Captain Frank Hurley attaching a camera to the top of the Vimy at Northfield Aerodrome. A flight over Adelaide with Frank Hurley strapped to the upper wing taking a movie film. The camera operated by hand cranking so by necessity Frank Hurley had to be up there with it in flight. The photos of course show the camera being mounted at Northfield.
Donated by: Ron Blum
Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), Tuesday 30 March 1920, page 6
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VICKERS VIMY ALOFT.
Flight over Adelaide.
Between half-past 11 and noon on Monday the whirr of propellers and roar of engines made the unexpected announcement that the giant Vickers Vimy was aloft over Adelaide. Those on board were Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Smith, Mr. Roy Howard, Sgt. Bennett, and Captain Frank Hurley. The machine flew over Adelaide and to Port Adelaide, and thence, over Grange and Henley and back to the city. The trip was bumpy, and the conditions were hazy. Tomorrow morning, between 7 and 8 o’clock, the aviators will start on their return flight to Melbourne across the same track as they came to Adelaide.
In explanation of the letters “G E A O U” on the aeroplane, Sir Keith Smith says the G stands for Great Britain, and that instead of figures for the registration numbers, letters are substituted. When in the other states Sir Keith facetiously told an enquirer that they meant ‘God ‘elp all of us!’ Thousands of people are taking the opportunity to inspect the machine during its brief stay at the Harry J. Butler and Kauper Aviation Company’s aerodrome at Northfield. It is estimated that as many people visited the machine on Sunday as were present on the day of the arrival of Sir Ross Smith’s party. As the result of overtures made by the President of the Motor Traders’ Association (Mr. H. C. Richards), a party of representatives of the various Adelaide motor houses were permitted a close inspection of the machine on Monday morning. The Vickers Vimy was re-filled with petrol, tested, and the party made a flight over Adelaide and suburbs for the purpose of taking a cinematograph film. Captain Hurley, with his camera, was strapped to the top plane for that purpose.
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