PALMERSTON NORTH’S AIRPOET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 4, 4 December 1931, Page 2

PALMERSTON NORTH’S AIRPOET.

OFFICIAL OPENING TO-MORROW. To-morrow afternoon the residents. of tho Manawatu will have the opportunity for tho first time of seeing If aeroplanes in tho air at one time. This squadron of 'planes are congregating at Milson aerodrome from Now Plymouth, Hawera, W anganui, Wellington, Mastorton, Napier, Akitio, and Christchurch, to celebrate tho official opening of Palmerston North a airport. Spectators will bo treated to some remarkable ‘‘stunting,” or ‘‘aerobatics, by war pilots. Altogether 17 planes of five different types will be at the airport, including a Bristol lighter, which is being sent for tho display by the Defence Department from Sockburn. This machine will give an exhibition of picking up messages from observers on the ground, thus illustrating to spectators what was done in tho way of ’planes gathering news from scouts on tho ground in war time. The whole flying programme has been arranged to give the spectators tho maximum interest, while a public address system of loudspeakers will bo used to keep the crowd posted with events. While stunting is in progress the announcer will explain the various evolutions, such as spins, rolls, half rolls, Immelmann turns, falling leaf, etc. At two o’clock the whole squadrou will fly over the city in a formation flight, thus giving the signal for the start of tho display, and at 2.15 passenger flying will commence, two machines being detailed for this duty. At 2.30 Hon J G. Cobbo, Minister of Defence, will declare the Milson aerodromo officially opened. Other speakers will be tho Mayor (Mr Mansford) and Mr Batchelar (chairman of tho Kairanga County) as well as presidents of the Aero Club and Milson Aerodrome. At 245 p.m. the “Manawatu Schneider Cup” race of 10 miles will be held over a triangular course. The conclusion of this race will bo over the hangar where the ’planes will finish at over 120 miles an hour. Other novel events are to be run off, concluding the afternoon with a bombing exhibition, where tho pilots of tho planes swoop down on a fast moving car and drop their bombs. This evont is always vorv spectacular to tho public and at the same time exhibits the. remarkable control that a pilot has over his plane, as all the evolutions are done at less than 200 foot from tho ground. Tho whole display should not be missed by anyone, and being the first to bo scon in the district a record crowd is expected. Motorists should note that they must approach tho aerodromo from Boundary Road only, as all the other approaches will bo closed for the occasion to facilitate handling the traffic.