FAMOUS LADY FLIERS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 292, 13 July 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

FAMOUS LADY FLIERS.

SOME STRIKING AVIATION FEATS

BY WOMEN,

the an and busincs of flying has to-day assumed such surprising dimensions, and become so extremely important from a dozen points of view: though tile general public is well acquainted with the namet and reno,',vn of the leading aviators of the Royal Flying Corps of England, France, and even of Germany; though it knows most of the men who have brought aeroplanes and Hying to its present splendid position; yet, strange to say. people are woefully ignorant, speaking generally, to the magnificent work women have done, and are doing, in the same region. The public seldom hearor speaks, of the incredible works and feats very clever, intrepid, and hard-headed ladies are performing in this latest of all leading methods of locomotion.

How many people know, for instance, that a- large aerolpane factory in England i; entirely run by a woman, or perhaps it would be more correct to say that she is the leading spirit of the two partner, in it? Yet it is ehielly due to the splendid push and business capacity of Mrs. Maurice Hewlett wife of the famous novelist —that a certain aeroplane works have become what they are to-day. Mrs. Hewlett herself is an accomplished flier, and pos-esses iier full pilot's certificate. She has made many experimental trips in aeroplanes which have led to excellent results in her later manufacture of the machines. Under her direction large numbers ot women are engaged in making the various parts ol the aeroplanes, and for the past two year, Mrs. Hewlett has' been occupied nearly all the time on Government contracts. She is probably the only lady in Britain who stands to-day in this way at the head of such a notable flying department for the making of aeroplanes, and who is herself able to take in band almost any portion of their construction, both theoretical and practical.

THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY. 1 believe Mi & Gertrude Bacon, daughter of the late Rev. J. M. Bacon, the celebrated balloonist, was the lir-t woman to fly at all. She had long been a keen student and practical balloonist, and had made many long and adventuroin vovagei in the ail" before tne aeroplane was invented by the Wrights. As soon as this occurred Miss Bacon bega,n to take a deep interest in the new phase ol locomotion; indeed :he was taken up as a passenger by M. uommer himself, and went for a long flight with him at the first aeroplane meeting at Rlieims, which was almost the very .eginning of exhibitional aeroplaning Europe witnessed. Since then Miss Bacon ha , herself become a practical aviator, and has made many notable flights in various kinds of machines.

The first lady to win her pilot's certificate as an expert aviator, capable of flying with the best of the other s'ex, was Mile. Raymonds d<» Laroche, a Frenchwoman. This was in 1910, when he used a Voisin biplane. She gave many exhibitions of her powers, especially at Heliopolis and Rheims, but later 011 had a severe accident whk-h has since prevented her from flying as a professional, though not from taking a trip now and then. A very intrepid English lady who lias made several aeroplane journeys is Mrs. Charles Radcliffe, of "Leeds, whose brother was the Lord Mayor there a few years hack. Mrs. Radcliffe had the pleasure of taking her trips under the control of Mr. Harold Backbtirne, the celebrated aviator, awl with him she inaugurated the parcels and letter po tby aeroplane. She flew several time? with Mr. Blackburne when ho carried message~ and letters between the towns of Leeds and Wakefield, and Leeds and York. She speaks with enthusiasm of her flying experiences, and her example certainly induced many other ladies in tile We t Riding to follow it, and has given a tremendous fillip to aeroplaning there during the past few years. A FEARLESS LADY AYIATOR.

Perhaps the greatest lady-flier, she whom we might term the "Lidy-eham-pion," is a pretty young French woman named Mile. Helen Dutrieu. She uses a Farman machine, and has appeared as the "star turn" at many famous flying exhibitions, notably the one held n Doncaster in 1911. Here she displayed her marvellous nerve and her wonderful management of the machine in a way calculated to test the very greatest and most fearless male aviator. She has done some astounding feats in the air, and has won many of the chief prizes offered at big meetings. She flew 105 miles in two hours thirtyfive minute.n on one occasion; and on another conveyed two passengers for a long distance in the air round and about Barcelona in order to prove what her maichine was capable of. The only living lady who has so far gone through the thrilling experience of "looping the loop," tfo far as we know, is Miss Jane Anderson, the American lady-correspondent, who took such a fancv to aviation after she came to Britain on behalf of some newspapers in the States. Mis- 1 . Anderson has made many striking flights in aeroplanes so as to learn for herself what they can do in war as well as peace. She 'planed across in the middle of the night over 1/ondon, she "looped the loop"; she flew aoros the Channel. Altogether, she is just alwut as fearless and venturesome as any lady-aviator has yet proved her >elf to be.

Mile. Jeanne Horvue, of French birth, has made for her.Jelf a great name as a user of the Bleriot .machine in Fraiv-e. She has not only gained her full certificate as an expert pilot, but has ma.de severail notable (fights, her first striking performance was a journey of 90 miles in a minute or two over fi-.vo hours. At Etampo; s'lie endeavoured to break the French "lady's record," but had to descend from en-gine-trouble in her Gnonio-Bleriot after doing <">.") miles in an hour . nd threequarters. DARING FLIGHTS.

Ol course, the ill-fated .Mi-s Troherne Davie-) was perhaps us celebrated as any l'.ngh :b lady aviator for sonic two or three years, until her very intrepidity led to her lamented death. The. wonder!u! flights she took part in. with such well-known pilots a, Gu-tav Himo| and others, tjie many times she eros-cd from Fngla.nd to Franco and Helgiuin, even when the wind wa.s blowing aliiioii a, gale and when other weather '•ondit ions were j;;ost adverse, as.well

a; her " loOTiiug the loop," these exploits made her name knows far and wide. There tan he no doubt t.nat. had -he been a trifle mere careful, .t very great future lay before MissTreh.ern" Da vies' in the world of aviation. The names of at lea t another dozen

women might be mentioned w! o Irive gained niror less renown fliers in the air to-day. But wo have not sp.-i"e to deal with them all here. W,. niu-t, in closing, however. sa V a word or two about Mi' Ivlith MoeZe. w'>o 11-A without doubt made more tri]W and air journeys a pupil of

n,:t,' I t.if hers >.r tlyin;'. "I N. ikloii than nllv <>:iii-r woman in hn;.dand l>av : it.T .lav I'or month* :it - time "h' l l,i,s , ; c:ireelv mis-ed 0111- opportunity ol h:ivin<.» :i tlieiit: nav, Mi-s Meezc has for sonic vers now been ii»)1»m1 lor her :m>~ -)1 ni.• "ivord" in this way. Her air i.\ •iirsion . ;!.n <L]■ r;vcti'•<• trips from llcii(loi, Ikivo In't'ii SO manv. ami maile under Mich a number ol famous tutors, that, t lias Keen often said there can hardly he tile item (onttiM-h-d vith • rt>'►'a 11 • and the actual jirniticc of ll.illt; with whi-ll Miss Ivlitll Meezo i , not as lamili tr .is any man who ever fl w at all :