But there is another and much less inspiring side to
this matter. All that can be proved by a Transatlantic flight in an aeroplane is that.the aeroplane has a certain range of flight and the airmen a certain capacity for endurance. All this could be decided just as well over the land as over the ocean. These ocean flights are not even like " stunt " flying' over the land. " Stunt " flying has sometimes been condemned, but we think quite wrongly ; for a man who has tested all the acrobatic tricks which he and his machine can perform in the air has enormously increased his own safety in ordinary flights, for he knows that he can recover his stability from almost any position. In this way confidence is increased and the art of flying is developed all round. We cannot help feeling that Mr. Hawker and Commander grieve, in their almost incredible bravery, sacrificed themselves to a mania of competitive publicity.
Previous page
