EARLY FLYING DAYS

with our appointments as lieutenants did not seem to know much
about us but supposed that, now we had had our bit of fun, we
would be resuming our more serious duties in the orthodox Navy
that went to sea in ships. I mildly pointed out that as we had been
trained and were sufficiently expert to train others it was unlikely
that Mr. Cockburn, our instructor, would be willing to spare
another six months to do what we could perfectly well do our-
selves. Evidently my enquiries had some effect, for after fourteen
days' leave, which I spent in Scotland, I returned to Eastchurch
to find that four more officers had been selected and that we were
to train them.

Early in October I went to France to attend the Goncours
d5Aviation Militaire held at Rheims, for which twenty-five
machines had been entered, all French. They had to be two- or
more seaters, capable of landing and getting off within a certain
distance with full load, and the speed course was over a distance
of 300 kilometres. There were the usual collection of Maurice
and Henri Farmans, larger and with higher-powered engines
than the Short version which we flew, but what impressed me
most was the team of three Breguets of very advanced design.
They were entirely made of steel, except for fabric surfaces, the
engine was in front with cowling over it, wings folded for easy
transportation, dual control was fitted and the tail unit was articu-
lated with one universal joint; it looked most unsafe but evidently
worked. Engine power had risen from the 50 and 60 h.p. up to
100 and 140. Other types included Voisin, Antoinette, a Paulhan
triplane, Morane, Henriot, D6perdussin, and Nieuport. The final
result had not been announced before I left but I think I am right
in recording that the reliable old 70 h.p. Renault-engined Maurice
Farman won the Concours with the highest aggregate total of
marks for all tests.

Before returning to England I visited the Gnome engine works,
and those of the B16riot and D6perdussin aircraft firms in addition
to various flying schools, most of them operating at Mourmelons.
From what I had seen it was clear to me that France was a long
way ahead of us in the general development of aviation and in
production of aircraft; a lead which she held right up to the war
period, for it was not till early 1916 that, with our Sopwiths,
Bristols, de Havillands and Handley Pages, we began to catch up
both in design and production. Since then we have more than
held our own in technical development. In the French Army
manoeuvres in September 1911 a total of forty-four aircraft often

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