The death of Mr. Hawker adds another to the toll of brave and distinguished men which the conquest of the air has exacted. He has been killed after 13 years of flying, much of which was spent la pioneer work. Those who took up the pursuit of flying in 1908 went aloft with their lives in their hands,.and in those early days he already had experience of the perils to which airmen were exposed, for while making a cross-channel flight he crashed in the sea and was for six days reported missing. As a matter of fact. however, luck was with him, and he was picked up by a trawler. He was second in the London to Manchester flight in 1910, and again second in the fight round the British Isles in the following year. These were pioneer flights, and it was the experience so gained which enabled the British Air Force, a very smal] arm at the beginning of the war, t> expand into the very fine organization it subsequently became. Another attempt at pioneer. ing fell to Mr. Hawker's lot, when he essayed the flight from America: to England. Fortune deserted him when nearing the end of his journey, -and he came down, but a passing steamer saved his life. But now the end has-come, and airmen will mourn the loss of a very gallant brother. It is interesting to mention that during the war he was a government testing and experimental pilot attached to the Sopwith firm, which produced more than) 16,000 machines.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.