An Australian Sky Pilot

By now the great British public must be quite familiar with the Autogiro, since it is to be seen at every aviation function of note. Sometimes I have thought that this machine’s ability to land practically vertically has not been demonstrated sufficiently, for it is a feature which should appeal to the spectator more than any other, and is one which places it in a class quite by itself. Brie, who is one of the Autogiro Company’s pilots, presumably realised this at the recent Blackpool Pageant, for he made several vertical landings on a part of the aerodrome which was marked out as a tennis court, and then took off again with an incredibly short run.

The Blackpool show, which was staged to mark the opening of the municipal aerodrome, was a well-organised affair and went off very well. There was plenty of variety about the programme and a fairly wide assortment of aircraft to keep the crowd amused. One of the most impressive individual displays was Captain ” Dasher ” Blake’s stunting with the Blackburn Lincock,” his inverted flying being particularly emotioning.

An. interesting story comes from Australia concerning the Rev. Daniels, who owns a Moth. The Rev. Daniels has in his charge the Diocese of Wilcannia, the area of which is 600 square miles. He regularly uses his Moth to cover his Diocese.

A Clergy Conference of Riverina Diocese was recently called at Hay, N.S.W. The Clergy from Wentworth and Balranald, both on the borders of N.S.W. and Victoria, and distanced respectively 180 and 80 miles from Hay, took respectively three and four days to reach Hay by road, finally having to abandon their cars owing to boggy roads, and be brought in on the mail coach. The Rev. Daniels reached Hay from Wilcannia in his Moth in 2i hours, the distance being 250 miles. In his own words : “Comment on the best mode of travelling in outback Australia is needless.”

Although he has for years lived in retirement, Sir Henry Royce, the founder of the Rolls-Royce Company, still makes a point of visiting the R.A.F. Display at Hendon. He was seen there this year, inspecting some of the latest aero engines in the designing of which he himself has played a large part.

The name of Rolls-Royce is as well known among airmen as it is among motorists, and it would be interesting to know which side of the business he founded appeals most to this Grand Old Man of Motordom.

” RUDDERBAR.”

The G.O.M. of Motoring.

An Australian Sky Pilot.