The Harrow County School Scouts, under Scoutmaster E. Young, visited the Hendon Aerodrome on Saturday afternoon, and though at first it was thought there was disappointment in store, owing to the high wind, this was happily not the case. On the other hand, they were treated to a series of thrills in a few mishaps. There was a gale blowing at forty miles an hour, but notwithstanding this, some good exhibition flights were made by Messrs. B. C. Hucks and Gustav Hamel. Hucks encountered a very rough wind, and had great difficulty in balancing his monoplane. He went out later again, and was flying whilst it was lightning and thundering, and made his descent at the commencement of a storm which broke out over the ground between four and five o'clock. At six o'clock Hamel went out and made a fine flight at 1500 feet, but it was a desperate effort for him to keep a proper balance, and he made a rapid descent, passing closely over the heads of the spectators.
Several small casualties occurred. Mr. Lewish was beaten down by the wind among some trees, the machine being disabled; another of the airmen broke a wing-stay, and, in the final for the speed handicap, Hamel, on Grahame White's Bleriot, had his left tyre punctured. Getting into a rut the wheel jammed and buckled, causing the machine to pivot around and make towards Grahame White's Nieuport monoplane, which was stationary. Hamel could not cut off the ignition, as the two-way switch was out of order, and he ran into the Nieuport with a force that led the spectators to believe that he must be badly injured. He, however, was unhurt, though the two machines were so tightly embedded that part of the Nieuport's left wing had to be sawn away before they could be separated. The damage to the Bleriot, apart from the buckled wheel, amounted to a lost propeller and a wrenched chassis.
The aerodrome is rapidly becoming a fashionable resort, easily reached by tram from Willesden Green Station. If the wind conditions are favourable, a strong programme will be carried through tomorrow (Saturday).
Source: Harrow Observer 18th May 1912.