Dart
made trips up to 16 miles early in the year, over a course marked out on the ice. A distance of about 1,000 miles is said to have been made by this machine during the winter of 1908-1909, and the aeroplane was the first really successful one built and operated by a British subject.
In England and France aviators were very slow in getting their machines into successful trim, engine trouble preventing long flights being made.
After this lull there came in June, 1909, the extraordinary records of Latham on an Antoinette monoplane. He rapidly progressed, until early in the month he accomplished a flight of I hr. 7 min. 31 sec.. thus beating all the records save those of the Wrights. In speed he far excelled the Wrights, and on many occasions in strong winds he made remarkable flights at speeds of close on 50 miles an hour. His feats suddenly placed the monoplane in a new light, as hitherto very short flights had only been accomplished by this type of machine .
In July Latham attempted to fly across the