AEROPLANE RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1932, Page 14

AEROPLANE RACE

• CEOSS-COUNTEY TEST

, AMATEUR THE WINNER

/ ONE PILOT KILLED

•- {From- "Tho Post's" Representative.) ' v LONDON, 27th May.

Thirty machines took part in a crosscountry, air race organised by the "Morning Post" on Saturday. Tho Irace tvSb designed to test the navigational v skill of pilots, and tho three sections of tho course were kept aecre't until'the moment of departure. It was then left to competitors to find their tray with the aid of map, compass, and landmarks to the various turning points. 11.I1. B..Walker, of Liverpool, an tanateur pilot, who has been flying only three >yea*3 and had never taken part in a race Vsfore, was the winner. He fl«Sw his own Puss Moth cabin aeroplane an,d made an average speed over the Whole coarse, 479 miles long, of 108,5 miles an hour. Mr. John Grierson, in a Moth light aeroplane, was second; Mr. G. Baillie, in a-Moth, was third; atld Miss Winifred Spoonor, in a Puss Moth, was fourth. ■ One of the missing unfortunately was Flight-Lieutenant P. G.- Gibbons, of No; 204' Flying Boat Squadron,. who was killed through striking tho top of a tree at Stainton, near Bury St. Edmunds, when flying the second lap of fHe course. This was no doubt t due to. 'the, bad visibility, which caused so many of the other competitors to drop oul"v*f-the race. One other accident, in which tho pilot was not hurt, arose from mechanical trouble. Major J. E. D. Shaw, who had ttf make a forced landing in his Avian early in the race, came down near Bletchley and had to viand down wind. He steered Ms machine through a field gateway when he found it could not pull up in time, and tho posts swept the" wings back against the fuselage, jtnning him in the cockpit and deluging him with petrol from-the tank in tha damaged centre section of the upper ;wing. ' , COURSE IK THREE SECTIONS. ' The first section, of the course lay from Heston to Market Harborough and then • to" Norwich, where there was a fifty^minutes' compulsory wait for refuelling. .'The second section was from Norwich to Pulham, Koyston, Huntingdon, and back to Norwich, where there was the second fifty minutes' 1 wait. The final section was f rpm Norwich to Trimley and Mildenhall, and then back to Heston, a total distance of 500 miles. This course was laid over flat conn- - try -where forced landings might easily,.be made and where few landmarks could help those who failed to make good compass courses. Low clouds and poor visibility, however, denied the competitors any assistance from the ground. Pour landed and five others returned to Heston without completing the first lap, having despaired of finding their way in sucii conditions. It is a tribute to the courage ,and ability ef the competitors that 24 reached Norwich from1 Heston. During the circular trip from Norwich which constituted the second lap the. weather began to get worse, and several pilots evidently got offi their course. Flying Officor H. B. A. Edwards had to retire at Cambridge with a petrol leak. Miss Sale-Barker,, who had already lost some time helping Major Shaw in his forced landing, abandoned the race. Most of the others finished tho second lap, and tha Bad times of some indicated the difficulties of the task. At the end of this section the winners were in the lead, though about 11 minutes separated them. !Mr. Baillie was leading, with Miss Spooner second, Mr. Walker fourth, and Mr. • Grierson fifth. Mr. Gdrdon Selfridge, juri., in his Puss Moth, had climbed a long way up tho list,-but was not yet-"among the leaders. "" For tho last 157 miles the weather was most unpleasant.' It had become thicker. Bain was falling and visibility, was less than a mile. In theso {conditions Mr. Walker flew a migniflcent "course. WOMAN MAKES MISTAKE. - Scarcely had Mr. Walker turned to land, when Miss Spooner flew over the grounds. Instead of passing in flight between the two arrows laid out on the aerodrome, Miss Spooner turned near the. control tower and landed. Instants ly the judge announced that she had failed to .finish according to the rales. People-rushed out'on-to the aerodrome ■waving to her to' taxi over the line, forgetful,apparently that the rules contained the words "in ' flight." Miss Spooner, distracted by the frantic waving and not appreciating exactly what had happened, taxied,round and passed across the aerodrome—again on the wrong side of the^southern arrow. There was" more waving, bnt^1 meanwhile, with a roar, Mr. J. Grierson swept over th,e aerodrome, passing cor- ( xeetly" between the arrows, to take second' place. . Mrr.Walker's speed was 108J m.p.h., an indication of the weather and navigation difficulties, for the machine is of averaging more than 120. Mr. WaJker only bought the machine T from Messrs. Brian Lewis at Heston a -snort time "before the race. He learnt 4a fly at HanWorth, 1 An important point about Mr. Walker's flying was that in averaging 108} 'miles an hour he achieved the fastest .time. He would, therefore, hav,e re•tained his first place even if he had Hot had the special pilot's time allowance 'for1 less than 250 hours' flying ex'jerience. ' After the prizes had been presented, the tracing of the; competitors who ,we*e still- not accounted for.was under-■taken;-but it was not until late that "the last man, the Hon. M. Hachisuka, had been traced. • 'Plight-Lieutenant Gibbons, who was Jkilledy was 33' yeaTs old and unmariried. He had seen service in many different parts of the world and was a ■fine sportsman as well as a highly skilJed, and experienced pilot engineer. .3Jis service career extended back to »1917. i He -'was universally recognised ras a, particularly fine and courageous .jilot and a brilliant navigator. It is believed that he was to have left Engjland for Xndia in the near future.