Dramatic end to 1955 cup flight

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 37

Dramatic end to 1955 cup flight

By

DAVID McCARTHY

The Racing Owners’ and Trainers’ Federation promotion of a “same day” Melbourne Cup tour in November is a novel one, but not — as many thought — a new chapter in New Zealand aviation annals.

A retired Christchurch businessman, lan Leonard, remembers being part of a similar expedition in 1955 which turned out to be a dramatic and unsuccessful attempt to see Australia’s greatest race and be home by midnight That tour, promoted by T.E.A.L. (Tasman Empire Airways, Limited, the forerunner of Air New Zealand) ended in anticlimax when an engine fault forced the DC6 to return to Christchurch Airport after plenty of drama in the air. This year’s tour leaves Christchurch at about 7.30 a.m. on cup morning and will be back in the city by midnight. Thirty-three years ago such timetables were a luxury and the flight then left in the early hours of the morning. “We had a champagne supper at about 1 a.m., and left an hour or so later,” Mr Leonard recalled.

“There were quite a few people from Auckland on the flight and a lot from down here. Allan Holmes and I were trotting men really, but the rest were racing enthusiasts.” Engine trouble The drama started not far off the West Coast when the plane had engine trouble. "I was sitting at a window next to the wing. I saw a flash of flame near

one engine and remember telling the guy next to me we had either been hit by some lightning or we were in trouble.

“They had to close down an engine on the other side to compensate and after a while they came through and told us we would have to return,” Mr Leonard said. Because of the loss of power the plane had to come home over Cook Strait rather than over the Southern Alps and thousands of gallons of fuel had to be dumped off the Canterbury coast before the plane landed, shortly after 8 a.m. Fares refunded “They had a look at the engine to see if repairs could be made, but there wasn’t enough time. They refunded the full fare,” said Mr Leonard. The fare for the 1988 same day trip is $599 for members of the Owners’ and Trainers’ Federation and $699 for non-mem-bers, with deposits of $199 and $299 respectively. The promoter, Roger Sutherland, of Christchurch, reports a big interst in the venture.

In 1955 the trip cost £BO ($160), but that was about 20 times the average wage, according to Mr Leonard. “It would have been a lot of fun. I wasn’t really worried about the plane engine trouble because I reckoned we were either going to make it back or

not and there was no use dwelling on it. “While we were waiting at the airport to see whether the trip was still on the passengers had a 100-yard dash up the runway for a stake but some were doing pretty well even at that stage and couldn’t make the distance.”

Those were the days of the “Flying Sportsman” promotions when plane loads of racing fans flew to meetings all over New Zealand.

Mr Leonard later handed all his documentation back to Air New Zealand as a record of the flight but is not sure whether it has survived.

Kaikoura substitute

The hardy nature of the pioneer travellers is underlined by the fact that one, on learning the Melbourne trip was off, left immediately for the Kaikoura trots which were on the same day. “It has turned out well for me,” the punter told “The Press” that evening.

“I liked Gold Scheme in the Melbourne Cup and would have backed him. I struck the double at Kaikoura and it paid over£l6.” The 1955 Melbourne Cup was won by Toparoa which scored a shock win over Rising Fast. Toparoa, trained by Tommy Smith, was owned by Norm McDonald, who had been based in Christchurch for

a time. Gold Scheme beat only two home.,

Mr Leonard later lost a son, lan, who suffered fatal injuries when kicked by a horse, and he sponsors the New Zealand Leonard Memorial Stakes at the Cheviot Trotting Club’s meeting in honour of all those who have lost their lives in racing. “It was originally run at Spotswood and I put up the £5O ($100) stake and upped the sponsorship when it shifted to Rangiora. In those days you couldn’t sell fillies at the trotting National Sales but things have changed now.”

Champagne breakfast

The advance in technology is the major difference between the 1988 “there and back” Melbourne Cup tour and the intrepid fliers of 1955. A champagne breakfast will be served on the plane for the 1988 flight and the six hours the pioneer craft was allowed to reach Melbourne has been halved.

Would Mr Leonard be tempted to try it again?

“I’ll think about it. I’ve got a daughter in Melbourne and it is not a dear flight by any means.” At least this time he can be confident of making it without the suspense of 1955. And they call them the good old days!