STUNTING PILOT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 121, 4 May 1936, Page 6

STUNTING PILOT.

'Plane Landed On One Wheel. SHOCK FOR NEWSPAPER MEN. Christchurch, May 3. Flying-Officer F. Truman landed his Air Force Avro aeroplane at Wigram aerodrome this afternoon without one of the landing wheels and without part of his left tail plane. These he had lost at the new aerodrome at Mount Cook, where he was present at the official opening to-day. Mr. Truman brought his machine down otherwise undamaged, and his passenger and himself unhurt—a very skilful feat of flying. The wheel and the tail plane were lost, in a mishap in which two other men were not so fortunate.

After the official opening ceremony Mr. Truman took off with Mr. Harry Wigley, son of the managing director of the Mount Cook Tourist Jompany, as a passenger to give an exhibition of aerobatics. At an altitude between 3000 and 4003 feet he commenced inverted flying, rolling and looping. Then the machine dived from about 2000 feet and swooped over the aerodrome very close to the ground. He turned and dived down the valley again, swooping low greatly to the alarm and consternation of the spectators.

The undercarriage cf the machine struck a parked motor-bus, shearing through the roof, shattering glass and tearing sheet metal as if it were paper. The impact tore off one wheel of the undercarriage cf the aeroplane and part of the left tail plane. A wheel was at once taken out into the flying field and shown to the men in the aeroplane. The pilot flew low for a moment as if undecided what to do. Then he pointed in the direction of Christchurch and flew to Wigram.

The two men injured were Mr. H. Max Whatman, a Star-Sun reporter, and Mr. Reginald N. Downes, chief reporter of the Timaru Herald. They were sitting in the bus which the aeroplane struck. Mr. Whatman was severely shocked and cut by flying glass. His spectacles were smashed but his eyes escaped injury. Mr. Downes was also cut and shocked but not so seriously. Mr. Whatman was brought to Christchurch by another aeroplane for medical attention.