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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 2 (June 1, 1929.)

The Cathedral Spins Around

The Cathedral Spins Around.

We guessed that the plane must be right over the centre of Christchurch by this time, and the clouds were eagerly scanned for a hole into which we could dive, to get a view of the landscape. The moment came, and the sudden banking of the plane for a sharp turn showed that the pilot had seen the opportunity. A thrilling spiral with the plane mostly on its side, and we were over Cathedral Square, with trams, pedestrians, and the solid mass of episcopal masonry apparently spinning around—an optical illusion of course, due to the fact that we were spinning, and not the Cathedral. Drivers of our trains are familiar with this optical effect, for the Limited Express, as it speeds along the Main Trunk, does not, to the view of the engineer, run around the curve. The driver will tell you that, to his eye, the curve straightens out—swings into line straight ahead—as the engine approaches it.