MR SCOTLAND'S TRIBUTE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14978, 27 May 1914, Page 9

MR SCOTLAND'S TRIBUTE.

Yesterday morning a representative of "The- Press had a conversation with Mr J. W. H. Scotland, the wellknown young New Zealand aviator, who is at present iv Christchurch, awaiting r rival of a new aeroplane from England, and who expressed keen regret at the news concerning Hamel, with wham he was well ac(fuairited.

-'GustdY'Hamel was a h Qra aviator," said Mr Scotland. "He """as a Scandi-j nhvian by birth, but bo was oducated in England. lam not sure of his exact age, but ho was' still in his twenties. Ho was one of tha pioneers of aviation in England, and was one of tho greatest pilots of. the air. . Ho first took up the Bleriot monoplanes/ as pilot, but last year ho changed to the machines built by tho Mofane-"sauJhier Company—a well-known. French .'firm•. Hamel had a great record as'an On September 28th last year, : he wow the Aerial Derby with his 80 horsepower Morane-Csauliner monoplane. Tho race was 100 miles round the City of London, and, starting from scratch. Hamel defeated sixteen competitors, all .'top hole' fliers. Barnwell was second with his Martiiisyde. machine. Hamel always* acted as pilot for the wellkno'VU lady aviator. Miss. Trehawko Davis, who was the first woman iv England to 'loon tho loop' in an aeroplane. She has made many flights with Hamel, and she looped the loop with him in February or March last. '.'Wheij I was last in England, Hamel established the British speed., record, making 87"'miles an hour on a straight eonr-so at Hondon. Hamel was certainly the finest air pilot that -England has ever produced." Regarding the •cross-Ohannel flight, ou which Hamel has apparently met his end, Mr Scotland .paid that thia had s be'eii done .many times. Tt was considered that" thero was nothing dangorous about the journey, provided it was made under fair weather conditions. !-;. f , "It.is merely a 2^milb-sprint,'* said Mr Scotland, "with goad cpuhtry on both sides. A good aviator working iy> to,a, fair height would ho ahle to glide the whole 1 distance wtthout any' trouhlo. Not Jong ago, Raynham glided on his 'Avro* aero-ilane from ; ; %o Hendon, a distance of 21 miles, with his engine cut off. Ho first rose to a height of about 10,QOO,feet. and then stopping his engine, glided down to a height of 5000 feet above jfendon.