Take Off
It is impossible to know what words passed between Elsie and Hinch on the morning of the 13th March 1928. The Captain had travelled to the airfield whilst Elsie visited a local church to take communion. At 5 am she arrived in full flying gear, carrying her helmet and a small leather bag. Father Arendzen told reporers that after he had given his blessing they both knelt in prayer for a long time. She had revealed to him the real destination of her flight and he had attempted to advise her but her only retort was a "courageous smile and with a wave of her hand she left for the unknown."
Hinch had been studying the latest weather reports which showed a rare easterly wind, it seemed like a postive omen to a man who had always been deeply superstitious about the number thirteen and yet he was about to take off on the most dangerous flight of his life on the 13th. He wrote what would be a final entry in the log book of the Endeavour "My confidence in the success of the venture is now 100%". Elsie had remained in her car but they were seen speaking to each other quietly for a few minutes before she emerged to shake hands with Captain Sinclair. A final photograph was taken of the flyers and later published in newspapers around the world. The brightness of the light from the snow covered surroundings produces a haunting image.
A small gathering of two RAF officers, an American mechanic, Elsie's chauffeur and Captain Sinclair watched as the aviators climbed into the cockpit of the waiting Endeavour. Hinch had spoken briefly to his old friend telling him that if conditions were poor he would land at Baldonnel in Ireland otherwise it would be 'straight on.' Only Captain Sinclair and the mechanic knew the secret of the take off, that they were heading not towards India, but towards the Atlantic.
At 8.35 am wIth a roar of the engine the Endeavour taxied acrose the snow to the far side of the airfield before building up speed and finally lifting heavily into the air before almost disappearing into the mist. Captain Sinclair said: "The next thing I can remember was waving cheerily to the Endeavour as it became a smaller and smaller spot on the horizon." Another eyewitness told reporters that noone was really expecting a start to be made, the conditions were very wintry, snow covered the ground as far as one could see "the plane, which was carrying a heavy load of petrol, ran a great distance along the ground leaving its tracks in the snow, before it soared into the air."
The "most secret flight in the history of aviation" was now in the air heading for Ireland and the 1900 miles over icy sea with unpredictable weather conditions beyond. Captain Sinclair quietly slipped away from the airfield and into hiding in a deliberate move to cause confusion about who was in the plane with Hinch. The plan was that by the time it was established that Elsie was on the flight they would already have arrived successfully in the US or Canada. And at first things did go to plan. The Endeavour was spotted flying very fast and at high altitude at 11.30am over County Waterford and at 1.30pm it was seen over Mizen Head, the southern most tip of Ireland. Hinch had decided that conditions were favourable and "it was straight on."
#aviation #atlantic #flight #women'shistory
Hinch had been studying the latest weather reports which showed a rare easterly wind, it seemed like a postive omen to a man who had always been deeply superstitious about the number thirteen and yet he was about to take off on the most dangerous flight of his life on the 13th. He wrote what would be a final entry in the log book of the Endeavour "My confidence in the success of the venture is now 100%". Elsie had remained in her car but they were seen speaking to each other quietly for a few minutes before she emerged to shake hands with Captain Sinclair. A final photograph was taken of the flyers and later published in newspapers around the world. The brightness of the light from the snow covered surroundings produces a haunting image.
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| Moments before take off |
A small gathering of two RAF officers, an American mechanic, Elsie's chauffeur and Captain Sinclair watched as the aviators climbed into the cockpit of the waiting Endeavour. Hinch had spoken briefly to his old friend telling him that if conditions were poor he would land at Baldonnel in Ireland otherwise it would be 'straight on.' Only Captain Sinclair and the mechanic knew the secret of the take off, that they were heading not towards India, but towards the Atlantic.
At 8.35 am wIth a roar of the engine the Endeavour taxied acrose the snow to the far side of the airfield before building up speed and finally lifting heavily into the air before almost disappearing into the mist. Captain Sinclair said: "The next thing I can remember was waving cheerily to the Endeavour as it became a smaller and smaller spot on the horizon." Another eyewitness told reporters that noone was really expecting a start to be made, the conditions were very wintry, snow covered the ground as far as one could see "the plane, which was carrying a heavy load of petrol, ran a great distance along the ground leaving its tracks in the snow, before it soared into the air."
The "most secret flight in the history of aviation" was now in the air heading for Ireland and the 1900 miles over icy sea with unpredictable weather conditions beyond. Captain Sinclair quietly slipped away from the airfield and into hiding in a deliberate move to cause confusion about who was in the plane with Hinch. The plan was that by the time it was established that Elsie was on the flight they would already have arrived successfully in the US or Canada. And at first things did go to plan. The Endeavour was spotted flying very fast and at high altitude at 11.30am over County Waterford and at 1.30pm it was seen over Mizen Head, the southern most tip of Ireland. Hinch had decided that conditions were favourable and "it was straight on."
#aviation #atlantic #flight #women'shistory
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