Inquiry Opened Into Racing Driver’s Death

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 10

Inquiry Opened Into Racing Driver’s Death

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, April 15. While experts from the Department of Civil Aviation opened an inquiry into the crash which killed Ron Flockhart, tributes from motorracing and flying circles were being paid to the Scottish driver.

Flockhart was killed when his red Mustang aeroplane crashed into a hillside near Monbulk, about 30 miles from Melbourne. The former world champion driver Jack Brabham said: “One of the most popular sportsmen I have ever known, driving or flying.” The British racing driver Roy Salvador!: "... A first rate driver ... an extremely nice person . . ..he was very thorough and would only take calculated risks.” Donald Campbell, the world speed record-holder; “This is unbelievably tragic. Ron was . . . one of the greatest racing drivers ever ... I think he was well liked by everybody.” Loss Deeply Felt The Royal Aero Club: “His loss is deeply felt by the Club, of which he was a very well known member.” Flockhart, who was married ohly a little more than a year ago, planned to fly solo to England next week in an attempt to break the record for a single-engined aeroplane.

He had been staying at the South Yarra home of Group Captain John Felly Fry. Last night Grbup Captain Fry said: “Nobody knows what happened. “He wasn’t the dashing, dare-devil type that most people seem to think racing drivers should be.” Record Attempts

He said that Flockhart had not planned to make more record attempts after he returned to England. “He wanted to keep the aeroplane for a while . . . just for a bit of fun and to travel around Europe to the car race meetings. “He wanted to show that a piston - engined aeroplane which had helped to win the war was still capable of a fine performance."