At Dover, while resting and taking a meal, you discuss your next flight;
and it is decided to make for Eastchurch, in the Isle of Sheppey, where
there is a busy and important aerodrome, and the naval airmen have their
school. This, as seen by Fig. 101, represents a flight of only 27 miles.
Away again, therefore, and flying now inland, you pass Canterbury and
some belts of woodland: then, flying above the river Swale, you find you
are over Sheppey and with Eastchurch right before you. Here, in the
middle of the sleepy little island, where an active colony of airmen has
been formed, the Royal Aero Club has its flying ground; and it is here,
too, that Messrs. Short Brothers, after moving from Leysdown, a few
miles away, established an aeroplane factory in which--after building
Wright biplanes under licence from the famous brothers--they developed
those splendid sea-planes which are used in the naval service.
[Illustration: FIG. 101.--Dover to Eastchurch, 27 miles.]
From Eastchurch, where there is much to be seen, many routes may be
chosen upon the aerial highway. One may fly to Brooklands or Uphaven, to
Farnborough or Amesbury or Huntingdon. But you determine probably that,
returning to Hendon for the night, you will house your aircraft there,
and so be ready next day for some other tour afield. Your course lies to
East Tilbury, a distance of 19 miles; then to Enfield, 25 miles--so as
to avoid passing above London; and thence, an 8-mile stretch, steering
W.S.W., to the landing ground at Hendon. The route is shown in Fig. 102.
It makes, in all, a flight of slightly more than 50 miles; and as it
necessitates crossing the Thames--a flight out of bounds according to
aerial law--you will need to have obtained a permit, as was the case
with your journey to Dover.
[Illustration: FIG. 102.--Eastchurch to Hendon, 53 miles.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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