Harry afterwards took Lieut. Harrison, an airman of the Australian Defence Force, and then Mr. T. G. White, holder of the motor speed record between Melbourne and Adelaide. Mr. Francis Syme also had his first experience in the air. On each occasion the rising and alighting of the machine was accompanied by vociferous applause.
Harry found the weather conditions the most boisterous he had yet experienced in Australia. The strength of the wind he estimated at 35 miles per hour, and the fact that it was not steady, but gusty, called for most skilful piloting. The distance covered in his flight with Senator Millen was about 20 miles. Prior to this flight Harry had only flown an aggregate of about three hours in Australia, in which time he covered in all about 270 miles. With Lieut. Harrison he ascended to about 3,800 feet.
Harry certainly displayed a keen appreciation of the economics of flying propaganda while in Australia. Naturally his main object was to popularise aviation as much as possible, and to do this he spared no effort in giving exhibition flights at principal centres of population. On the several occasions when he spoke of his preparedness to fly from Melbourne to Sydney in under five hours he did not overlook the fact that a remunerative inducement was a necessary concomitant. During most of the time he would be flying over open country where there would be few people to appreciate the object lesson provided by the aeroplane. Therefore the expense of the flight must be retrieved.
The weather conditions on Friday, February 13th, being good, Harry had his machine out at 10.30 a.m. Two ladies and two gentlemen enjoyed fairly lengthy flights during the morning, and Harry could have continued carrying passengers until sundown had not the weather been too good! As there was absolutely no wind it was difficult for Harry to land below 40 miles per hour, and, the space available being rather limited, he would not risk any further landings. As usual, a large number of spectators was present. “How do they get wind of it?” asked Harry. “I thought we had kept this little flight absolutely secret.” But whenever the biplane was ready for ascent there was an eager crowd waiting to watch and applaud or to take photographs. By 2 o’clock a huge crowd had assembled outside the garage in anticipation of witnessing further flights, but they had to be disappointed as there was not a breeze of strength to ensure a safe landing. Although Harry several times sent word to the effect that there would be no flying during the afternoon, the people were content to wait until dusk in a spirit of expectation.
During Harry’s stay at Melbourne the Tabloid was continuously on exhibition, either in the air or in the garage. Although a charge of only one shilling was levied for admission to the garage, the sum received soon totalled more than fifty pounds, representing over one thousand visitors. To a Londoner this may seem, at first sight, very few, but when it is realised that the population of the whole of Australia is practically equal to that of London, it is clear that the show was a great success.
CHAPTER X
AERONAUTICAL ADVANCEMENT IN AUSTRALIA
Harry’s Proposals for Aerial Defence—Seeing Under Water from the Air—A Crowd of 20,000—A Governor-General Ascends 4,000 Feet—And a Governor’s Daughter Goes Up Too—Stunts—Rumours of Looping—Another Accident.