REMARKABLE SUCCESS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 151, 29 June 1931, Page 9

REMARKABLE SUCCESS

BRITAIN'S AERIAL ASCOT

MARVELLOUS FEATS

as Association—By Electric Tolegraph—Copyright.)

LONDON, 27th June,

In glorious flying weather nearly 1,000,000 people within and without the aerodrome at Hendon witnessed an unexampled Air Foice pageant which, for distinguished attendance, skilful performance, and smartness of dressing, ranked as an Aerial' Ascot. . , . The Duke of Gloucester flew, from Tidmouth, and Prince George, Princess Ingrid, and mombers of the Cabinet also attended. v . Wonder followed wonder, from bombing displays to aerial duels. The movements varied from drill to refuelling a giant bomber i:i mid-air from another 'plane. Complete accuracy in the evolutions was maintained at 150 miles an hour. NOVEL DISPLAYS. . Crazy flying was performed by a pair of aeroplanes, whose pilots deliberately did everything wrongly. It enthralled the crowd. ■■■■-■ An autogiro hovered, windmill like, while a queer tail-less 'plane, with painted eyes and a mouth like a Chinese dragon, circumnavigated it. With exaggerated wings a Gugnunc, which is almost unerashable, dropped like a plummet from the sky under perfect control. New .Fury fighters gave a Boyal salute at a spoed of 214 miles an hour. Six parachutes gracefully descended from three huge Vikings. One o£ the star turns was the catapulting .of a Virginia night-bomber, weighing nine tons. It provided a most dramatic display, including the destruction of a naval gun which supposedly had' shelled London, damaging St. Paul's. YOUTHFUL AIBMEN. Ninety per cent, of the participating airmen are between the ages of 19 and 21, Many were mere toddlers in wartime. The pageant was truly a festival of Britain's most daring youth, whose feats were marvellous.