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On the Monday, Harry flew to the Isle of Wight and back, with a Mr. Boger as passenger. The outward and return journeys occupied 55 minutes and 50 minutes respectively, and a height of 5,000 feet was maintained.

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AMPHIBIANS—AND MORE HEIGHT RECORDS

An Amphibian of 1913—Harry Gets up to 13,000 feet with a Passenger—Several Other Height Records—Three Climbs in One Day—The Progress of the Sopwith Enterprise—Several Types of Aeroplanes—And Seaplanes—Harry Wins the Mortimer Singer Prize—And Has Time to Spare—A Friendly Race with Hamel—A World’s Height Record—A Cross-Country Race—Preliminaries of the Round-Britain Seaplane Flight—Conditions Governing the Daily Mail £5,000 Prize.

CHAPTER IV

The following is extracted from the official notices issued to members of the Royal Aero Club, under date June 7th, 1913:

“Mortimer Singer £500 Prize.

“Mr. T. O. M. Sopwith is now ready to make the flight for this prize, and attempts will be made almost immediately. The course is on the Solent, and the official observers on behalf of the Club are Lieut. Spencer D. Gray, R.N., and Mr. J. N. Spottiswoode. The aircraft is a Sopwith Tractor biplane fitted with 100 h.p. Gnome engine. The pilot is Mr. H. G. Hawker. In this competition, six out and home flights have to be made on a course from a point on the land to a point out at sea, not less than five miles distant in a direct line, but the latter point shall not be less than one mile from any shore. Alightings have to be made on arrival at each point.”