A FINE CHANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1908, 17 November 1913, Page 7

A FINE CHANCE.

TO FOSTER AVIATION.

MR. HAMMOND'S VISIT.

[Br Stlviub.3

Tho fact that Mr. J. J. Hammond, an aviation pilot, who is well-known in every aerodrome in Europe, wild llis driven ■without accident for over foui years, is_ visiting Wellington, presents possibilities that will surely riot be neglected by those interested in the' formation of a national aero club of ifiagiio. Mr. Hammond has riot cftm* to No>v Zealand to fly—-ho has, come .oil a visit to Ills relatives in tlio Kangitikci, and will bo in .Now Zealand for sonio weeks. • Ho has had an oxtrensely tempting oil'ei to fly ill Sydney, and later on may give tho matter soino attention, but. in ilia tteiiiitimo ho is oi'riy here ifior pleasure and private reasons. Doing a Now Zcala'nder., Mr. Hammond might bo pre vailed upon to do milch that would Joad to tl)6 establishment hero of, at any rate, the nucleus of a fund for iho formation of an aerial corps in connection With the. Defe-nee Forces, Iho aeropiano is now a i-ocogiiisod factor in War* fare, and one that wo should know more about than wo do, Whilst aeroplaning in England is almost, as common as to.bogganmg, Wellirigtow has lio.ver witnessed a flight-. Wo havo been visited by thosft wl'.o, having machines, promised, but- never performod any flights, and a local enthusiast .did some loiig hops ©n a machino ijf Ms own construction along tlio sands at Lyall Bay. Further than tlmt wo.have seen, notiling, and it will probably bo at least a year or rc-.oro before the. young officers will be lit to bo entrusted with tlio control of a machine bucli as .Iho gift aero■piano 'Britannia/' now stored at tlia Mount Cook Barracks. Hero, ..is tho means, and hero is the man-! Should such .an opportunity bo lniss.cd—it is not likely to occur again for. a long time? if Mr. Hammond wero approached ho might bo persuaded to give a series of _ exhibition, oit the '•Britannia" throughout tho Dominion that would furnish funds for the establishment ,o.f tho First. 2£ow Zealand Serial Corps, ajid bring tho country .reasonably ■ up-to-date in aviation. Hero is a means of arousing some national feeling with, regard to tho newest (aiid in X<nv Zealand roil existent) branch of tho 'Service,

t .Sir Hammond i,-? naturally modest When j speaking of his achievements in tho i aeronautic field, but hp has.droppedhints r. tii at should bo eagerly and entiiusiastie- ? ally taken and acted upon, if not by tho . Government, tlion by tlio. Aerial League > <if formed only a couple of I mouths ago. ] ' A Fine Machine. « l In tlio course of a chat the other ; day, Mr Hammond informed a Dominion .: reporter 1 that tlio ■ Ulcriot monoplane i now stored at the Bucklo Street bari racks is tho best typo of machino ox- • tant. It is tlio type that has won all, f tho competitions, and tlio ono favoured . by the majority of tho independent ; pilots, ' ■ ; . "You have a beautiful machino/' 6aid [ Mr, Hammond, '"'and it is a pity to sea . it $iut up in a shed month after month. ■ .It is fitted with an 80-hor-se-powcr i G'nomo cngiiib, which develops • 1200 to- ,' volutions per niiriute, and in capabio'of .flying at iio rate of SO miles.per hour." ' "Given fair weather conditions, I coul.d probably drivo from Wellington to Oiiristchurch i« about a couple of hours. Tlio machino is .quite capable of . doing that, and I would, be .willing to drivo her.. I"doii't./lcilbw whether tlio Britannia is iv.st; tho class .of machino tq send out. herb for a start, That.ia to say, I could never teablv anyone to J drivo with it. Eighty liorserpower is fitnno power, aiid sho does cut out the pace. " For teaching you want an .old ccacll of 40 or 50 horse-power, that only travels at from 30 to <10 miios an hour. With tho nvachinn travelling at 80 miles' nil hour, teaching anyono is cut of the question." ' -Sinco 1 left here a;co.uple. of years «g.0," said Mr. Hammond, "I have been living all over Europe, and in England. Practically tlio whole, of last summer I put- in at Eastbourne, where, .being a lieutenant in tho Army Flying Corps I had tho freo uso df'tho Army aerodome. Flying has almost become a national amusement, and though it ia ! C&poiibvv.o tliero are always plenty' want-' ■ in'c to take it on." . ... What is tho usual charge for a ridoß. was asked. "Fifo guineas for a' quarter of ail •'hour's itidro, sometimes* less." Pretty stiff price, eh? _ "Oh) I don't know—thoro is the risk . ' always, of. course, and aeroplanes art costly. Flying is tho most cxpensivo bobby ill tho world—motoring is a fool to it ii.s regards .cost. What. do yon think the 'Britannia' would cost." "£•500 or £00!)."

"Nearer £1200, and I would be propared to buy it at. that figure. In addition to the initial cost you . must spend £200 or £300 in spare parte and tools before you are proper.ly equipped.". .. How long havo you been flying now, Ifr. Jfa ni mon d? •

"Sine© 100!)--over four years. And 1 believe I've been longer 'Jit it. than any. of tlie.m."

Including Continental pilots? asked th'e interviewer.

"Yos, tho whole lot of them. You see, a lot of them drop out of tho business," explained tho aviator. "I've noticed tliat in tho cables 1" ' ■said tho pressman. ■ . j ''Yea, thoy drop out that way /a, good deal, -but others retire after ;a bit, I don't think there are any pilots now flying who: wero licensed before mo by tho English and French Aero Clubs."

Tho Eyes pf t!ie Nation. Have you tried hydroplaning, Mr, Hammond? 0

'•Why, vcs; it's just the .same as aeroplaniiig, will) this' difference, that you fix wooden llonts 0.11 (o your innchino instead of wheels, llifi.v scnofc along tho surfaco of tho water at tho rate of about forty wile's an hour, and lift in about seventy or eighty yards. Thoy nro extremely handy . for work round tho coast, and will be of as great assisianco to th.o Navy as tho aeroplane is to tho Army--tho two eyes of tho nation in war-tinie."

"During the Balkan war aeroplanes wfi.ro engaged the wl.iplo time, and diet soi'no grc:at work. There wero .50 to 10(1 machines in tiro Peninsula, and. .Adrianople was. sot on firo four or live, times by bombs dropped from a height; of about 6000 ft. ■ Great accuracy,could life achieved In bomb-dropping by study, ing the air cUrrtn'ts and .allowing windago in conjunction." ?