TRICK FLYING ALLEGED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16584, 17 November 1921, Page 8

TRICK FLYING ALLEGED.

TIMARU AVIATORS CHARGED, * DECISION RESERVED, (Special to the “ Star.”) TIMARU, November 17. j In the Magistrate’s Court this mornj hiy, Ofcutre -ur iv i>, Mosley, S.M., P. j K. Fowler and Maurice W. Buckley were charged with trick hying, namely, no&e diving over the town of Timaru, and also with flying at an altitude over the town other than that which the Aviation Act allowed. Fowler did not appear and Buckley pleaded not guilty. They, were represented by Air L. E. Finch, who asked that the cases be taken together, as the alleged offences were in respect of the one machine. Sergeant M’Gregor said t,hat on T>ecembei -1 last he saw a plane flying near Caroline Bay, and judged it to he about 200 ft in the air. His attention was drawn to it by its manoeuvring, and a nose dive was executed. 3t was also swoopinnr »- tl p on side. It was then brought over town, passing over the Grosvenor 10k-o 1 a t a'very low altitude, probably 30ft or 40ft above | the roof. Witness considered it to be an exhibition of trick flying over the I town and it was not- what lie had j usually seen in Timaru. i Constable Sampson corroborated, j The defence was a complete denial ! and that what thev did was sound • aeronautics, Tiio alleged nose dive was I n ?\ n *“»* dive at nil, but a method jnr keeping balance. He submitted that. (bo piltfts, who were widely experiI enoed, were flying within the regula- ; ‘wn. Jn judging the height of a mui chine, its size and the atmospheric conj uitions and the angle of view had to be considered. The defendant Buckley. | ,vho 1915 to the end of the war was a captain in the R.A.F., said that on the date of the alleged offence he was employed by the New Zealand Aero Jrnnsport Company ns a pilot, and he and Fowler were in dual control of the , machine, which had two sets of controls. When the machine burned quickly it went on its side, and as it i came out of the turn the nose would point slightly towards the ground. io Mr finch: He denied having done any trick flying that day. Nose diving ould not bo done with safety tinder 2000 ft. It would have been risky to attempt, a nose dire at the height he was flying. The alleged nose dive was an abrupt inclination of the ’plane in its manoeuvres. The lowest altitude they were at over the town was about 400 ft. Two landing grounds were available, tlio beach and the Maori reserve. Had the engine failed he could have landed at either place. To Senior-Sergeant Fahey: The object of the sharp turns was to enable them to keep direction. He went to Caroline Bay with a view to inspecting it as a landing ground. The flight commenced at 2000 ft, and when the engine was shut off and the glide made control wag not lost. He would swear that n<» nose dive was made, and the machine was not over the buildings in the town in the afternoon. When the Hydro was passed the machine was 000 ft up. To Mr Finch: There were instruments to gauge the height of a machine; hence he was not giving his own opinion. To the Magistrate : The company was a commercial concern. He had had it in view to examine the bay as a Sanding ground for some time. The Magistrate: Why did you choose Sunday then? —Because it was a suitable day. Would you say that the police were misjudging the distance? —1 consider that the machine was not within four hundred yards of the Grosvenor, and that it was not brought over the town. There was more strain on a machine when it was turned. Captain, J. H. Hon said that according to the evidence of Buckley the turn he described did not constitute trick living. He considered that there was no danger in nose diving. He considered the machine defendants were using one of the strongest, made. Witness went on to show the dimculties of gauging height and the position of aeroplanes. The Magistrate said ho nad been unable to get a copy of the regulations until this morning, but knew of course of the Act. The regulations did not define trick Hying. The matter v.-us of some importance, and he would reserve his decision.