RACE AND DEMONSTRATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 98, 23 October 1934, Page 6

RACE AND DEMONSTRATION

Public excitement at the marvellous performance of Scott and Black has been clouded by the fatality which has overtaken two New Zealanders, Baines and Gilman. In such a contest there cannot be complete safeguard against accident, but the rules for the Centenary Race were specially drawn to eliminate as far as possible risks which could be foreseen. The lessons of the 1919 England-Australia race, and the Dole race were applied, and the officials at Mildenhall carried out their duties with scrupulous care. So much so that Colonel Fitzmaurice considered that the requirements were too exacting and withdrew from the race. Not only was this care exercised in passing the entered machines, but the control points on the route were determined so that a check could be kept upon competitors. The effect of these precautions was not merely to lessen the dangers faced by overbold competitors, but to make the race bear some relationship to commercial flight. The outstanding performance up to the present in this respect is that, of the Dutchmen, Pannentier and Moll, flying the K.L.M.'s Douglas machine. Scott and Black's flight, Mildenhall to Darwin in 52 hours 40 minutes, is a wonderful record, but it is safe lo presume that there would have to be modifications in die machine and some hours added to die time if it were proposed to make this the basis for a commercial service. On the other hand it was announced before the race began that the X.L.M. entry would be flown, not as for a race, but to demonstrate that a six-day passenger service from England to Australia was possible. This intention has been faithfully adhered to. 'Carrying a crew of four, three passengers, and mail the Douglas machine has kept steadily on the way, stopping at far more checking points than her range necessitated. Indeed the calls have been those which would probably have been made by an aeroplane engaged in a regular passenger and mail service. Certainly time has not been wasted; but neither would it be on a time-table arranged to allow reasonable opportunity for crew changes, machine inspection, refuelling, and picking up passengers and mail. Scott and Black have shown how near (in flight time) British design and flying skill have brought England and Australia; but Parmentier and Moll have demonstrated that speedy air transport is something in which the ordinary citizen as well as the daring pilot may soon have a share.