Page 130 - KBHA Bulletin 10

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The machines were unpacked and assembled on the old Rosebank Agricultural
Showgrounds in early November 1919, and named “Hercules” and “Hermes”. Minus

wings they were then transported by road to Rondebosch Common. Once completed
and fuelled, they were flown to Muizenberg Aerodrome. The Company commenced

operations on 22 November Saturday 1919 by offering daily “Joy Flips” over the

Peninsula, ranging in price from three to ten guineas a time, depending on the length of
the circuit. (Figs. 3.28 - 3.31). A Cape Times pressman reported his favourable

impressions of an early flight in an era when very few people had yet been in an aircraft.

Cape Times: 1 December, 1919.

Aviation at Muizenberg
____________

Flying is the fashionable pastime at Muizenberg at the present time. It vies with
bathing and surfing and the other attractions of the popular marine suburb, and all day
long Mr. Frank Solomon and his brother, Mr. Shirley Solomon, are kept busy taking up
eager passengers. The idea of flying seems to make a special appeal to the ladies, who
formed quite a large proportion of those who adventured into the air. …….
It was not without trepidation that the Pressman donned his overall, leather cap
and goggles, and climbed into the fuselage of the “Airco” bi-plane piloted by Mr.
Shirley Solomon. He felt that fear of some sort would grip his heart, but contrary to
anticipation, nothing of the kind happened, and as the proprietors emphasise, one felt no
more afraid than in taking a ride in a motor car. The whirr of the propeller indicated that
that we were about to start, and the machine ran along the ground, rose gradually, and
before the passenger was aware of it, was over a thousand feet from the ground.
Except for the buzzing of the engine and the windage caused by the speed of the
plane, one hardly realised that the rate of travel was 60 miles an hour. It was just a long
glide, and one had to look over the side to notice the landscape sailing past to realise
that one was moving along a rapid rate.
The only thing that was not dwarfed was the sea; it was too majestic a thing to
be dwarfed. But it was a glorious sight to view the emerald waves lashing themselves
into surf far down below. We flew over the vlei, which looked a small thing in the
distance, and the panorama of Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and the neighbourhood looked
like a large contour map, everything seeming so small; roads looked like silver threads,
and trees shrunk to mere shrubs.
The landing was perhaps as interesting as any other experience. We circled
around a few times to get our bearings, and the machine alighted at the aerodrome
without so much as a bump. The pilot afterwards informed the reporter – much to his
chagrin – that it was a bad flying weather that day owing to a rather stiff south-easter