TRAGIC DEATH OF AVIATOR.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16437, 3 February 1919, Page 6

TRAGIC DEATH OF AVIATOR.

31R C. il. HILL KILLED. COLLAPSE OF AEROPLANE OVER, RACECOURSE. A shocking tragedy occurred at the Riccarton racecourse on Saturday afterI noon, Mr C. M. Hill, chief instructor to I the 'Canterbury Aviation Company, meeting with his death. The Summer Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club was being held, and at about 3.30 p.m. Mr Hill was seen flying over the course. He performed various stunts for a, few minutes, and then looped the loop. At a height estimated at ICOO feet, he commenced a second loop, • and had half completed the evolution whon the machine collapsed. One of the wings snapped, and it was immediately followed by the collapso of the other. Down it plunged to earth, falling with its pilot on that part of the Canterbury Jockey Club's reserve between the racecourse proper and the Yaldhurst road. Dr. Scott immediately motored over to the spot, but found that Mr Hill had died berore ! lie was pulled out from the wreckage. It is assumed that death ensued before Ihe reached the ground. Mr Hill's body was shortly afterwards conveyed to the Sockburn aerodrome, where an inquest was held on Saturday evening by Mr T. A. B. Bailey, District Coroner. * The machine in which Mr Hill met his death was an 80 h.p. biplane constructed at the aerodrome by Mr J. G. Mackie. It had certain new features which were expected to increase its stability. Mr Hill intended to fly to Invercargill in it, but had not completed his tests. On the first occasion on which he tested the macliine for steep banks it side slipped and started a spin, but Mr Hill pulled it out of the spin very promptly. The collapse was evidently duo to an internal weakness which could not survive the second loop. THE INQUEST. At the inquest:

James Cutiibert Meroer, assistant instructor at the Canterbury Aviation School, said deceased was a fully qualified airman. Tho machine ho was using at the time of his death was the property of the company, having been built under the supervision of the deceased, and completed a fortnight ago. The deceased had expressed Himself as quite satisfied with the machine. He left tho aviation grounds at about 3.11 p.m., to give an exhibition of flying over the Riccarton racecourse, and before starting lie examined tho machine, as was his usual practice, and found no fault with it.. Witness arrived at tho scene of the accident at about 3.40 p.m. and exanjined the machine. He found two flying wires which were used to brace the wings broken. If the machine _ had been tampered with bofore the flight they would havo seen it. If ono bar broke the other would then snap, as the result of the extra strain. As the deceased was looping the loop, tho greatest strain would be put on tho wires and stays. The deceased had not previously looped with this machine. He (witness) would not have performed the loop with it. The wire for tho stays was imported from England, and was the samo as was used in all machines. The weather conditions were all right. If the stays broke witness did not think tho timber in any machine would stand the strain

Henry Francis Wigram, chairman of directors of tho Canterbury Aviation Co., said deceased was head instructor of the company's school. Ho was a .thoroughly competent man, and had tho highest testimonials, both as a flier and as an instructor. Witness had seen the machine with which the accident took place. Deceased told him that ho was very well satisfied with it. Ho (witness) saw the deceased flying afc the time of tho accident. Just previous to the accident deceased circled low over tho ground on the course, and then rose rapidly until he was hidden by tho clouds. Then sinking again, ho appeared to porform a cart-wheel, and then to dive, and attempt to loop tho loop. Ho appeared to have the loop half done when the machine collapsed and fell to earth. Mounted Constablo Greig, on duty at Riccarton Racecourse, gavo particulars also as to the accident. Ho was quickly on tho spot whoro tho machine foil, and assisted to remove the body from the remains of the broken machine. Life was then extinct.

The Coroner recorded a verdict that deceased was killed through a fall from an aeroplane.

MR HILL'S CAREER

Mr C. M. Hill, whose relatives live , at Bridgwater, Somersetshire, Eng- ■ land, was thirty-four years of age, and ; prior to his appointment as instructor at tho Sockburn Flying School, was i chief instructor at Hall's _ School at 1 Hendon. tho well-known training place i of English ayiators. Soon after the establishment of the Canterbury Avia- > tion Company the directors discussed tho appointment of an instructor, and contemplated engaging Flight-Lieuten-ant Scotland, a young New Zealander, who had brought out an aeroplane from England, and had made some pioneer H'gnts. Flight-Lieut. Scotland, on the outbreak of the war volunteered for service and was sent to Mesopotamia, where ho served with the Royal Flying Corps. He had been invalided back to New Zealand, and was offered the position of instructor at Sockburn, but) eventually declined on account of thei state of his health. Tho directors received applications from several candidates, but before making an appointment they sought and obtained tne assistance of tho Government in making enquiries for a suitable man through tho High Commissioner for the Dominion m London, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who strongly recommended Mr Hill, who was duly appointed and arrived in Ohristchurch on May 3rd, 1917, about a fortnight after the first machine had! been delivered at the Sockburn School. On June 19th of the ,same year thei school started actual operations, when, tho first passenger flights were made in. Canterbury. Mr Hill took up in the <50 h.p. t\yo-scater successively the chairman (the Hon. H. F. Wigram) and Mrs Wigram, and the six pupils then in; residence. A month later the first machine built at Scckburn became available, and on August 24th all six pupils took their certificates, flying the machine they had helped to build. Thei supervisor was Major (now Colonel) Sleeman, 1.G.5.. who complimented Mri Hill on his pupils' performances. From August, 1917, to June, 1918, the firsti one hundred pupils wore trained and secured their tickets. The records ofc the school show that the first one hundred pupils made 14,791 distinct flights, j both dual control and solo, an average f of nearly 150 flights per pupil. At the average speed of tho machines this represents about 30,000 miles flown. In addition to instruction in flying, Mr* Hill and Mr Mackie taught tho .P rLn " ciples of construction and repair of. aeroplanes, and practical instruction m the care and maintenance of aeroplanes and engines. At different periods Mr ■ Hill entertained crowds on the Riccarton racecourse and tho Addington show grounds with aerial evolutions, ana many prominent men in the I>oniinion, including Cabinet Ministers, have been taken by him for flights over the city. Just recently Mr Hill visited Otago and , Southland, and had made arrangements for a series of air displays as far as : Lnvercargill, nis intention being to carry a passenger between each centre, and it was for this purpose that he , tried out the machine on Saturday. Mr Hill possessed great personal charm*

and was epiineutly successful in installing esprit de corps amongst his pupils, as well as strong feelings oft personal affection. Ho leaves a widow and a daughter two years of age. THE HON. H. F. WIGRAM'S EULOGY. As chairman of the Canterbury Aviation Company, the Hon. H. F. Wigram, M.L.C., was brought in constant and close contact with the late Mr C. M. Hill, and naturally had many opportunities to know nnd appreciate his many fine qualities. A reporter who interviewed Mr Wigram with reference to his experiences of Mr Hill found him deeplv affected by Saturday's tragic and sad fatality. Mr Wigram spoke of the departed aviator as of a very dear and much loved friend.

The most eloquent testimony regarding Mr Hill's character, Mr "Wigram said, was to be found in the feelings with which he inspired the studonts under him. Abundant ovidenco of the intimate bond of sympathy between instructor and 6tudent was to be found in the letters written by the students from Egypt, from France, from Scotland, and from other countries to which tho pilots from the Sockburn flying school have gono. Nearly every one of Mr Hill's students corresponded with him, and many have written most delightful letters full of enthusiastic appreciation of his work, and of flattering comments on his system of instruction as compared with tho systems in use in the aerodromes of which they have had experience. The tone of these letters and their sincerity leavo no doubt whatever that Mr Hill ondeared himself to every student. Yet such was his admirable tactfulness that despite the cordial relations existing between instructor and student there was no loss of discipline. Although he did not impose anything like military discipline, Mr Hill had only to express a wish that a thing should be done, and it was exocutod cheerfullv and promptly-

Mr Hill's careor as an instructor in aviation started at Hendon, and ho loft that school to take charge of tho school r.t Sockburn where. Mr "Wigrnm believed, he had probably a greater measure of complete control than at Hendon. At Sockburn ho had full opportunity to realise his own theories in tho training of aviators, and the soundness and success of those theories when put into practice was shown by tho fact that Air Hill trained 180 pilots without any accident of any kind. That was, Mr Wigrnm believed, a world's record. A quiet modesty was one of Mr Hill's characteristics, "which was unaffected by his success. Possibly there exist thousands of airmen who aro as export and as skilful as the late .Mr Hill, but Mr "Wigrarn questioned whether tbpre existed one who was his equal as an instructor. Many instructors might possess greater experience, might have bettor machines, with which they could <lo "stunts" excelling any that Mr Hill performed, yet, as was shown by the letters written bv his students, Mr Hill's system of tuition brought tho loarner on quicker and safer than was tho case under tho different systems they had seen in operation m other aerodromes. Tho great care exercised by Mr Hill when instructing beginners was omphasis3d by Jus old students as differentiating his system from those of which they had later experienco. There are no machines at the Sockburn school suitable for the performance of "stunts.".. Compared with those used by aviators in other parts of the world, tho machines at Sockburn, while admirably suited for instructional purposes, are mere tovs and unsuitable for fancy flying. So that, as far as exhibition living was concerned, Mr Hill never haci an opportunity with the machines at Sockt?i_ k° , ow what ho was capable. When Mr Hill arrived in Christc^ h on May 3rd, 1917, the buildings at the Sockburn Flying School had been erected, and tho first- machine had been received, but since then Mr Hill had supreme control of tho school, and wns distinctly responsible for the success it attained. Of Mr Hill's keenness in all matters pertaining to aviation, there was no question: nothing seemed a trouble to him that was likely to advance the school or its students, and ho worked early and lato to ensure success. Mr Wigrarn, in concluding, indicated how deeply he felt the loss of so keen a sportsman and a character sn lovable ns Mr Hill, feelings that will be shared by Mr Hill's students and by all who were privileged to meet and know him.

AN APPRECIATION

(By "Parent of Flier.")

Those of us parents whoso boys havo passed through the Flying School are to-day bowed down with grief, and 1 doubt if there will bo a dry eye amongst us. To havo known Mr Hill was a privilego that only those who have come in contact with liim can appreciate to the full. As parents we soon found that our boys had not only found a capable instructor and ono that would take any risk himself to ensure the safety of his pupils, but they had found a sincere friend whose character was beyond reproach—one who' set before them such a high example of courage and uprightness that it was bound to influence them for the rest of their lives. Ho found a permanent place in their hearts, and one and all always spoke of him in tho utmost terms of affection and respect. With inaJiy of them lio has kept up a correspondence, and has taken the deepest interest in their progress through their careors at Homo and on tho battlefield, and the boys havo found it one of their greatest pleasures to tell him of their experiences. Had the authorities at Home searched the v/holc of England, ,or, for that matter, the whole world, they could not havo found a moro capable and suitable man for tho position. To say that ho filled it with distinction is only a small part of the praise ho deserved. Perhaps it is wo parents who feel his loss most deeply, bht no one who knew him at all, and the public who had witnessed his performances in the machine, must foal that a really exceptionally capable man, who always tried to five them pleasure, has gone from amongst us. A born instructor and a most sincere friend to his pupils—he was more than that m the minds of his pupils and t.hoir parents—ho was and always will be a hero.

THE FUNERAL

The funeral of the late Mr C. M. Hill will leave tho Sockburn Flying School at 2 p.m. to-day for the Riccarton churchyard. ■