FLYING DEMONSTRATION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18302, 9 February 1925, Page 6

FLYING DEMONSTRATION.

♦ • SPORTS AT THE AERODROME. * There was a. large Gathering of friends and others interested at the Wigram Aerodrome, Sockbum, on Saturday afternoon when tho. opportunity was taken of seeing aeroplane evolutions at close quarters. Oa.ptain L. ■•[sit.was in charge nf the 'drottie and Lieutenanfc T. Denton .was ground officer. Tho crowd was treated to a programme' of stunt- flying such - a.s looping the loop, t,ho aide roll, formation flying with three 'planes, circling, inking off and landinc, and Taxious other interesting manteun'es; The machine? used wore three. two de Havilandi Fours,' one d« H'arilaiui nine, a.nd a. couple of- Bristol fightersTho air work lasted about an hour'and a/-ha.lf, and" opportunities were taken to inspect tho engines and a pparatus. Following upon the flying, a, short-motor-car gymkhana. was held, the competitions' 'being "driving between pegs, an acceleration test and a. slowdriving . race. The winner erf the three was Lieutenant. Hood in a l'ord, with Lieutenant Horrell'in'an Essex second.

During; the afternoon tea was served from the verandah of the officers' residence, and 1 a. of selections was played by the band of the Ist Battalion, Canterbury Regiment.. An interesting part of'the air work, and one that amused the croud, was the releasing, while high up, of gas. filled balloons and tlio subsequent attempts to recapture them. The airmen undergoing the refresher eourse acted as pilots. They were Captain Upliam, Lientenanta Horrell, Monerieff, H. N. Hawker, Kight. Thompson and Lloyd. The present refresher course, will (conclude to-day. There will- be a. da'y's break and another bfltch of pilots will £o through a. similar course commencing on "Wednesday. On Tuesday Captain Jp.itt. will fly to the military camp at Kowhai Bush, where he will direct shooting operations from the air.