TRUE BIRDMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1922, Page 5

TRUE BIRDMEN.

i FLYERS TN MOTORLESS PLANES. London, October 20. The Dutchman Fokker, on a biplane glider, in the first day of the London Daily Mail £lOOO gliding contest in Sussex, remained in the air for 37m fe. Ho rose against a strong wind, and without difficulty soared high above the crowd on the summit of a hill. He then began the seemingly endless series of circling movements. He w.as never far from the starting point, and, he dipped and rose again with the greatest ease. Once Fokker was near the earth, and asked conversationally, “Have I done 30 minutes yet?” The crowd shouted 'back, “Go on, Fokker, you’re doing it!” The conditions of the contest were that the winner must glide for at least 30 minutes and return to a spot within SfiO yards of his starting point. The record is held by a German named Hentzen, who glided for 190 minutes. This record was made in Germany. . Fokker told a. Daily Mail representative. that he could have remained up as lono- as he liked, and if the wind prevailed a man could stay up all day long. “ At times,” he said “I did not move in the air. The others flew -at a speed of 25 miles an hour and in the wind at the same pace. I found early where the up-current was such as en- ' ,allied, me to maintain my position and height. I continually returned there.” Fokker was never more than half a mile from the starting point, and he landed 162 yards from it. That British airmen will not be behind foreigners in gliding was proved to-day at the Daily Mail codtest at -Ilford. Raynham was aloft for 113 minutes, and nobody was more enthusiastic over it than Fokker. The first attempt lasted only three • minutes, for Raynham allowed himself . to be carried past the summit of the 'hill, and an air current, prevented him soaring, and he was, therefore, unable to tack back, so he descended gently. I He took off in the second attempt i amid a gusty 30 mile an hour wind. He drifted half'll mile to leeward and tacked back to the starting point, but. I gradually descending, he turned back |and climbed higher. He repeated the ; manoeuvre 30 times and become ■familiar with the air currents, and was .thus enabled for more than an hour to glide round the starting point within a .50 yards radius. He was never more than 100 ft. up.