On November 8, 1913, Temple was one of nine pilots who entered for a handicap race from Hendon to Brighton and back to Hendon. This was over a course from Hendon aerodrome, via Harrow Church, to the Palace Pier at Brighton. The flights were timed up to the point when the pilots reached the Palace Pier, and then they were to proceed to Shoreham for refuelling. The return flight was timed from the moment that the pilots passed over the Place Pier on the return journey. First prize was a trophy presented by the Sussex Motor Yacht Club and a cash prize of £100. Temple entered his 50 h.p. Bleriot, receiving a handicap of 53 minutes and 44 seconds (Gustav Hamel was scratch man, flying an 80 hp Morane Saulnier monoplane). Unfortunately, soon after take off, Temple was forced to retire, after his compass came adrift and fell in his lap ! Paul Verrier, flying a 70 hp Renault-powered Farman, went on win the handicap. Hamel recorded the fastest flight time, which secured for him a second trophy and £50 offered by Barclay Walker. On November 25, 1913, Temple became the first Englishman to attempt the bunt (loop) in England. Bentfield Charles Hucks is officially recognised as the first Englishman to loop, this being in France on November 15, 1913. Temple's attempt was made at Hendon using the Bleriot XI-2 that he had flown over from France. This had been specially modified by Temple for the attempt, though details of the changes he made have not been recorded. After take-off, Temple attempted the loop by going into a steep dive from a turn. Unfortunately, the tail of the Bleriot continued to swing over after the machine had passed beyond the vertical. This caused an inverted sideslip from which Temple did not know how to recover. Luckily the nose swung downwards of its own accord and the machine resumed a normal vertical dive, from which Temple was able to pull out with a few feet to spare. Flight (29.11.1913) sounded a note of caution: "he set out to do it or die. I quite realise what his feelings must have been at that moment, when he said to himself, 'It is five to three now, when it is five past I will do it,' and later 'Now or never'. Had it been me, it would have been never; but Temple pushed the nose of the machine down, and in thirty seconds he had won through - he had flown upside-down and was safely landed. It was a splendid feat for one with only such small experience as he, and he had not any very definite knowledge as to whether he had really been upside-down or not, and none at all as to how he got back again, as he admits himself; but there were some on the ground with expereicne sufficient to judge, who will agree with me that he is very lucky to be alive, and wish with me that he will now be satisfied and leave it alone - at any rate, for a time..... He is clever, he has pluck and nerve, and will make a first-rate pilot - if he will only try not to go too fast." This was reinterated by The Times (26.1.1914), describing the flight thus, "the performance was an extremely plucky one, considering that he had carried out the necessary alterations to the machine himself with the aid of a mechanic, but he was generally considered to have lucky to escape with his life on that occasion. He was a clever pilot, with unlimited nerve, but used to say jokingly that he was sure that he would kill himself some day."

 

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