LOCAL PILOTS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 139, 15 June 1931, Page 11

LOCAL PILOTS

AERO CLUB DISPLAY

THRILLING "STUNTS'

Kvidcnce .. of , the progress which.. ia being made by the Wellington Aero Oln'b was provided at the Eongotai Aerodrome on-. Saturday afternoon, when, in the presence of nearly a thousand people, locally-trained pilots and others participated in a number of competitive' events. The atmospheric conditions in the morning had not been of the. best, and club officials had seriously considered the possibility- of having to • postpone the events, but by the afternoon the -weather had cleared and the conditions during- tho display were quite good. , . Those present, included tho Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C: A. Hislop) and several members of the City ■ Council^ the Director .'of: Air' Services7;..(WingCommander S. Graut-Daltoh), Flight-Lieutenant-A. do T..Nevill,.and others. Prior.'to the competitions, an interesting and thrilling display , of ; trick flying was given by the club instructor (Squadrou-Leadcr G. L. Stedman) and the assistant .instructor (Flight-Com-mander G. B. Bolt). Tho display .was watched with'the greatest interest. ,One of the best trick's performed' was the mock head-on collision. To those below it appeared that the two instructors were engaged in a battle for supremacy, so' skilfully wer.e the machines manipulated.. '...:.."' ' ' . The competition in'which the clubtrained, pilots ..participated also aroused' keen interest. An excellent display of landing was given by.* Mr." L. Taylor, the winner of that particular competition, and "MrV'Cr C. ""Waite, who was ■successful in the acrobatic contest, per-, formed many.daring evolutions.' ■ Tho. detailed results of the ■. competitions were as follows:— ■•. ; \ -.. . Landing competition '(Lloyd'• .Cup):. X." Taylor 1, C. C. ■■ Waite. 2, E. J. Lloyd 3. - • ■ - ■■•'.-■ Acrobatic contest (Stollin Cup): C. C. Waite 1, C. M.. Duthie 2, L. Taylor Bombing competition: H. Gardiner 1, E. 3. Lloyd 2. . ■■.- -.. :-. = -■ Best pilot of year (Gibson Cup): C. M. Duthie. ■ -•-.-.•.-.; -.:: Tho trophies.won ivero:presented by the.Mayor,: who ihanked those:present for the encouragement they had -given club members. Instancing the progress the club had maflc.aiid the good work that had. been performed, Mr. Hislop stated that eightoen months ago not one of the pilots who had: taken part in the competitions had been able to fly. During- the oighteon' months ; they trained one: B pilot, My. C. M. Duthie, who had won competitions in- all parts of the Dominion. In addition, they had trained. 16 A pilots. In concluding, Mr. Hislop - appoaled" to '• tho public for greater support for the club, which, like everybody else, was experiencing difficult times. ' . : ■'.- ■

: Those, present werb entertained at afternoon- tea. •'•-' "■'■ ■ ;;- '■ '