[Chock]

When I was learning to fly, I took to it fairly naturally (probably as I say, owing to the fact that, being obsessed with aeroplanes since I was a little lad, I knew a great deal about how they worked by the time I got to drive one of the things for myself. So I admit, I owe a large debt to all those before me, such as those WW1 pioneers).

But despite me being pretty good at flying from the off, that initial success in the first few hours led to me being a bit overconfident and of course, the inevitable student pilot heavy landing followed because of that (I got too fixated on the ground and flared too late). No damage to the aircraft ensued, but some dents in my ego certainly occurred, and a chastened Al then took the experience to heart and has never had a landing incident since, and that includes many landings in rough unprepared fields that are small, and even landing on a golf course once (long story).

Thus, I think the numerous 'Chalky Braithwaite broke a strut on landing' type tales you get in WW1 biogs, perhaps point to some less than brilliant flyers, as one would hope that like me, just one chastening poor landing is something from which you can learn and become a better pilot. But it often doesn't seem to be the case with WW1 flyers. Many of them appear to qualify as aces for the other side too, given how many of their own aircraft they seem to destroy through poor flying.

We know, for example, that McCudden was in fact killed making a real beginner's mistake, in turning back for the airfield with a stalled engine. So I do sometimes have doubts about whether him seeing 'wonderful flying' might be a bit relative, given that his own end is at least one occasion which demonstrates anything but the ability to judge what wonderful flying encompasses. That might seem cruel, but it is nonetheless a fact. Having said that, he was one of the guys who would spin the DH2 at Joyce Green, so sometimes I really don't know what to think regarding whether he was a good pilot or not. Maybe he was and just had a bad day, because one mistake is of course all it takes.

On the subject of the Baron's flying abilities, thinking about it, I suspect I am slightly guilty of perpetuating a perhaps undeserved 'MVR was not good at landings' notion, as I seem to recall that being something I read many years ago, rather than an opinion of my own formed from what I know of his flying, which, given the amount of books I have on him, is greatly expanded knowledge compared to when I read that 'not good at landings' opinion. So yup, that's a fair cop on that one!

Al