoon, when he gave two exhibition descents. Both were novel and full of suspense for those on the ground. Unfortunately, the first descent was made nearly an hour after the advertised time, making the second one very late in the afternoon—too late for many of those present, as the cold wind forced hundreds to leave the aerodrome. The first descent was from the extraordinary low altitude of 400 feet. Going up in a Moth aeroplane piloted by Mr J. C. Mercer, Mr Qviller jumped when over Plumpton Park and landed in front of the crowd on the aerodrome. When the machine had gained the required altitude, Mr Qviller could be seen to scramble out on the wing. For a few seconds he balanced there and then dropped off behind. For nearly a hundred feet the parachutist dropped like a stone. He was so low that those on the ground could watch his every movement. Then the huge silk bag opened out and, caught by the breeze, it drifted across country to the landing field. Mr Qviller made a good landing, and in a few seconds was surrounded by spectators. During the drop he could be seen controlling the speed with the vent cord. He gradually checked the parachute until he was travelling downwards at a very slow rate. Just before five o’clock the second descent was made. In doing it, Mr Qviller made a new record, dropping 2000 feet before he opened his parachute. The Moth machine could be seen just below the clouds, at a height of approximately 4000 feet, when a dark speck fell from it. Crashing downwards at a terrific speed, and turning over and over all the time, it seemed to those watching from the ground that the man would never open his ’chute in time to save himself from disaster. After going downwards for a full 2000 feet, the pilot ’chute, which opens the main apparatus, was seen to dart upwards, and this ,was followed a second later by the filling out of the main parachute. The descent was delayed with startling suddenness, and it seemed to the onlookers that the parachute pilot was momentarily jerked upwards. After that the parachute glided gently to the earth. Mr Qviller landed on all fours in Plumpton Park, and in so doing sustained a cut above the eye. The wound was not serious. The delayed drop -was really thrilling. During the time that the airman was hurtling downwards the crowd was completely silent. Its relief was audible when the parachute opened out.