FINE FLYING DISPLAY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28728, 28 October 1958, Page 7

FINE FLYING DISPLAY

Vampire Jets Thrill Crowds At Rangiora • Five Vampire jets from the gave one of the best displays of flying seen in Canterbury for a long time when immediately after Mr A. R. Guthrey, chairman of the Christchurch City Council’s airport committee, had declared the new Rangiora airfield open, a Vampire piloted by Pilot Officer T. Enright, the winner of the Sword of Honour at the Royal Air Force College, at Cranwell, swooped over the field and was soon followed by four other Vampires, which made four formation runs. Between the formation runs. Pilot Officer Enright kept the crowd fascinated with aerobatic feats, which included slow rolls, upward rolls, followed by aileron turns on the way down, steep tight turns at about 500 feet, a slow run over the field with wheels and flaps down, inverted climbs, four point rolls, in which the plane hesitated at each point of the roll, steep dives, and complete rolls at the peak of the loops. In the four formation runs the other four planes came through for the first run in line astern, the second in line abreast, the third in victory formation with one in the box, in which the fourth plane flew in a central position in the base of the “V” and the final run was in echelon from the starboard. Wind Affects Programme Because of the strong wind, Paul Legg’s rope trick and the parachute drops by the Christchurch Parachute Club members were deleted from the programme. Because of unforeseen circumstances a fly past by a Globemaster from the United States Air Force did not take place either. With conditions favouring them, some excellent soaring was done by gliders from the Canterbury Gliding Club and gains in height of several thousand feet were » made. Other features were top dressing displays, the pupil and instructor routine, an air race, •nd aerobatics by an Auster Aiglet. Passenger flights were popular and the Canterbury Aero Club was unable to cope with the demand.