▁ ▁Sir ▁Sydney ▁C amm ▁later ▁re called ▁Ray n ham ▁as ▁" un l ucky ", ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁times ▁he ▁had ▁just ▁failed ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁main ▁pri zes . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁he ▁walked ▁away ▁largely ▁un sc athed ▁from ▁several ▁potentially ▁fatal ▁crashes , ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁spin , ▁loss ▁of ▁a ▁tail ▁unit ▁from ▁a ▁Mart ins y de ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁two ▁take - off ▁fail ures ▁of ▁the ▁Ray mor ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁and ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁Haw ker ▁H ors ley . ▁The ▁saving ▁of ▁the ▁seriously ▁out - of - bal ance ▁Av ro ▁Pi ke ▁prototype ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁which ▁involved ▁Roy ▁Dob son ▁craw ling ▁along ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁fus el age ▁to ▁the ▁rear ▁gun ner ' s ▁position , ▁speak s ▁both ▁to ▁Rob son ' s ▁courage ▁and ▁Ray n ham ' s ▁flying ▁skills . ▁His ▁good ▁luck ▁and ▁his ▁a irm ans hip ▁were ▁also ▁sever ely ▁tested ▁whilst ▁flying ▁the ▁little ▁Hand ley ▁Page ▁Sh ip ' s ▁F ighter ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁ ▁He ▁lost ▁elev ator ▁control ▁at ▁ 2 , 0 0 0   ft ▁( 6 1 0   m ): ▁feeling ▁around ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁control ▁column , ▁he ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁link age ▁had ▁become ▁dis connected ▁but ▁that ▁he ▁could , ▁lean ing