AVIATION IN HIGH WINDS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1968, 27 January 1914, Page 5

AVIATION IN HIGH WINDS

MR. HAMMOND'S OPINION. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, January 26. Mr, J. J. .Hammond commented today upon tho misleading messages which appear from time to time about tins or mat airman making an ascent in a gale ol wind. "Any wind blowing Iroin forty to sixty miles an hour is accounted a gale under tho Aero Club rnl6s, " sawr'Mr," 'Hammond, "and the man who makes flights ill such winds is hauled over tho coals i'ar foolliardincss and indiscretion as an aviator. in short, the flying authorities severely discoimtcnancu anything in the shape of flying while a gale is blowing, and fines are imposed on any airman who persists in attempting it, while lio Also runs a lively risk of losing his certificate to boot. Another thing which is tabooed in the Old Country is ilying across cities at low altitudes. If an aviator were to fl.y over a town in England at an altitndo less than 2000 ft., ho would get into trouble., not onlv with the Aero Cltih, but with tho police authorities. _ The reason for this embargo is that, if aii3"Uiing goes wrong while lie is above a populated area, he can clear the town by volplaning down, a thousand feet of descent being allowed to the mile. In England an exhibition of aeroplane flying at a place lilse the Auckland Domain ivdiild hot be permitted at all."

Mi'. Hammond estimates that tho velocity of tho wind oil Saturday was fully sixty miles r.tt hour i-ip above tho shelter of the hills, and that- this handicap was further increased by the eddies and air-nurrent caused by tlio contour of the country. "To liavo landed in the Cricket Ground," lio said, "would liavo been inviting trouble, and T would not have Attempted to rise from tlio Domain Ground under such wind conditions."