H. G. Hawker, airman: his life and work

Chapter 12: CHAPTER VII

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About This Book

The biography traces the life of an early aviator who develops mechanical skill in youth, manages motor fleets, and pursues a passion for flying that leads him from home to England and to the Brooklands scene. It recounts trials and successes in design and flight, early employment and financial struggles, and his refusal to abandon hazardous work despite family responsibilities. Interwoven are personal recollections from his widow, portraying a modest, optimistic, generous character with occasional irritability and lax financial habits, and the technical, social, and emotional contexts of pioneering aviation. The narrative combines chronological chapters, eyewitness anecdotes, and illustrative photographs to convey both career milestones and private temperament.

CHAPTER VII

A BIG CHEQUE, AN AERIAL DERBY, AND OTHER EVENTS

Echoes of the Seaplane Flight—Mr. Winston Churchill’s Views—Back to Work—The £1,000 Cheque—And a Gold Medal from Margate—The Carping Critic—And the Reply he Received—An Expedition to Eastchurch—Lost in the Air—Racing a Powerful Monoplane—An Exciting Aerial Derby—Hamel’s Bad Luck—Harry Finishes Third—And in the Sealed Handicap is Fourth—A Bad Crash at Hendon—Other Races—Michelin Efforts Again—Harry’s Bad Luck—He Puts up Some Wonderful Flights—A Headache in the Air.