AIR RACE FINISH.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 October 1934, Page 3

AIR RACE FINISH.

CROWD OF 100,000 EXPECTED. MANY PROGRESS REPORTS. When the loaders in the Centenary Air Race are preparing to leave Charleville on their last hop, hundreds of trains will be marshalled in both Flinders and Spencer Street railway yards at Melbourne to carry thousands of spectators to the finishing point at Flemington racecourse. If the wanner reaches Melbourne in -the daytbine 1 , transport arrangements similar to those on Cup Day have been promised to the Air Race Committee by the Raihvays Commissioners and the Tram'w'ays Board. When the leading planes reach Charleville, the last compulsory checking point, they will be within four and a-huif flying hours of Melbourne. Frequent broadcast reports -will -keep the Melbourne public informed of the flyers ’ progress and sirens wall sound throughout the city and suburbs when they are within an hour’s distance of Flemington. The Air Race Committee hopes that at least 1-0(),000 wall attend the finish if it is in daylight. They are confident that several thousands will attend—no matter at what hour of the night or early morning the wanning flyer arrives. In addition to hundreds of trams and trains which will be held in reservo, special arrangements will be made by the traffic control branch of the Police Department to cope with the heavy motor traffic to Flemington racecourse. SINGLE RECEPTION. Arrangements for the reception of the winner, wdiich have yet to be completed, are simplf. The actual ceremony of reception will he very brief, as the committee realises that the airmen will need immediate rest after their gruelling flight. IT he winning plane will swoop over the finishing point —-the eastern .half of the southern portion of the straight —at as low an altitude as possible, wall make two circles of the course and

-will then fly off to 'whatever aerodrome it is directed to by signal lights operated from the ground. If the finish takes place between 10 a.m. and S- Ip.m., 'the winner will be driven back to the course by car or flown back in a Moth plane. On a specially erected dais, he will be received by Sir Macpherson Robertson, donor of the air race prizes, the Premier (Sir Stanley Argyle) and the chairman of the 'Centenary Council (Cr. iSir Harold Gengoult Smith). 'The speeches, which will he kept short, will 'be c'arried to the crowd-by amipliflefs and broadcast throughout Australia.