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Service
history
1938
The
distribution of the DH82A at the beginning of 1938 was as follows:
twelve in the EMAer; 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; three
at the Aeronautical Base; Nos 1, 4, 15, 16 and two in the Service
Division, General Stores and Services; 17 and 18.
From March
12th to 14th an aviation festival was held in Paysandú. The Military
Aeronautics gave support with aeroplanes based in Boiso Lanza; Tiger
Moths 15, 16 and 17 crewed by 1st Sgt. Víctor Luciano and mechanic
Antonio Falcone; Capt. Raul Amighetti and 1st Sgt. Paulino Risso;
1st Lieut. Jose Escursell with mechanic Alcides Luzuriaga,
respectively. They flew passengers on 'Baptismal' flights, in
formation, dropped parachutist Juan Tomas Picasso and provided
demonstrations of aerobatics mainly by Maj. Glauco Larre Borges who
was born in this city. The return flight to Paso de Mendoza was
completed with a stop in Durazno.
Tiger Moths
continued to be used for primary instruction of pilots. In May, the
EMAer Course accepted 17 Officer pupils, and 12 Sub Officers.
The day
begins at EMAer. Instructors and pupils pass pre-flight inspection
for the Tiger Moths. In the background, the historic Aeropostale
hangar. Gen. Artigas Military Aerodrome, Pando ,May 14,1938.
Photo Album
of Col. Jaime Meregalli. Aeronautical Museum
Apart from
fulfilling their role of primary instruction, the Tiger Moths were
utilized in other types of mission using some of their auxiliary
equipment. In the course of this year for example, No 9 was used for
radio-telegraphy training, whilst No 8 was converted into a
“fighter” and flew with a camera machine-gun fitted on its lower
right wing.
Thornton-Pickard MK III H photographic machine-gun used in the Tiger
Moths. Aeronautical Museum.
Photo: Wilman Fuentes
On June 19, Gen. Alfredo
Baldomir assumed the Presidency of the Republic. The inauguration ceremony was
the motive for a classic parade on land, augmented overhead by 33 aeroplanes of
the Military Aeronautics, in their grandest display up until then. To achieve
this, during the week prior, there was intensive formation training with all
available aeroplanes.
In the case of the Tiger
Moths, they were up to full strength since No 4, after six months under repair,
had returned to active duty only a few days before.
Gathered at the EMAer, on
17th and 18th there were full scale formation rehearsals with all available
aircraft. Pilots flew solo and each occupied the aircraft in training which they
would fly in the display itself.
That day was surely
unforgettable. The Tiger Moth Squadron led by Lieut. Col. Gestido, flew together
with the Potez 25s 1, 3, 4, 5 and 10; the Ro.37 bis 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the
Waco JHDs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
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Avn.
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Piloto
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Avn.
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Piloto
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Avn.
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Piloto
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2
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Tte.Cnel.
Oscar Gestido
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8
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Tte.2º
HugoTorre
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14
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Alf.
Gualberto Etcheverry
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3
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Sgto.1º
Alfonso Izarra
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9
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Tte.2º
Juan C. Jorge
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15
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Tte.2º
Dieter Herter
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4
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Tte.1º
Alcides Perdomo
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10
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Cap.
Isaías Sánchez
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16
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Tte.1º
Gualberto Treilles
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5
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Tte.1º
Ramón Irazábal
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11
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Alf.
Pedro Iglesias
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17
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Tte.2º
Juan C. Aragón
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6
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Sgto.
Juan Curbelo
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12
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Alf.
Mario Arenas
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18
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Sgto1º
Hilario Almandós
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7
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Sgto.1º
Paulino Risso
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13
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Sgto.1º
Víctor Luciano
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DH82A
Grouping. Aerial display on the transfer of the Presidential Mandate 19 June
1938
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By the middle of Spring
the pupils of the Pilot's Course were nearly all “ready”. We may remember, by
way of a simple tribute, the First Solo Flight of Lieut. Jr. Jaime Meregalli,
founder and first Director of the Aeronautical Museum, accomplished on October 7
in Tiger Moth E-6. His instructor was 2nd Lieut. Carlos M.Sención.
December 1938 was a bad
month for the DH82A because three accidents occurred which fortunately did not
result in casualties but left the aeroplanes out of service for several months.
On 1st Lieut. Jr. Rivera
Arcos made a forced landing off the EMAer airfield with No 14 which spent eight
weeks out of action.
Four days later, a similar
emergency happened to E-9 near Santa Lucía when returning from a navigation trip
to Durazno and Trinidad, crewed by Lieut.Jrs. Mario Arenas and Pedro Iglesias.
It would take almost seven months to repair her.
The third accident
happened during the last navigation exercise of the year. On 21st nine Tiger
Moths took off from the EMAer to complete the triangle to Durazno and Trinidad
but within a few minutes Lieut.Jr. Rivera Arcos had to make an emergency landing
close to Santa Rosa due to engine failure. It was No 17, from the Service
Division “on loan” to the EMAer just for this mission. The aeroplane suffered
airframe damage and took 10 months to repair..
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Meregalli´s “First Solo”
The
year: 1938
Pilot Course for Officers
Instructor: Lieut. Carlos M.Sención
Pupil: Lieut. Jaime Meregalli
Aeroplane: Tiger Moth
The day arrived for Lieut. Meregalli's first solo.
It was
customary that the rest of the students on the course would
give the pilot a good beating to celebrate his first solo
sortie, beginning with claps on the head which were like
blows from a cudgel.
Foreseeing this, Lieut. Meregalli put metal tacks under his
flight cap which pointed out from under the leather.
As he
taxied in to the apron, his companions went out to meet him,
and no sooner was he out of the aeroplane than the blows on
his head began together with yells from those who were
hitting him who immediately wrung their hands as the first
drops of blood appeared. Once the surprise had passed
vengeance was sweet, and, taking off his flight cap full of
tacks, the beating was doubled, followed by oil baths and
anything else that those otherwise good companions resolved
to do.
(From
a handwritten document by Jaime Megaralli.
Aeronautical Museum.
Transcript by Sebastián Torterolo)
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Tiger Moth in 1938.
The pilots are flying solo from the rear cabin, as it is the rule for normal
procedures
Photo Aeronautical museum
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