With such achievements to his name it was not in the least surprising that Mr.Sopwith's choice of a pilot for the water-plane race rested on Hawker.His first attempt was made on 16th August, when he flew from Southampton Water to Yarmouth--a distance of about 240 miles--in 240 minutes.The writer, who was spending a holiday at Lowestoft, watched Mr.Hawker go by, and his machine was plainly visible to an enormous crowd which had lined the beach.
To everyone's regret the pilot was affected with a slight sunstroke when he reached Yarmouth, and another Australian airman, Mr.Sidney Pickles, was summoned to take his place.This was quite within the rules of the contest, the object of which was to test the merits of a British machine and engine rather than the endurance and skill of a particular pilot.During the night a strong wind arose, and next morning, when Mr.Pickles attempted to resume the flight, the sea was too rough for a start to be made, and the water-plane was beached at Gorleston.
Mr.Hawker quickly recovered from his indisposition, and on Monday, 25th August, he, with a mechanic as passenger, left Cowes about five o'clock in the morning in his second attempt to make a circuit of Britain.The first control was at Ramsgate, and here he had to descend in order to fulfil the conditions of the contest.
Ramsgate was left at 9.8, and Yarmouth, the next control, was reached at 10.38.So far the engine, built by Mr.Green, had worked perfectly.About an hour was spent at Yarmouth, and then the machine was en route to Scarborough.Haze compelled the pilot to keep close in to the coast, so that he should not miss the way, and a choppy breeze some what retarded the progress of the machine along the east coast.About 2.40 the pilot brought his machine to earth, or rather to water, at Scarborough, where he stayed for nearly two hours.
Mr.Hawker's intention was to reach Aberdeen, if possible, before nightfall, but at Seaham he had to descend for water, as the engine was becoming uncomfortably hot, and the radiator supply of water was rapidly diminishing.This lost much valuable time, as over an hour was spent here,and it had begun to grow dark before the journey was recommenced.About an hour after resuming his journey he decided to plane down at the fishing village of Beadwell, some 20 miles south of Berwick.
At 8.5 on Tuesday morning the pilot was on his way to Aberdeen, but he had to descend and stay at Montrose for about half an hour, and Aberdeen was reached about 11 a.m.His Scottish admirers, consisting of quite 40,000 people at Aberdeen alone, gave him a most hearty welcome, and sped him on his way about noon.Some two hours later Cromarty was reached.
Now commenced the most difficult part of the course.The Caledonian Canal runs among lofty mountains, and the numerous air-eddies and swift air-streams rushing through the mountain passes tossed the frail craft to and fro, and at times threatened to wreck it altogether.On some occasions the aeroplane was tossed up over 1000 feet at one blow; at other times it was driven sideways almost on to the hills.From Cromarty to Oban the journey was only about 96 miles, but it took nearly three hours to fly between these places.This slow progress seriously jeopardized the pilot's chances of completing the course in the allotted time, for it was his intention to make the coast of Ireland by nightfall.But as it was late when Oban was reached he decided to spend the night there.
Early the following morning he left for Dublin, 222 miles away.Soon a float was found to be waterlogged and much valuable time was, spent in bailing it dry.Then a descent had to be made at Kiells, in Argyllshire, because a valve had gone wrong.Another landing was made at Larne, to take aboard petrol.As soon as the petrol tanks were filled and the machine had been overhauled the pilot got on his way for Dublin.
For over two hours he flew steadily down the Irish coast, and then occurred one of those slight accidents, quite insignificant in themselves, but terribly disastrous in their results.Mr.Hawker's boots were rubber soled and his foot slipped off the rudder bar, so that the machine got out of control and fell into the sea at Lough Shinny, about 15 miles north of Dublin.At the time of the accident the pilot was about 50 feet above the water, which in this part of the Lough is very shallow.The machine was completely wrecked, and Mr.Hawker's mechanic was badly cut about thehead and neck, besides having his arm broken.Mr.Hawker himself escaped injury.
All Britons deeply sympathized with his misfortune, and much enthusiasm, was aroused when the proprietors of the Daily Mail presented the skilful and courageous pilot with a cheque for L1000 as a consolation gift.
In a later chapter some account will be given of the tremendous development of the aeroplane during four years of war.But it is fitting that to the three historic flights detailed above there should be added the sensational exploits of the Marchese Giulio Laureati in 1917.This intrepid Italian airman made a non-stop journey from Turin to Naples and back, a distance of 920 miles.A month later he flew from Turin to Hounslow, a distance of 656 miles, in 7 hours 22 minutes.His machine was presented to the British Air Board by the Italian Government.
