Penrhyn Castle
PENRHYN CASTLE: Flying exhibition venue
Operated by: Gustav Hamel (Presumably on account of the Grahame-White Co?)
Location: About 2nm ENE of Bangor town centre
Period of operation: 12th March 1913
NOTES: It was here, on the 12th March, that Hamel attempted flying in increasingly gusty conditions and “at the height of 100ft was caught by a strong gust of wind, wavered momentarily, and was tossed to the ground amidst cries of alarm from onlookers”.
This certainly sounds as if the aircraft stalled, and probably entered an incipent spin, but incredibly Hamel escaped the crash with just minor cuts to the legs. Could this be because he was thrown clear when the aircraft hit the ground perhaps?
In those days aviators, (and their passengers!), normally didn’t even wear a lap strap let alone a harness, (in fact I don’t think they’d even been invented until many years later), and in this instance the lack of one, given these exact and very lucky circumstances of course, might well account for this.
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