Source 1: Pilot training in Windermere, May 1915

Douglas Hume joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915, aged 18, and started his training as a pilot in the Lake District in north-west England.

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View the timeline for an outline of John Douglas Hume's life.

Transcript

A handwritten letter on Royal Hotel headed notepaper. The headed paper includes a sketch of the Royal Hotel with horse-drawn carriages outside.

Royal Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere, 16 May 1915

Dear Mother,
Sunday today! the first flight took place this
morning. After getting up about 3.30am we got to the
School & had the Avro out by 5.10am and then Mr
Ding himself came out & took me up for my ‘joy ride’ in the
NAC [National Air Communication] Mono[plane]. I had an awful job getting the machine
started. The propellor is behind the main plane and to
start it one must stand on the float under the plane
& shove at the propellor through the wires. After about
15 min[ute]s puffing I got it off & away we went. I didn’t
notice the lift at all and forgot to look over the side
till we were about 600 ft high. We went up to Bowness
& back again and then took a circle round & came down [15 minutes in all].

(National Records of Scotland reference GD486/34)