TESTING A ’PLANE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 177, 28 June 1937, Page 9

TESTING A ’PLANE

SCOTLAND FROM THE AIR. NEW ZEALANDER’S THRILL. Frequently—and more particularly since the acceleration of aircraft production at Home under tbe Government’s shadow scheme—the cables bring news of endurance flights being conducted for the purpose of testing tbe capabilities of tbe latest t”pes of aircraft and tbe efficiency of new designs. The reader who gives the paragraph any more than scant attention at the most conjures up visions of aviators adequately protected against the cold Hying almost aimlessly, their sole purpose being to keep tbe machine in the air for a certain length of time, at a specified height, and undergoing particular tests. It would seem a most prosaic experience, and occasionally a grim one. That it is far from such —rather a delightful excursion for the airman who has a mind to appreciate the beauties unfolded beneath him—is evident in a letter received recently by a Palmerston North resident from a relative who is attached to a Royal Air Force aerodrome near Glasgow and who formerly resided in the ltangitikei district. He does not write with the lack of experience of danger—his machine recently crashed in a fog when he was participating in a search for one of the machines which contributed to tbe unhappy toll of life among R.A.F. airmen when dense fog spoiled demonstration flights at the various aerodromes in the British Isles. On that occasion, although .bis ’plane was wrecked, he escaped with minor injuries. But on the flight of which he writes, and which took place on May 4, he experienced nothing more unpleasant than bumpiness. His letter, in pencil, was written in an Avro Anson machine, of which api lot-officer was captain and he second pilot, sharing the duties of piloting. “We’re intending to fiv all around the coast of (Scotland, so every now and then I’ll say where we are,” he commences a most interesting survey at 11.50 .n.m. “At present we’re just over the mouth of tbe Clyde and heading for the Island of Bute. The weather was cloudy and dull when we left, but we are now running into sunshine —this flight has to be carried out at a height of 1000 ft; that is why we are round the coast, in order to avoid all high ground. We’re now passing over tbe Island of Bute, with the Island of Arran on our left; there is hardly a breath of wind and the water is lovely and calm. Our speed is 150 m.p.li. in usual speed talk, but on our speedometer it reads 130 knots. Most of our work is done over the sea, therefore we always work in nautical miles. We have an aerial camera on board, just in case we see anything of interest. LIKE NEW ZEALAND. “I wish you were here, as you would get a great kick out of it !” the writer exults. “The scenery is absolutely marvellous, with all the lochs, islands - , different coloured fields, moorlands, and mountains; at times the reflections are perfect —and to think I might lia.ve still been in an office! (Scotland is very much like New Zealand for scenery, although not as beautiful —there is no good, old bush scenery—nothing but woods. Of course, all the hillsides are covered ill heather, which I believe is very beautiful, but it is not out in flower yet, so I can’t give you any opinion. “We are now flying between tbe Island of Jura and the Argyllshire coast; the Island of Mud is now ahead, but we will fly around it . . . Above the Sound of Mull. Mull is a desolate looking place, and terribly lonely looking, but all the same I would like to spend a week or two tramping over it. OCEAN AND CRAG. “The town of Oban is away over on our right, and old Ben Nevis is sticking his head up above all else, showing off the little snow that is now left. Here comes a small steamer along the Sound of Mull, and it looks very nice —yes,it’s one of the boats that go on cruises round the islands, but that’s far too slow a way of seeing things, especially where you can do it in an Anson and get paid for it as well. I’ve just taken a photograph of an outlandish lighthouse. We’re now between the Islands of Eigg and Rhum and are heading for the Island of Skye, which wo will cross over above some low land to the south-eastern end. Skye is just a mass of peaks! We have now beer, up ail hour, and I expect I’ll be taking over shortly. Skye has now gone, and the Islands of Harris a.nd Lewis aro away on the left —where the Harris tweed comes from. “We had to leave before dinner so are now wrapping ourselves around a few sandwiches, for they say the army marches on its stomachy so why shouldn’t we fly on ours? Yon know, Scotland would he a big country if it was laid out flat, but instead it’s only a small one, as it’s nothing but big hills, or perhaps I should he polite and say mountains! I justtook a photograph of a tramp ship in the Minch, which is the sea between the Isle of Lewis and the mainland—it must have come round the northern coast. I lie whole coastline is very rocky, but occasionally there a.r© jolly nice small, sandy beaches; but I bet the water is cold. ROUND JOHN O’ GROATS. “Well, we’ve now rounded the north coast,” continued this interested and interesting observer. “I took a photograph of Cape Wrath, the most northwesterly point of Scotland, round John O’ Groats and down past Wick, where we saw a wrecked skip on the rocks, so I took a couple of photographs of it We have left land altogether now and are heading for the Morayshire coast; the weather is poor now, and it was raining along the north coast. There are now only about three-gallons left in our outer tank, so we’ll have to switch over in a minute or so. . . We’ve switched over to the inner starhoard and now, two minutes later, to the inner port tank. We have just on two and a-half hours to get back home, so we’re a long way from home yet. The weather is starting to clear again, but it is still not so clear.

“3.20 p.m. —We’re now passing over Dundee and heading up the Firth of Tay; we’re going to get home by low land and valleys as we haven’t go down to Edinburgh and round. For the last hour the weather wars terrible, and at one stage we nearly landed at a ’drome we were near, but decided to carry on .and hope —well, later the weather cleared and now is perfect. We are now a few miles from home and jlist using up the last of the fuel. The yacht Nahlin, that King Edward VIII went for that cruise on last year, is now in Loch Gare at the month of the Clyde. I just took two photographs of it, which I hope will he O.K. Tt’s humpy. AVe’re over the ’drome now, and coming in to land, so I’ll close at 4.15 p.m., or as we say 16.15 hours.” | And so a young New Zealander in the role of an aerial Columbus glided to a “happy landing” after traversing ! the beauties of Scotland in hours — I home in time for tea 1 1