Читать книгу H. G. Hawker, airman: his life and work онлайн

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“‘Later on I saw a shutter being carried out with the words “Fly higher” painted on it. I could read it quite distinctly from 400 feet, but as I felt quite comfortable where I was I did not pay any heed to it. It was not until after I came down that I discovered that this sign was meant for Raynham. It was a great relief to me to see Raynham come down, and I knew this time that he was going to land, because I could see all the people running across the ground towards him.

“‘From then onwards I kept my eyes glued to the face of the clock, the last half hour that would make my flight equal Raynham’s being the most anxious and worrying of the whole day. Every minute seemed an hour, and as I was afraid that the petrol in the top tank might not be flowing properly into the main tank, I closed the throttle for the last twenty minutes down to the very limit the machine would fly with. I must have been flying then at only about thirty-five miles per hour. Then I saw the 70 h.p. Gnome Tractor ’bus come out, and watched Mr. Sopwith with interest. I guessed what he was coming out for, and when I saw him make straight for me, broadside on, I kept on a perfectly straight course, knowing well that he would be careful not to hinder me in any way. He came quite close alongside, and I distinctly heard them both shout (my A.B.C engine had a silencer fitted), but I could not tell what they said.